The Ontario Hockey League needs to show more work before the provincial government is prepared to give it the thumbs up to begin its season.
Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Lisa MacLeod said that the OHL has not shown the level of detail necessary for the province's health experts to allow it to return to play.
"We've had a few different proposals that the public medical officer of health has not been confident with," the minister said in response to a QP Briefing question at a Friday morning Zoom press conference.
The minister said that the level of work that must be done to ensure the health and safety of Ontario's major junior hockey players is significant. "With respect to the NHL and AHL they had a 600-page proposal, it was very detailed, and so that sort of hit the threshold that we would be looking at for the province."
The OHL has twice delayed its season thus far due to coronavirus concerns. It currently does not have a hoped-for date for reopening, but an abbreviated 24-game season that takes place in hub cities throughout the province could be a possibility.
MacLeod said the province is open to allowing the OHL season to happen. "We are looking at ways that we can get the OHL back up and running, potentially with hub cities, and trying to make sure that there is hockey before the NHL draft season."
Factors that the province is looking at include the availability of rapid testing, whether arenas are limited to team personnel as opposed to being publicly open, and ensuring that the integrity of a hub city host can be maintained. MacLeod added that the experience with pro sports leagues provides a template for how to achieve these goals.
OHL spokesperson Josh Sweetland stated that the league continues to work with the Ontario government to find a path to reopen. "It is our number one priority to get our players back on the ice safely. The League has been working closely with Minister MacLeod and the government on its Return to Play plan and at such time as is appropriate we will provide further comment."
The draft, where OHL players are among those selected by NHL franchises, is currently scheduled for July 23 and 24. But there have been reports that due to the lack of major junior hockey this year that draft could be pushed back a year to give teams an opportunity to evaluate players.
MacLeod stressed that the government wants to see hockey this year, however. "We're absolutely committed, we're working around the clock to see how this can be done." She added, "We know how important the OHL is to the cultural fabric of this province."
"We don't want them to miss the season but we certainly want to make sure we are abiding by public health," she said.
The 20-team OHL has franchises throughout the province — and a few in the U.S. — and has been shut down throughout the pandemic. The league originally planned in September for a return to play in early October, but with rising coronavirus case counts that was pushed back to a Feb. 4 reopening. And then with the rise of the second wave in late December, the OHL announced that would not come to pass.
The public health challenges of reopening the league are significant. Some pro sports leagues, including the National Hockey League, National Football League and Major League Baseball, have struggled with a spate of positive tests, some of which have postponed games. This is despite the considerable resources of those leagues and greater access to rapid tests. In addition, OHL players can see increased exposure by attending high school, creating other epidemiological risks.
While Quebec provided a $12 million bailout package for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in October, Ontario has not yet provided a similar lifeline. Asked about the issue in December, MacLeod referred to COVID-19 grants for small businesses.
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