The St. John’s Junior Hockey League has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at the Capital Hotel in St. John’s to discuss its plans for the 2020-21 hockey season. This comes in light of the league learning that its Return to Play plan, as it now is formulated, has not been endorsed by the province.
Last month, The Telegram reported that if there is to be a new SJJHL season, it wouldn’t start until January at the very earliest.
Since then, the league submitted the Return to Play plan, as required by most — if not all — sports leagues in this pandemic time. Those plans are sent to Sport Newfoundland and Labrador and the provincial government.
In a letter in response to the junior league, Michelle Healey of the provincial government’s sport and recreation division wrote:
“I am connecting back as I have heard back from Public Health (PH) officials and PH notes that given the current situation, both in our province and in the Atlantic region more generally PH cannot endorse any additional plans at this time for full team play, where players would be unable to physically distance from each other while seated on the bench. If conditions improve over the coming weeks, PH may be able to reconsider this proposed plan. For now, they would advise against full team play, where physical distancing cannot be achieved on the bench.”
On both Saturday and Sunday, there were four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Newfoundland. Last month, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador pulled out of the Atlantic bubble.
“We’re not interested in (reduced playing lineups). Playing with 11 skaters at the junior level in a one-hour game is very taxing on the body. And you know once you get tired, you’re more prone to injury.” — Mark Noseworthy
It’s been suggested to the junior league it might consider playing two-line hockey (11 skaters and two goalies), which has been adopted in high school and in some minor hockey. That would allow teams to abide by the social distancing rules on the players’ benches.
“We’re not interested in doing that,” said junior league president Mark Noseworthy of the reduced number of players per team.
“Playing with 11 skaters at the junior level in a one-hour game is very taxing on the body,” he said. “And you know once you get tired, you’re more prone to injury.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Under-18 Major Hockey League, which stretches from St. John’s to Corner Brook, got underway in October, and its five teams are not limited to dressing only 11 skaters.
Noseworthy argues that if the under-18 circuit can carry on as per normal, why shouldn't the junior league be permitted to follow suit?
Noseworthy points out one of the U18 franchises, the East Coast Blizzard, is owned by Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador president Jack Lee, while his sons comprise the team’s coaching staff.
“It seems like a double standard to me,” Noseworthy said. “I know it doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.”
The St. John’s Junior Hockey League operated with nine teams last season.
