Raiders forward Brayden Watts. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders cautiously optimistic

WHL Return to Play protocol ‘so important for everyone to hear’ says Raiders’ Michael Scissons

Jun 18, 2020 | 4:45 PM

Nothing yet is set in stone, but the WHL even just having a target date and a Return to Play protocol is music to Michael Scissons’ ears.

Scissons is the business manager for the Prince Albert Raiders and said having the league layout an Oct. 2 target date and how it plans to return to play from the COVID-19 is vital for the league’s teams and its fans.

“It was so important for everyone to hear that there is a Return to Play potential date as well as a Plan B put in place,” Scissons said. “At the end of the day, everybody just wants to see the guys back on the ice and lead off on the success we’ve had the last two years.”

“We’re excited to hear that a Return to Play is being worked on, is being discussed seriously and that we have a target date that’s being worked towards,” Scissons added.

Scissons said the Return to Play announcements have helped calm down the fanbase a little bit. The team has already sold 35-40 per cent of the season tickets sold last year, despite the obvious concerns about the pandemic.

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“It’s been a strong start; they’ve been on sale for a couple months with those. We understand the reservations of everybody to lay down their money with the uncertainty,” Scissons said.

The target date set the WHL and its commissioner Ron Robison provided that all six provinces and states that have WHL teams give the green light for hockey to return. The league aims to play a full 68-game schedule and believes it can do that even if the season is delayed until December. But as Robison said in his media conference, all discussions are on the table.

Regardless of how or when the WHL season will commence, the Raiders won’t be lagging behind.

“We’ll be ready,” Scissons said. “We’ve kept our staff full the entire time. Obviously, we sent them home for a few weeks to follow safety guidelines that way. But we’ve also been back to work with a full staff for a couple months now. When we’re able to play, we’ll be prepared for any scenario we’re given.”

In his media conference call, WHL commissioner Ron Robison said the maximum allowed gatherings must allow for rinks to fill up to at least 50 per cent capacity to be financially viable. That varies across the WHL as Rogers Place in Edmonton can hold 18,500 fans while the Art Hauser Centre’s capacity is 3,289.

That could be a tough adjustment for the Raiders to make, especially if they have to start turning away fans at the door and cannot be at full capacity.

“It obviously presents a challenge. It’s the same challenge that’s going to face the Swift Current Broncos, the Winnipeg ICE, the Moose Jaw Warriors,” Scissons said, noting other small-market teams and the ICE, who are playing the University of Manitoba’s small rink as they await theirs to be built. “The fact of the matter is we do have a smaller building. Any restrictions when it comes to attendances is going to be challenging — not only to get people into the buildings that want to watch a hockey game, but also from a financial standpoint for the organization.”

Right now, the Raiders are just focused on being ready for the season and looking at providing different merchandise opportunities, especially with their 50^th season coming up.

“We’ll all do the same things at this point of the year. We continue to sell season tickets. We look at different merchandising components and obviously with our 50^th season of Raider hockey coming up, we’re launching a couple of new merchandise items in the store slowly as they roll in. Then we’ll look at doing some other things throughout the year as well,” Scissons said.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW