
February 10, 2022 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
After a ‘pause’ in the regular season that lasted almost a month, minor hockey teams are once again on the ice and ready to continue their schedule.
All hockey in the province, with some exceptions for ‘elite’ players, came to a stop on January 5, after the provincial government announced that indoor sports facilities must close their doors in an effort to stop the spread of a new wave of the COVID-19 virus.
Teams were able to start playing again on January 31, when the provincial mandate expired. There was some concern that the province might extend the date if it was deemed necessary.
The pause in the schedule meant teams were missing games right in the middle of the season.
As a result, league executives had to make a decision on how to continue once they were allowed back into the arenas.
Orangeville Flyers Minor Hockey executive, along with the Tri County / OMHA had to make some decisions and do some rescheduling for when the teams got back on the ice.
The season now extends into March, with some tournament play taking place in April.
The same situation applies to all leagues across the province as they scramble to reschedule the season to make up for missing games.
Flyers executive and executive members across the province have worked hard and have done a terrific job to ensure hockey will continue when the arenas were again allowed to open.
Whether hockey can extend the season this year depends on each municipality. While some will keep the ice in, some places will still take the ice out at the regular time as a cost saving measure.
In the more advanced leagues, Junior level leagues have, for the most part, extended the season in a bid to get more games in before heading into the playoffs.
Some leagues tossed in the towel and went straight to playoffs once they were allowed back on the ice as it wasn’t feasible to extend the regular season.
Local players are happy to be back on the ice and enjoying their sport.