Hockey Manitoba is preparing for the return of competitive, amateur play amid COVID-19 — with players expected to hit the ice in October, provided the amateur hockey body approves.
Registration, training, selection camps and practices have already begun, as approved in Hockey Manitoba’s return-to-the-ice plan’s second phase.
But the game — and experience — will be a little different this year.
Before even entering a rink, players are expected to screen for COVID-19 symptoms.
“You have to take extraordinary measures, extra measures to ensure the safety and the health and protection of all our players and that means social distancing, that means proper hygiene,” said Peter Woods, Hockey Manitoba’s executive director.
“You won’t be allowed to arrive two hours before the games, as you have in the past, and use a certain entrance…we limit the time that players will be in the facility — certainly, arriving in the dressing room — and we’d like to see them leave as shortly after the game as possible.”
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Woods said although less time at the rink means players will lose out on some of the social interaction that comes with organized sports, it’s for the best.
“It’s all for the long term health and well-being of our members,” he said.
The gameplay itself will be different, too.
“We won’t have a lot of scrums along the walls and they’ll be quicker whistles,” Woods said.
Tournaments and travel for games, meanwhile, won’t be allowed until at least November.
Although the game will look different, Midget AA player Taylor Morden was happy to be back at the rink for practice Thursday.
“I wasn’t even sure if we were going to have a season this year with everything going on, so I was pretty excited to be able to go back on the ice,” she said.
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