Getting kids back on the ice
Minor hockey’s return-to-play plan starts with individual and virtual training and grows from there
WATERLOO REGION — It came as quick as a slapshot.
On March 12, after consulting with health officials, Hockey Canada cancelled all sanctioned events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were told on that Thursday programs were done,” said Rolland Cyr, general manager of the Kitchener Minor Hockey Association. “And we were done.”
For thousands of kids across Waterloo Region it meant the end of the hockey season. No more games, championships, tournaments or year-end banquets. It was a tough reality for everyone at the rink.
“I can’t imagine the young participants and the disappointment,” said Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario executive director Tony Martindale, whose membership consists of 23 hockey associations, including those in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.
“We talk about it, but we’re not walking in their shoes and didn’t have to go through that when we were young and growing up in the game. But we’re going to come back. Sometimes with adversity like this, you come back stronger.”
Since the shutdown, hockey minds from Hockey Canada down to the grassroots level have been feverishly working together to put a return to play plan into action.
On Wednesday, the Ontario Hockey Federation, which is the largest member of Hockey Canada, released its updated three-phase Return to Hockey Framework that will be used to help guide local associations back on the ice.
The plan is the result of hundreds of hours of collaboration, debate and ideas culled from video meetings and phone calls that started the moment the game was sidelined. The plan offers a glimpse of what lies ahead for kids’ hockey in Waterloo Region.
One thing is clear: hockey as we know it will not be the same this season.
“As we go forward things will be changed for sure,” said Waterloo Minor Hockey Association president Hans Roach. “It won’t be normal. But I’m pretty positive. I think we’re going to invent a better normal. Maybe it will be more fun.”
Last season is over and none of the cancelled games will be made up. Spring hockey is done, too.
Registration is open for Waterloo minor hockey — and surprisingly up from last year at this time — but fees aren’t being collected yet. Same goes for Cambridge minor hockey. Kitchener minor hockey wants to open registration, but is waiting for more clarity on structure and costs before moving ahead.
But what will players be returning to?
“The next step is all we can do in the game, and that’s the ability to train and working through that and making sure it’s done in a safe manner,” said Ontario Hockey Federation executive director Phillip McKee.
Phase 1 of the federation’s plan involved outlining a way to reintroduce hockey in a safe manner.
Phase 2 is a return to individual in-person training complemented by virtual group lessons on sleep, nutrition, fitness and mental health, among other things. If all goes well, it will evolve to include on-ice group training and ultimately grow to five-on-five play.
Phase 3 focuses on getting hockey back to its pre-COVID-19 numbers and a return to tournament play. Time frames are unclear since phases are driven by safety standards set by the provincial government and public health. Local hockey associations must also work closely with municipal governments to make sure the plans work with the facilities in their cities.
Phases could be paused or accelerated if COVID-19 spikes or dissipates. Either way, the OHF is ready to adjust.
“You prepare for the bestcase scenario and the worstcase scenario and you prepare for everything in between,” said McKee.
Hockey Canada has released
a list of safety guidelines to help the process along, some of which include:
á Coaches and players must practise physical distancing on and off the ice;
á A recommendation that masks be worn upon entry to facilities and in the dressing room when physical distancing cannot be followed;
á A child must stay away from their team if he/she or a family member tests positive for COVID-19. Training can also be paused for the rest of the team if a player tests positive;
á A recommendation that buses not be used for travel at this time;
á The number of spectators allowed in the stands to be determined by public health and facility staff;
á Sweaters, pants, socks and water bottles to be washed after each use;
á A recommendation that players shower at home.
There are still lots of questions and with cities in Ontario all at different stages of reopening, it’s tough to answer them right now.
“One of the big things is what about travel?” said Cyr, whose Kitchener association has about 2,600 kids signed up every season.
“Are we going to be playing just within each municipality or a small regionalized group? Those are all things that are being discussed. For the first couple of stages the answer is going to be no.”
Tournaments are on hold and full games will be one of the last things approved. And even when they’re a go, there will likely be restrictions.
“We’re really going to be looking at our health authority and letting them tell us what we can do,” said Roach, whose Waterloo association is about 1,700 strong. “It could be just there is no travel. Maybe we’re just playing within our city. Maybe it’s five-on-five or three-on-three.
“Will we have access to the locker rooms? Maybe it will be like Tykes and kids will get dressed (at home) before the games and parents will take them to the rink and they’ll just go on.”
When dressing rooms open, association bosses can see volunteers standing at hallway entrances and allowing one player down the hall every 10 seconds. Timed access in and out of rinks is also a possibility.
“We may be in a situation where municipalities aren’t able to open all their facilities,” said Martindale. “If they do open them how many participants can we have on the ice? Those are all the unknowns now.”
For now, at least the idea of a safe return to hockey is becoming clearer.
“As a society, when you go through something like this I think you come back a little bit more grateful of what you had,” said Cyr. “You come back with a feeling that you can’t wait to play. We can’t wait to administrate and get back to some form of the game we love.”