(Milton Menace Prospect Camp 2019)
The Ontario Junior Hockey League has announced that its 2020-2021 season has officially been cancelled.
The decision comes after the Province of Ontario announcing a 28-day Stay-at-Home order. With the official 2020-2021 Hockey Canada season ending on May 31st, the league has declared an end to its OJHL season.
The league had been planning for a return to play, with previous plans having the season start time in October or November 2020. Unfortunately, the second and third waves of COVID-19 in Ontario has impacted the potential season.
“Week after week, the OJHL has adjusted the league plan with the goal of getting any type of possible season in for our players,” says OJHL Commissioner, Marty Savoy. “With Ontario currently in a 28-day Stay at Home order and the end of the Hockey Canada season fast approaching, the league’s Board of Governors have made the very difficult decision to officially conclude the 2020-2021 OJHL season and turn our attention and planning for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. While this past year has been difficult for everyone, our immediate focus is to lean in to our 2021-2022 planning with a continued focus on health & safety, along with exciting operational enhancements we have been working towards for our league, which we will have details on soon.”
To date, only six OJHL member clubs have been able to conduct a total of 58 exhibition games this season due to regional Public Health Unit regulations and restrictions. The OJHL says it is proud of the results of gameplay and operations in those regions, touting no spread of Covid was detected in and among the rinks and teams playing each other.
While the season is over, the OJHL has also announced that once the current Stay-at-Home orders are lifted, teams which are permitted to play will be allowed to conduct exhibition play together with the continued approval process the league has implemented along with its strict Covid-19 operating protocols.
