When the hockey season was prematurely ended on March 12 by Hockey Canada, it sent shockwaves through the country. The cancellation of remaining hockey seasons and rink closures made the Covid-19 pandemic feel more real for many Canadians when it took away their most beloved sport.
A little over three months later, Hockey Canada is taking steps towards a return to the ice by putting the power into each provinces鈥� hands to make a decision on when hockey activities can resume.
On June 4, in a press release, Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney and President/COO Scott Smith announced a return-to-hockey process in Canada.
鈥淥n March 12, the decision was made to cancel all Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities across the country. This was a difficult decision, but one made to maintain health and safety of all participants and the general public amid growing concerns around the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
鈥淐urrently there are no Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities being conducted, and we are working with our members on their return-to-hockey plans. After ongoing discussions with the board of directors, our chief medical officer, the 13 members and public health authorities across the country, it has been determined that the best approach for a return to hockey in Canada is to allow each member the opportunity to work with authorities in their respective regions to determine when it is safe to return to the ice in areas that fall under their jurisdiction. We expect the timing of each member鈥檚 return to hockey will be different, but will be based on the advice of their government and public health authority.
鈥淚t is imperative to note that we are not ready to return to the game across the country. As we have seen in respect to flattening the curve, the impact of the pandemic varies from region to region. Permitting our members the opportunity to decide on an appropriate return-to-hockey timeline will allow them to work directly with public health authorities to determine when it is safe to return while also implementing specific safety measures and rules within their associations and leagues.
鈥淗ockey Canada knows the game will look quite different, and the return will happen at different speeds and at different times across the country. Be assured, we continue to work on our multi-faceted return-to-hockey plan that includes health and safety regulations, communications and seasonal structure. As with so many people across the country, we look forward to returning to the game when it is safe to do so, and we will support our 13 members as we continue to work towards getting back on the ice.鈥�
Although this is progress towards getting back to hockey, Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) GM Kelly McClintock says, this was more of a situational move to allow provinces to individually asses their situation.
鈥淭he reality is, it鈥檚 not like they鈥檝e lifted the ban,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ockey Canada is really the 13 branches of Hockey Canada and the staff of Hockey Canada. We鈥檝e been working pretty closely with this. When we all made a decision on March 12 to go out as one group, we really felt at that time we would come in as one group.
鈥淎fter a month of daily calls, it became apparent because of how Covid-19 was hitting various regions of the country we wouldn鈥檛 be able to come back all as one. That鈥檚 really why this decision was made.
鈥淩ight now, Hockey Canada isn鈥檛 sanctioning anything within Hockey Canada until September 1. They鈥檙e giving us the ability if we so choose, but they鈥檙e giving us the minimum guidelines of return-to-hockey that we have all been a part of in producing and approved. Then you work with your provincial government and health authority.鈥�
Until a date for a return to indoor sports is set by the Government of Saskatchewan, McClintock says everything will remain up in the air.
鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e in the midst of calls,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had six so far 鈥� going by zones 鈥� and we鈥檙e telling them we鈥檙e not going back to hockey until the provincial government and Sask Health lay down the guidelines. Arena鈥檚 are not supposed to open until Phase 4.2 now and we don鈥檛 know what that date is, but we also don鈥檛 know what the conditions are going to be. Those are important things that we feel we want to have a say in.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really probably going to hit 鈥� I wouldn鈥檛 say so much minor hockey 鈥� junior hockey where they need to have bums in the seats in order to make money. There鈥檚 a group involving the WHL, SJHL, and ourselves that will hopefully have a conversation with Sask Health in the next two weeks and lay out what we鈥檇 like to see, but we鈥檇 also like to know what guidelines they鈥檙e thinking about for when we get back to playing hockey.鈥�
With the way Saskatchewan has handled the Covid-19 pandemic, McClintock is confident if communities keep up their efforts, hockey will be back sooner than later.
鈥淚鈥檝e been telling our members that I can鈥檛 give definitive answers of what it鈥檚 going to be like,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 said they鈥檙e seeing all kinds of things on social media and reports in papers and it鈥檚 all great to speculate, but until we actually find out 鈥� if we go along here like we have been in the last week or so over the next month, then we could be sitting pretty good, but if all of a sudden people have too much false sense of security and we see some bigger groups getting together and more cases coming out then it鈥檚 just going to be worse for us.
