Hockey is coming back. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

The return to hockey in the province

Sask. Hockey launches Return to Play guidelines, what does that mean for Mintos, Bears, and Titans?

Oct 9, 2020 | 5:40 PM

For the first time since early March, there is now a roadmap to getting hockey games and leagues back up and running in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Hockey Association (Sask Hockey) released a five-phase Return to Play safety guidelines document.

We’re currently in phase one — the evaluation and training phase.

Phase two is when exhibition games within a four-team mini-league can get started as early as Oct. 17.

League games within a six-team mini-league are a go on Nov. 1 for phase three. In phase four, regular season games can continue in an expanded mini-league of eight teams as of Jan. 18, 2021. And playoffs and provincials round out the five-phase plan, without a date set at the moment. All the dates listed are tentative.

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But for some of the biggest hockey teams in Prince Albert, they play in some of the province’s largest leagues. The Prince Albert Mintos play in the 12-team Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA Hockey League (formerly the Midget AAA league). The Prince Albert Northern Bears are in the seven-team Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League, while the Prince Albert Titans are in the 12-team Prairie Junior Hockey League.

Sask Hockey general manager Kelly McClintock said the larger leagues could get a little creative to make sure all the teams play each other.

With the Bears and their seven-team league, McClintock said they will start out in a four-team mini-league and a separate three-team mini-league. Then after several games and a 14-day ‘wash-out period,’ the mini-leagues can get shuffled around and allow different matchups. Then once phase four hits, the Bears would be free to play any of their six opponents for the rest of the season.

“The nice part is about that, if you start Nov. 1, you’re basically playing home-and-home against everybody each weekend, and five-six weeks in, you’re done your cycle and you’ve got 10 games finished,” McClintock said.

On the male side, their 12-team AAA league would be split into two, six-team divisions. The same would happen in the PJHL. Interdivisional play could occur after a “wash-out period.”

“I think it’s a positive to get back playing games, but I still have to caution everybody. We still have to do our part in fighting this pandemic,” McClintock said. “We got to follow guidelines, and I don’t want to see things happen that potentially shut us down.”

Still waiting on the SJHL and the WHL

Although the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) falls under Sask Hockey’s umbrella, there is still work to be done before the SJHL can announce a start date.

The SJHL released a statement on Friday, they said they are still working with the government before announcing a start date.

“Although the SJHL is included in hockey, the SJHL has to continue to work with Sask. government/health on the protocols and how each team’s arena will handle fans,” the SJHL said in a statement. “Once protocols and the arenas abilities to handle fans are satisfactory to Sask. government/health, then we could have a start date.”

Although the Prince Albert Raiders are a hockey team in Saskatchewan, they are not under the Sask. Hockey umbrella. They’re in the Western Hockey League, one of three major junior leagues in the Canadian Hockey League.

The WHL has set a target start date of Dec. 4.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW