Raiders forward Evan Herman finds his way on top of Blades forward Evan Patrician during a scrum at the end of the Raiders’ 3-0 victory Feb. 29, 2020 at the Art Hauser Centre. (Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Return of the Raiders?

What we know so far about WHL approvals

Feb 3, 2021 | 4:00 PM

As approvals from governments and health authorities are starting to appear in support of the Western Hockey League (WHL) restarting, Saskatchewan getting the green light may not be too far away.

In an interview with voice of the Kelowna Rockets Regan Bartel, WHL commissioner Ron Robison was asked about the B.C. situation and whether or not getting B.C.’s approval would be the leagues’ “toughest challenge.” In his response, Robison said he believed Saskatchewan and Manitoba could be done before that.

“[B.C.] could be our last jurisdiction that we’ll be dealing with, potentially. We believe we’ve had some really good discussions taking place right now with Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” Robison told Bartel. “But at the end of the day, we need the approvals in those provinces as well. I think our discussions will be ongoing with the B.C. health authorities.”

Prince Albert Raiders business manager Michael Scissons said it’s really encouraging to see governments and health authorities in Alberta and Washington State already approve the restart of the WHL season.

“It’s great. We love to see it. First and foremost, we all have friends and colleagues that understand the situation of players, what they’re going through; and being able to finally get back on the ice and play, we’re thrilled about that,” Scissons said. “We’re thrilled for our counterparts in the league to do that, and one’s got to believe that if it can work in those jurisdictions, hopefully the same sort of news will be coming to Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia for that matter.”

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Approvals already arrived

Already, nine of the 22 WHL teams have been granted approval by their governments and health authorities of their respective province or state.

On Tuesday, Washington State approved the Western Hockey League’s approval—with four conditions: ensure the league follows the state’s labour and industries COVID-19 requirements, adhere to the states’ face coverings order, teams must have the WHL’s protocols on file and submit them to the Washington State Department of Health, and no spectators will be allowed (whether or not the WHL decides to allow fans at some point this year).

Although getting Washington State’s approval is a big win for the WHL, not all of the American Division teams are accounted for. The Portland Winterhawks are the outlier, as they are based in the state of Oregon. Oregon has yet to announce its plans for approval, so right now, the Washington State approval only affects the Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans.

After Wednesday’s announcement, nine of the 22 WHL teams have been approved to start the regular season.

On Jan. 28, the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health became the first jurisdiction to give their blessing. They approved the five Alberta-based teams in the WHL to start the regular season on Feb. 26, and their on-ice training to start at Feb. 12.

NHL teams are also starting to take notice of the WHL’s restart. A day after the Alberta approval, a pair of Edmonton Oil Kings were reassigned back by NHL teams. Jake Neighbours was on the St. Louis Blues’ taxi squad before he was assigned to the Oil Kings. Matthew Robertson was reassigned from the New York Rangers’ minor league roster.

Saskatchewan (Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Regina, Saskatoon), Manitoba (Winnipeg, Brandon), British Columbia (Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George) and Oregon (Portland) are still waiting for approval.

For B.C., the WHL is looking at hosting two hub cities in Kamloops and Kelowna, operating the five-team division through both of those arenas. In his interview with Bartel, Robison confirmed that plan and said a similar arrangement could be an option for the remaining jurisdictions. Alberta and Washington State will not operate in hub cities, but rather play home games in their buildings and can travel and play on the road in their own province or state.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW