The Ontario Hockey League is delaying the start of its season to Feb. 4.

League to reduce schedule to 40 games, camp moves to Jan. 23

The Ontario Hockey League is pushing back the start of its season to Feb. 4.

The OHL’s board of governors made the decision on Monday and general managers were informed at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, a source told The Examiner. The OHL has not made any announcements regarding schedule changes.

The start of the 2020-21 season was originally delayed until Dec. 1 to try to settle issues of cross border travel and allowing spectators to attend games.

Neither of these issues has been resolved so the league has decided to give itself until February, following the conclusion of the high school aged players second semester, to start the season. Training camp has been moved from Nov. 15 to Jan. 23.

The league will also reduce its schedule to 40 games and complete the regular season May 16. A condensed playoffs will follow in order to crown a league champion in time for the 2021 Memorial Cup slated for June 1727. The Memorial Cup will be hosted by either the Oshawa Generals or Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, the two finalists in a bidding process to host the Canadian Hockey League championship tournament.

Only eight of the OHL’s 20 teams, four in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences, will make the playoffs. The conference semifinals and final will be bestof-five series. The two conference champions will meet in a best-of-seven league final for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

The league is not prepared to play without fans, its primary revenue source.

There is no indication the Ontario government is prepared to offer financial support like Quebec did in providing $20 million to the 12 Quebec-based teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The six Maritime teams have been able to play with about one-third of their fans in attendance.

The QMJHL started Oct. 1, but has been plagued by outbreaks on at least three teams which prompted the league to shut down its two Quebec-based divisions until the end of the month.

The Western Hockey League is eyeing a Jan. 8 start.

The OHL’s other major issue is the 14-day quarantine requirement the Canadian government appears unwilling to waive for teams entering Canada from the United States, according to a source.

Petes general manager Mike Oke and president Dave Pogue did not return calls seeking comment by deadline on Wednesday.

The 2019-20 OHL season was postponed on March 12 with six regular season games remaining. The season and playoffs were later cancelled.