WHL aims for Dec. 4 start to season

The Victoria Royals won’t compete until near Christmas. After that, they will play a lot of games in what would be a hectic and condensed time frame. At least, that’s the latest plan.

An ambitious Western Hockey League believes it can fit in a whirlwind regular 68-game season, followed by four full playoff rounds, despite a revised Dec. 4 start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It will be a great challenge and about how you deal with game density and travel and the skill of recovery,” said Royals head coach and general manager Dan Price.

Even the Dec. 4 target, announced Aug. 6, is dependent on receiving approvals from governments and health authorities in four provinces and two states, and having the Canada-U.S. border open by December.

“Regardless of our start date, the WHL is committed to playing a full regular season and playoffs in 2020-21,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said in a statement.

The WHL had previously set a delayed start date of Oct. 2 due to the pandemic. Regular-season play normally begins in September.

“In our discussions with the government and health authorities, it has become apparent that additional time is required to ensure we can return to play in a safe and responsible manner,” Robison said.

“Our WHL health-and-safety protocols have been well received by the health authorities, but we have several key issues that we will need to reach a resolution on in the coming months.”