With the clock ticking on the Western Hockey League’s BC Division to begin play, it is time for the league to look at alternatives for the teams to be able to play a 24-game season.
British Columbia’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was hopeful back on February 6, that there was an opportunity to have a spring WHL season in British Columbia.
“I am hopeful, this is one of the things we need to plan for,” Henry said during a news conference.
“We are buying time right now. If things go well during this period between now and the end of the month — nothing [regarding sports restrictions] will change in this period — but, absolutely, I want to work with the WHL so that we can salvage a spring season for them.”
There has been plenty of speculation over the last number of weeks that the WHL has proposed a 24-game season with teams playing in one of two “hubs” in Kelowna and Kamloops. No fans would be allowed at games in either of the hubs and it is unknown what role the media might have.
No answers have come from either the WHL or BC’s PHO, but time is running short.
The Central Division has begun play. The Saskatchewan and Manitoba teams will start to play in their hub in Regina on March 12 while the US Division gets underway on March 19. The current schedule has games being played through May 11.
With teams wanting at least a week to get their players on the ice for a training camp or practice schedule, the BC Division needs to get started by no later than March 19 to begin their season before the end of March. A five-team division would need about 12 weeks to complete a full 24-game schedule, including time for teams to quarantine.
Other hubs within BC could be considered if Dr. Henry does not think the BC Interior is a good place to host five teams. Langley Events Centre could host all five teams in a situation similar to what is happening in Regina. The Save On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria has been used as a quarantine location at various times during the pandemic, so that arena may not be an option at this time.
Other ideas
If the news of a BC Division start date isn’t made public soon, the BC Division and the WHL will need to look to alternatives to get themselves on the ice.
An idea that has been floated around is to relocate all five BC Division teams to another jurisdiction such as Alberta or Saskatchewan.
While not ideal, having the players from the five BC Division teams head to a single city in Alberta or Saskatchewan would get them on the ice and allow them to begin their season. While it would be a large undertaking, it could be done if the league was to begin planning right away.
With the WHL recently announcing a new partnership for WHL Live on CHL TV, where exactly the teams play really doesn’t matter as long as they are able to benefit from the developmental opportunity.
The AJHL has been approved to play in Alberta, so this may not provide an arena in which the BC Division could play. While the WHL has been approved in Saskatchewan, the SJHL has not yet received approval, so a similar bubble scenario could play out in the land of the living skies. Saskatoon is a natural choice, but it remains to be seen what the government in Saskatchewan would say to a proposal such as this.
The league could also choose to have one host city in BC, much like in Saskatchewan. Langley is an optimal choice, with two Sandman hotels nearby and enough amenities to host the five teams. It is possible the Provincial Health Officer would prefer to see one team bubble with extensive testing and quarantining within the “bubble” that could be maintained in a smaller geographical area.
Unfortunately, another decision could be made to scrap the 24-game season altogether for the BC Division. With the costs of creating a hub or bubble, especially one in another province, the teams and the league might just decide a season cannot be planned and played in this scenario. While devastating for the players and teams, the residents of BC must be considered above all else.
While the leagues are very different, the BCHL has considered their own move to either play or cancel their season altogether. A letter sent by their commissioner Chris Hebb, states that the teams are prepared to cancel their season if a return-to-play plan is not
accepted by March 3, 2021.One person’s voice matters most
Regardless of speculation, there is only one person who can choose to make of break the WHL’s BC Division plans. Dr. Bonnie Henry is the final voice of the province when it comes to the five W’s of a WHL season in British Columbia. The Western Hockey League’s latest proposal must be in the best interests of everyone and appease the doctor and her orders otherwise the teams will be shutout of play.
