Mooseheads, Eagles, Islanders cleared to play each other

SYDNEY — Major junior hockey will return in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island this weekend but with no fans in the rinks.

Health and safety officials in those provinces agreed to let the Halifax Mooseheads, Cape Breton Eagles and Charlottetown Islanders resume play so long as they abide by the current COVID-19 restrictions.

The three QMJHL teams in New Brunswick — Moncton Wildcats, Bathurst Titan and Saint John Sea Dogs — have not yet been cleared to return to action because of the higher case count in that province. As of Monday evening, there were 348 active cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick.

The Mooseheads, Eagles and Islanders will continue to play only each other until at least Feb. 8 when the situation will be revisited based on COVID-19 circumstances at that time.

"While this is certainly not something we hoped for as an organization, it was the only way we would be able to resume play in the short term," Eagles president Gerard Shaw said in a news release. "We are very optimistic that this will only be for limited games and we will be back to playing in front of our loyal fans soon.”

The Eagles host the Islanders at Centre 200 on Friday night, followed by a meeting with the Mooseheads Saturday afternoon at the Sydney venue. The Mooseheads first game at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax will be on Sunday afternoon against the Islanders.

"The current situation is clearly not ideal, but it is extremely important for the development of our players, along with their health and wellbeing, that they return to the ice to play the game they love," Mooseheads president Brian Urquhart said in a news release. "We are excited to be able to provide them with that opportunity."