The Western Hockey League‘s East Division teams drop the puck on their abbreviated 2020-21 season on March 12 and they don’t have as much time as usual to prepare.
A typical WHL training camp runs for three to four weeks and features upwards of 50 players per team but as with most things in the coronavirus era, camp is going to look a lot different this year.
“It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a bit of a tricky situation that we’ll manage as a staff, but we’re confident in our group, that they’ve put the work in in this long extended off-season,” said Saskatoon Blades head coach Mitch Love.
The East Division, which this season only features seven teams — five from Saskatchewan and two from Manitoba — will be based in a Hub Center in Regina, which is also where each team will hold its training camp.
Those camps won’t open until team personnel go through a mandatory quarantine period, leaving only a week or so to get ready for the start of the season.
The combination of such a compressed camp and the lack of any pre-season games on the schedule means every practice, workout and film session matters that much more.
“How do you find that balance between finding your players rest and recovery after such a long period of time off but also instilling your habits and your teaching and your development plan for a young hockey player?” Love said, outlining the challenge that awaits.
Although they’ve been separated for the last year, Blades players have been doing their best to stay ready in order to make the most out of the abbreviated camp window.
“If we can go out there with the right mindset and the right preparation we’ll be able to get work done that day. It won’t just be a flow through the practice. It’ll be intense and it’ll be getting us ready for the games ’cause that’s the main goal here,” said captain Chase Wouters.
The limited time available for camp and the need to minimize traffic coming and going from the Hub Center also means the usual crop of young prospects will not be taking part. Training camp can be an important evaluation opportunity for them, but there’s simply no time for that this year.
Instead, the Blades are only bringing players to camp who are projected to be on the roster.
“We want to make sure that we don’t bring in too many guys because I don’t want to be in a situation where we’re scratching guys for days at a time. But we also need to know that if we get a couple of injuries we don’t have the ability to call in a lot of (affiliate players) or anything ’cause it’s a bubble environment,” said Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner.
But even though the length of camp and the number of players involved may have changed, the Blades’ goal is the same as any other season: put the best team possible on the ice.
And after a year apart, they’re excited to get started.
“This will be an awesome time to get better. It’ll be fun but it’ll be very serious and very intense. That’ll be our mindset going in,” Wouters said.