Rejoice, Okanagan hockey fans. Live hockey is coming to the Okanagan starting Sept. 25.
A two-month exhibition tournament has been created for the four BCHL teams in the Okanagan.
“It’s a great opportunity for the guys to get back out there and play,” said Brooks Christensen, Salmon Arm Silverbacks’ general manager.
“We’re excited to get back out there on the ice, and have the players showcase their skills.”
The tournament features the four Okanagan BCHL teams: the Vernon Vipers, the West Kelowna Warriors, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Penticton Vees.
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In total, 27 games will be played from Sept. 25-Nov. 14.
The games will take place on Fridays and Saturdays, with each team playing a total of 12 round robin games.
Naturally, the tournament will be hyper-focused on player and staff safety amid the pandemic.
“We’re following every protocol that has come our way from the league,” said Christensen.
“We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
All players will be wearing full face visors, and the players have been notified that all scrums and fights will not be tolerated.
“We’re telling players to basically just skate away — we don’t want anything to happen that could influence us not being able to play,” Christensen told Global News on Wednesday.
To start, no fans will be allowed in attendance but Christensen said the league is looking into having fans in the seats in the future.
Every game will be broadcast on HockeyTV.com.
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