Hockey is returning to Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Hockey Association General Manager Kelly McClintock says hockey games will start in November.
“It’s going to be within leagues, and so the maximum amount of teams that can be in a grouping is six, so if you’re a league of six, you’re fine,” McClintock said. “We’ve got to suggest this type of schedule that you play a home-and-home on the weekend and then take five days off, play a home-and-home against someone else, and just proceed that way.”
Leagues with more than six teams will be able to separate their league into groupings of no more than six teams, with a separation period allowed before teams other teams from previously-established groupings.
McClintock says fans will also be allowed in the stands in a limited capacity.
“If you’re playing in a facility with assigned seating, which for a lot of senior hockey (teams) they don’t have assigned seating, but if you have assigned seating, then you can have 50 percent capacity as long as everybody is masked and maintaining social distancing with their household,” McClintock said. “If you don’t have assigned seating, then you’re at a maximum of 150 people.”
McClintock says the SJHL will have to follow some different rules this year surrounding facilities, billeting and team travel.
“There’s some more detail requirements from them, and I anticipate that they’ll be approved fairly shortly,” McClintock said. “They’re probably going to start in a maximum six-team grouping.”
At this time, teams playing in provincials will not be allowed to draw players from other teams as that would breach the six-team groupings, but that situation will be addressed as the season moves forward.
More details are available through the Saskatchewan Hockey Association’s Facebook page.
