The sounds of clattering hockey sticks and slapped pucks usually echo across Greater Victoria as the weather cools, and while that’s still the plan, hitting the ice will look different this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You have to use the hand sanitizer, you come over and we will have someone at the Kiosk here,” said Lance Black, Victoria Grizzlies President, showing the new safety precautions in the front entrance of the Q Centre in Colwood. “We will take your temperature and information, your address and phone number, and ask if you bring a mask.”
The Victoria Grizzlies and Nanaimo Clippers face off on Friday in an exhibition game, but this time, there will be no fans in the stands, a financial blow for the team.
“We make our money and simply survive simply with bums in the seats and the billboards and the sponsors,” said Black “We are humbled that many of the sponsors are stepping up and want to continue with us.”
There are new steps and safety precautions for hockey leagues across the Island. Players will arrive dressed, wear masks, fill out a questionnaire to help with contact tracing, and be split up into teams of four in groups called “cohorts”
“There are extra safety protocols layered on top of the season,” said Nicki Reich of the Victoria Minor Hockey Association. “That is out of the ordinary but the actual on-ice product will look similar.”
Victoria Minor Hockey is also coordinating to play with others in the region.
Even with nobody in the stands, just getting back on the ice is a huge win for local teams.
“It’s great, I feel great for the kids,” said Black. “It’s been a long summer for them, we exited out the playoffs really early. It’s a hockey rink but it’s not. It’s a community hall for a lot of people. There are a lot of kids who come here and lose themselves in the game, maybe they have issues, families can come here, this is a place to convene.”
As for the bigger league, the WHL is still waiting to see how the season will roll out but are confident it will.
“The financial component of filling a building, whether it be in our league or every league, it’s very important,” said Victoria Royals general manager and head coach Dan Price. “We are obviously a very ticket driven industry, we just want to make sure when the fans come back it’s as safe as possible.”
The WHL aims to drop the puck on December 4, and training camp is set to start in November.
Julian Kolsut
