LOCAL SPORTS TAKING A BIG HIT FROM CORONAVIRUS FEARS
Spitfires, Express among teams sidelined by public-health threat from pandemic
In Leamington, the junior B Flyers began a semifinal playoff series on Thursday while the
St. Clair Saints men’s team and women’s teams were in action in Ancaster at the OCAA indoor soccer championships.
Locally, those were the few amateur sports teams still playing after the domino effect most area teams felt as professional leagues opted to close down over fears of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact rippled through the sports world.
Nearly three hours after the National Hockey League suspended its season, all three branches of the Canadian Hockey League followed suit. The move came just over three hours before the Windsor Spitfires were to take to the ice against the Saginaw Spirit at the WFCU Centre.
“Following consultation with medical professionals, the National Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League, Hockey Canada, the CHL board of directors as well as the OHL board of governors, it was determined that all hockey activity in the OHL be paused until further notice as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” OHL commissioner David Branch said in a statement about the 20-team league. “In the best interest of the health of our players, member team staff, billets, on and off-ice officials, our great fans as well as the general public, we deemed this to be the best course of action, effective immediately. We will continue to monitor ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19 in the hope of continuing play at a point when it is safe to do so.”
Just minutes before the CHL made its announcement that all three of its leagues would suspend operations, the NBL of Canada, which includes the Windsor Express, announced in a statement that the eight-team league was suspending operations until further notice.
“The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) board of directors announces that the league will be suspending basketball operations until further notice as a result of concerns regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization,” the statement read. “NBL Canada is committed to the health and safety of our players, officials, fans, staff and general public. The league will continue to closely monitor the latest updates from public health agencies daily and assess the situation accordingly.”
The Express were to head east on Friday for games in New Brunswick on Saturday, Prince Edward Island on Sunday and Nova Scotia on Wednesday.
“It’s not cancelled,” Express president and CEO Dartis Willis said of the remainder of the season. “We don’t have a timeline.
“Our hopes are something may get better, but we don’t know and we’re following what other leagues are doing.”
For now, it’s a wait-and-see approach for many sports. The Flyers played Thursday and scored a 4-1 win over the St. Marys Lincolns in the opener before a crowd of 729 at the Kinsmen Recreation Complex, but there won’t be a Game 2 on Friday in St. Marys. The same goes for the other semifinal in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Hockey League, which was supposed to switch to Lasalle for Game 2 between the Vipers and London Nationals on Friday.
Late Thursday, Hockey Canada’s board of directors made the decision to cancel all Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities, which includes national championships, until further notice. It goes into effect on Friday.
That will also impact the Lakeshore Canadiens, who were set to open the Bill Stobbs Division final of the Provincial Junior Hockey League at the Atlas Tube Centre on Friday. It, too, is now off.
Also knocked out was the OFSAA boys’ and girls’ AAA hockey championships, which were set to be held in Windsor from March 24-27. Both have been cancelled, according to convener John Telerico, with the Ontario government announcing on Thursday that schools would be closed until April 5. Expect the same for OFSAA boys’ A/ AA and girls’ A/AA hockey along with curling, which are set for the same time period.
However, both St. Clair teams advanced from pool play on Thursday to Friday’s medal round and it appears that event will get a chance to conclude.
“Yes, as of now,” said Saints athletic co-ordinator Jay Shewfelt, who is with the team. “No fans allowed.”
In a statement, the OCAA said the event is being limited to student-athletes, coaches, trainers, team staff conveners and host staff only.