鈥淚f we keep going the way we are, I can see us maybe starting in September and them maybe having more relaxed rules for what it would be within an arena than what I suspect. A month ago I was saying we might not be able to play until November and at that time we鈥檙e wondering if we can use dressing rooms, have kids on benches, and those types of things. Now, I鈥檓 thinking if we have another month of what we鈥檝e had here then it鈥檚 going to be a much more positive outlook.鈥�
Hockey Canada has released a document on their return-to-hockey protocol that gives some idea of what hockey could look like once it returns, but McClintock says each individual community is going to need to do their part.
鈥淗ockey Canada has quite a few (protocols) they鈥檝e addressed,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust about cleaning equipment, water bottles, hand washing, all of those kinds of things. We鈥檝e even addressed on our website teams taking busses and what they鈥檒l have to do and even maybe persuade teams not to have as many overnight trips and certainly not eating at buffets. There鈥檚 that, but when it comes down to the actual physical arena, that鈥檚 the thing that we鈥檙e not yet aware on.
鈥淲hen I鈥檝e been meeting with our members, I鈥檝e been advising them that if they haven鈥檛 already talked to their local municipality about what they have heard, or if they鈥檝e contacted SUMA or SARM, or talked to local government about what an indoor facility will require. Will they require more staff? More cleaning supplies? A more rigorous cleaning schedule? And that all depends on if the town/village runs the arena, will they have to hire more people? Or if it鈥檚 run by a recreation group of volunteers and it鈥檚 all volunteer run.
鈥淓very community is different, but I told them they have to check. Make sure they go to their town council, or whoever, and ask if they鈥檝e looked into it and if not they need to so they can be prepared for when we come back. I would say the majority of our hockey rinks don鈥檛 open until maybe October 1 鈥� there are a lot in September, but the majority aren鈥檛 opening up until October. I look at that and see that we鈥檝e still got time here.鈥�
There鈥檚 still plenty that needs to be hashed out before a return is possible, but McClintock says Hockey Canada is doing everything to help make that return as smooth as possible.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of what Hockey Canada has done,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 13 branches of Hockey Canada 鈥� one in every province and three in Ontario. Their motto is, 鈥�13 plus one equals one.鈥� There might be 13 branches, but we鈥檙e all in this together. They鈥檝e been real leaders. We鈥檝e had nine different groups with four task teams and five work groups on various topics. We鈥檙e looking at things like how to address regulations. For example, can teams travel between provinces? That depends. Should we have a chief medical officer to consult if a team wants to travel? If a team from Moosomin wants to go to Winnipeg and they apply for a travel permit? I鈥檓 saying no. Or if a Winnipeg team wants to come to Regina? No. But what if a Moosomin team wants to go to Virden? I want a chief medical officer to help make that decision. It really depends on areas.
鈥淲e looked at regulations, return-to-hockey protocols, if we can do coaching and officiating differently, and Hockey Canada has engaged a third-party vendor to do some surveys of our membership across the country to get their feedback on how comfortable they are. We鈥檙e also looking at how to promote the game better and promote safety, and how to make people more secure in coming back to play.
鈥淎s I said to our membership, there鈥檚 always a rural vs. urban perspective,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Regina or Saskatoon 鈥� a large centre 鈥� you see a lot more layoffs, physical distancing requirements, that kind of stuff. In a lot of rural settings people are doing what they should be doing, but I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 as much fear of it. They have a different perspective on it because they don鈥檛 have anything in the area and they鈥檙e ready to play hockey. But when we start moving around that鈥檚 when we potentially start seeing things happening. I鈥檓 hoping some of the summer sports are ready to play so we can see some of the results there.鈥�
Despite the Covid-19 crisis being a negative situation, McClintock does see some positive long-term impacts coming out of it.
鈥淲here I see the long-term impact is, at times we don鈥檛 have to travel to meet in person,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople are getting used to running virtual meetings 鈥� for a little over two months that鈥檚 all I was doing. That鈥檚 one change from this.
鈥淚鈥檝e really encouraged my staff 鈥� if you go on our website we鈥檝e had some virtual goaltending presentations, skating, skills development, developing defensemen 鈥� so I think there鈥檚 going to be a lot more virtual learning when it comes to coaching and officiating development.
鈥淢y youngest son is in grade 12 so he鈥檚 been doing virtual learning and both my boys are going to university in the fall and that鈥檚 all going to be virtual. At some point, the new generation coming up is going to be used to that, so we better incorporate it and use those platforms and they can do it at more of their leisure. It鈥檚 important we look at those things.鈥�
