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SJHL will see delayed start, season will begin Oct. 9 at earliest

The exact opening date of this SJHL season is still unknown, but one thing is sure - it won’t start on time. The league’s initial proposed start date of Sept. 25 was pushed back to Oct.
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The exact opening date of this SJHL season is still unknown, but one thing is sure - it won’t start on time.

The league’s initial proposed start date of Sept. 25 was pushed back to Oct. 9 last week, with the league working on back-to-play plans with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and other groups. The SJHL and the SHA have not yet reached a plan several weeks after plans began and the start date could be further delayed if approval is not received soon from the SHA.

SJHL teams have agreed to a tentative schedule that would go into place whenever the season begins.

While discussions have taken place with the SHA, it is unknown what level of progress, if any, the league has made with the region covering the Bombers. Unlike the SJHL’s other 11 teams, the Bombers do not operate under the auspices of the SHA - being based in Manitoba, the club is covered by Manitoba health groups, including the Northern Health Region (NHR).

The SJHL and SHA are scheduled to meet again this week.

Hockey Canada and its provincial affiliates have released their own back-to-play protocols, including new rules for facility management, practices, bus travel for teams, dressing room cleaning, border crossings, on-ice and off-ice training, medical care, meals, billeting, staff, hotel accommodations and other locales. The full Hockey Canada plan is available on the group’s website.

According to a recently released plan from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, no junior hockey games of any kind, including SJHL games, are approved and sanctioned until the SHA and provincial government sign off on plans, but teams can form and practice until a possible start date.

Under current Sask. hockey rules, team organizers must keep a record of all attendees including players, staff, volunteers and spectators for contact tracing purposes.

Providing this information is voluntary for attendees and can only be used for the purposes of COVID-19 contact tracing,” said the Sask. hockey plan, released August 12.

The Sask. hockey plan has also disallowed all out-of-province travel for Saskatchewan-based teams until the new year, when plans will be reassessed. It is unclear what that may mean for the Bombers - the team may be included as part of Saskatchewan as they play in a Saskatchewan-based league.

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