COUGARS AWAIT SEASON DETAILS
The Prince George Cougars are still intent on starting training camp right after Christmas but with infection rates continuing to spike, adults banned from team sports activities and travel bans in place, there are no guarantees there will even be a season until COVID has been quashed.
There’s been no change since mid-October, when WHL commissioner Ron Robison announced the regular season would start Jan. 8 with each of the 22 teams playing exclusively within their own divisions. For the Cougars, that means a shortened season of games against Kamloops, Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria. Andy Beesley, the Cougars vice-president, business, would gladly accept that, if that’s what it takes to get the teams playing again.
The WHL has hired Calgary doctor Willem Meeuwisse, the NHL medical director who set up the bubble in Edmonton which had no positive tests in two months of Stanley Cup playoffs, and Beesley is encouraged the league will find a way to salvage its season.
“Ultimately, the health authorities and COVID will determine what we are able to do this season,” said Beesley. “Having said that, there is a tremendous amount of work being done behind the scenes on the WHL level as far as doing their homework and coming up with a variety of scenarios with a large amount of meetings with the health authorities in all six jurisdictions.
“Here in B.C., there are working committees of various types that are working through a lot of different plans and ideas and scenarios for how we could potentially get some sort of a season underway here.”
It seems WHL games will be played without fans in the stands, but that also could change, depending on what the provincial health office will allow. Beesley expects an updated announcement on the league start date within the next week or so.
“Everything’s on the table,” said Beesley. “In a perfect world, this COVID situation would dramatically improve and we would start off the season probably with no fans and by the end of the season we’re not only allowing fans back in but we’re in playoffs and maybe even a Memorial Cup.
“The reality is that everybody involved in these discussions is fully aware that the situation is not looking very positive right now and we have to be realistic in our planning right now. The position the Cougars have taken and the WHL has taken is that we’re not just giving lip service to the idea that the safety of the players, fans and staff has to come first.”