OHL needs to be ‘flexible’ moving ahead
Safety of teams, fans paramount in any plan to get back on the ice
Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch feels it in his gut.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he replied, when asked if the OHL would return at some point next season.
But just what the league will look like, when it will start and how it will change due to the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown.
Those are the issues the OHL is tackling as it makes its way out of a shortened campaign that saw regular-season games end with about two weeks to go and cancellation of the entire playoffs and Memorial Cup.
The OHL usually starts in late September. Branch says league brass has not discussed or considered a shortened or cancelled season yet.
“The one thing we do know is that we have to be flexible,” he said. “We must be prepared for change. The way we conduct our affairs will probably never be the way it was in the past. But we don’t know what that means.”
Branch added that player, fan and staff safety is paramount in any league plan moving forward.
There are several steps for the OHL to return to the ice.
First, the league must get the allclear from the government and public health that it’s safe to congregate in large groups.
Schools must also open, since at least half of the players in the league are students.
With three American clubs — the Saginaw Spirit, Flint Firebirds and Erie Otters — the Canada-U.S. border must be passable.
Inside the rink is another story. Some professional sports leagues are planning to resume games in empty stadiums. That would be a hard sell in the OHL.
“We’ve not discussed if we can play without spectators,” said Branch. “I can say there is no real cause at this point to look at all the what-ifs and wherefores until we have a better sense and feel.”
Playing in an empty barn is not an option for the Kitchener Rangers, nor the Niagara IceDogs.
“I don’t believe our franchise can (play with no fans),” said Rangers chief operating officer Steve Bienkowski. Ticket sales are “the majority of our revenue.”
The IceDogs, who were averaging 4,906 fans in 32 home games before the 2019-20 season was cancelled, also need fans in the stands at Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines. They had 11 sellouts during the second half of the season.
“Similar to the Kitchener Rangers, the Niagara IceDogs would not be able to operate without the support of spectators at games,” owner and chief executive Bill Burke said. “The costs associated with operations during a hockey season will far exceed the limited revenue brought in if we were to play games without spectators.”
Richard Powers, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, agrees it’s too early to speculate on the status of next season but infers fans are a must for survival.
“Where the OHL and these types of leagues are particularly vulnerable is that most of their revenue depends on bums in seats,” he said. “If that’s compromised in any way due to social distancing or in the absence of fans, that’s really going to hurt their bottom line.”
Powers, who is an expert on how teams and franchises are affected by COVID-19, understands cities with OHL clubs have devoted, lifelong fans but says there could be a shift in attitude based on how we come out of this.
“I think people have to become comfortable with going out again,” he said. “What would really help that is a vaccine, (or) a simple but effective screening device.
“It’s interesting that now you go into some games and they check your bags. Try throwing another step in where everybody’s temperature is checked.”
"The one thing we do know is that we have to be flexible. We must be prepared for change.” DAVID BRANCH ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE COMMISSIONER