Raptors lead the way as Ontario eases restrictions on team training facilities
“We look forward to seeing our athletes return to play in the not-too-distant future.” LISA MACLEOD ONTARIO’S MINISTER OF HERITAGE, SPORT, TOURISM AND CULTURE INDUSTRIES
TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors will move a baby step closer to normalcy Monday with the reopening of their training centre for voluntary individual workouts.
The Ontario government paved the way Friday, easing restrictions on pro sports teams by allowing them to open their training facilities providing they follow their league’s “established health and safety protocols” in response to COVID-19.
The Raptors said the OVO Athletic Centre will reopen Monday for individual on-court sessions, with strict guidelines in place.
The National Basketball Association suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz all-star centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It ordered teams to close their facilities eight days later. The defending champion Raptors (46-18) have not played since a 101-92 win at Utah on March 9. Players and staff were tested in the aftermath of the game because of the positive Gobert test.
There is no word on resumption of play with NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying repeatedly the league is not yet in a position to make a decision.
Friday, however, was circled as the league’s earliest date to open team training facilities.
Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, said the NBA had taken “a leading role” in regards to its health and safety protocols.
She said she is working with Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, the National
Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators and the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks as well as others “on what a safe return would look like for them.”
“While it is imperative to do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19, we need to carefully and cautiously begin to reopen the economy,” she said in a statement.
“This is a critical sector for Ontario as sport represents more than $12.6 billion to Ontario’s economy and thousands of jobs across the province. We look forward to seeing our athletes return to play in the nottoo-distant future.”
With Major League Soccer having already opened the door to individual player workouts outdoors at team training centres, Toronto FC is in the process of getting its protocol approved by the league and local authorities.
An announcement on TFC individual workouts is expected in the next few days.
The NHL has yet to allow training to resume. But Friday’s announcement by the provincial government does allow Leafs players undergoing rehab to go back to the Ford Performance Centre, the team’s training facility.
Players requiring rehab that could not be done at home initially were having it done at the training facility.
Then it was switched to Scotiabank Arena after local authorities changed their guidelines.
The NHL has said it is working toward having players returning to small group activities at club training facilities.
“Provided that conditions continue to trend favourably ... we believe we may be able to move to Phase 2 at some point in the mid-to-later portion of May,” the league said in a statement April 29.
In the meantime, a ban on NHL players using training facilities other than rehab remains in place.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked Friday about reports the NHL was looking at Toronto as a “hub city” when play does resume.
“We have had conversations with them and it’s all based conditional on following the chief medical officer’s protocol,” he replied.
When teams do return to action, it will be in empty stadiums and with all health guidelines met, Ford said. “I think everyone wants to see a little bit of sports if they’re doing it responsibly. I love watching any sports, be it the NHL or Raptors or the Blue Jays, but those rules will apply for all those teams. There isn’t going to be an exception.”
While NBA guidelines allow for four players at a time in practice facilities, the Raptors will only have one player at a time in the building.
General manager Bobby Webster said the team felt more comfortable with the one-player limit.
He said about half the team is currently in the city and “almost all” of those have indicated interest in individual workouts.
The Raptors are limiting the training centre access to allow players time on court for activities such as shooting, that generally cannot be done at home.