For the second year in a row there won’t be a Turnbull Cup champion.
There’ll be no more hockey played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League this season. The MJHL’s board of governors voted on Thursday night to cancel the rest of their regular season and playoffs.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, current provincial health restrictions barred their teams from taking part in on-ice activities.
“It came down to really running out of time with no light at the end of the tunnel,” MJHL commissioner Kevin Saurette told Global News. “The restrictions that are currently in place – restricting indoor team activities, was really the final dagger in our quest to return to play and resume our season.
“There’s definitely a sentiment of disappointment and sadness that the season has come to an end this way.”
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The MJHL’s board felt the completion of the regular season and playoffs was just not possible with no sign of restrictions being lifted on indoor sports.
“It has become unrealistic to continue operating in a state of hope with so much uncertainty and no timeline provided,” Saurette said in a media release.
“It is unfair to our athletes and staff, our community organizations who have been severely impacted financially and the communities / regions our organizations support and garner support from.
“In the end, our advocacy efforts were not enough for Public Health to allow for a return to on ice team training activity, even in a non-contact, professionally managed, closed to public, distanced, 100% masked and extremely protected environment.”
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The league was able to drop the puck on their regular season back in early October, but the season was soon put on pause when the province moved to level red on Nov. 12.
Some teams were only able to play five games, while others played in as many as 10 contests when the new restrictions went into effect in the fall.
It’s the second straight year the league couldn’t crown a champion after their 2019-2020 season was halted by the pandemic in the first round of the playoffs.
“It’s been very difficult, not only for the MJHL, but for everyone, in every sector, in every part of society,” said Saurette. “So, it is shocking, it is disappointing that the Turnbull Trophy won’t be raised for two years in a row. But at the end of the day, the safety of everyone involved is always going to be the number one priority, and we respect that.”
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