PLAYOFFS PUT ON ICE
Hockey Canada announced cancellation of all sanctioned activities on Thursday
Pandemic brings hockey season to sudden stop
Cal Caragata may have played his last game of the Regina Pat Canadians’ season on Thursday in Tisdale.
However, the Pat Canadians’ captain is hoping the 4-2 win over the Tisdale Trojans isn’t the final contest of his Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League career.
Prior to Thursday’s road playoff win over the Trojans, it was announced that all Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities were to be cancelled as of Friday “until further notice” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation impacts all national championships conducted under Hockey Canada and any playoff series that was in progress.
“Our team was pretty bummed out because we had a pretty good shot to go to the (Canadian midget hockey championship),” said Caragata, whose Pats held a 2-0 lead over the Trojans in the bestof-five league semifinal. “Hopefully in a couple of weeks we’re back at it. Your mindset has to be that we will still be playing and you can only hope for the best.”
The Pat Canadians were officially informed of Hockey Canada’s decision by head coach Darren Mckechnie before the first period on Thursday.
“Everyone was a little sad, but we were going to go out and win our last game if that was the case,” said Caragata, the league’s leading playoff scorer with 14 points on five goals and nine assists.
“It’s a crappy deal because a lot of guys on our team are graduating this year and they haven’t won a championship before. We were all set on bringing home the title. We’re still going to wait and see and hopefully that we’re back in a couple of weeks or even a month.”
Caragata said that he has adjusted some of his habits due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve only been drinking out of our own water bottles, washing our hands all of the time and using hand sanitizer,” Caragata said. “I’ve washed my hands more in the last couple of days than I had in the last couple of weeks.”
Mckechnie hopes that the season resumes, but also understands Hockey Canada’s stance.
“My parents are in the age group that are most susceptible,” Mckechnie said. “If the steps that are taken now can help save their lives, then it’s a no-brainer.”
The Regina Rebels didn’t even get to play a post-season game after finishing first the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Female Hockey
League with a 26-2-1-1 record and earning a bye to the league semifinal.
The decision by Hockey Canada means Regina’s 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats on March 8 could be the Rebels’ final win of the 2019-20 season.
“I’m going with the season has been postponed,” said Rebels head coach Mike Merk. “I’ve talked to a few of the other coaches and if things got lifted in three weeks or so, it would be nice to talk about what some of our options are. We really haven’t had a league meeting per se and we’re just following Hockey Canada’s direction.
“I’m hoping that it’s just a postponement. I do realize that there is probably a date where we can’t move things forward or come up with a solution to continue.”
The Regina Extreme Hockey Capitals were to open their bestof-seven Prairie Junior Hockey League semifinal series on Friday against Fort Knox. Hockey Canada’s decision means the Capitals’ pursuit of a fourth consecutive league championship is in jeopardy.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Capitals head coach Scott Kreutzer. “I feel bad for our veterans that are graduating and may not have an opportunity to go for that other championship.”
That’s one of the reasons why Kreutzer is hoping the playoffs might resume at a later date.
“We’re like the rest of the leagues up to the NHL in that we’re optimistically pessimistic,” Kreutzer said.
“If things ease in a month, there may be a possibility of a shortened series or a two-day tournament. If it goes beyond a month, the chances of that happening are very slim.”
It’s a crappy deal because a lot of guys on our team are graduating this year and they haven’t won a championship before.