N.S. junior league cancels rest of season

The Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League has cancelled the remainder of the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced late Friday night.

The news comes after the Nova Scotia government announced new restrictions after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Halifax Regional Municipality last week. The new restrictions only affect the East Hants Penguins, Sackville Blazers and Cole Harbour Colts, all of whom play in the league’s Fred Fox Division. Other teams in the division include the Brookfield Elks, Valley Maple Leafs and Liverpool Privateers.

Meanwhile, all five teams in the Sid Rowe Division — Antigonish AA Munro Bulldogs, Kameron Jr. Miners, Eskasoni Eagles, Pictou County Scotians and Canadian Tire Strait Pirates — are not included in the new restrictions.

“After an NSJHL meeting this evening, it was decided that due to the uncertainty of the future decisions of the Nova Scotia government, we are cancelling our season,” said the league in a social media release Friday.

The release went on to say the league is looking forward to bringing back competitive hockey at the start of the 2021-22 regular season next fall.