While nothing is written in stone yet, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League remains cautiously optimistic to host a full season in 2020-21. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Season preparations

SJHL hosts scheduling meeting as league remains optimistic for season

Jul 30, 2020 | 12:44 PM

A late September start, a full 58 games, and 50 per cent fan capacity.

That remains the plan for the upcoming Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season, following Wednesday evening’s league meeting that saw management representatives from all 12 clubs gather together to hash out a tentative schedule for the fall.

General Manager and head coach of the Battlefords North Stars, Brayden Klimosko, said it was nice to get back together with fellow coaches and management to talk hockey in the midst of an extended summer this offseason.

“Obviously there’s a bit of excitement. It’s like there’s a little bit more normalcy again,” he said. “Getting a schedule made is usually one of the first things you do for the new season, so obviously that’s exciting, and it’s always great to see all the coaches in the room, so there was a lot of excitement and a lot of positive energy in there.”

The fate of the season will ultimately fall on the authorization of the Saskatchewan Health Authority to give the go-ahead for games to take place.

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However, as that ruling could still remain some time away, Klimosko points out that makes it all the more important for the league to be as prepared as possible and iron out some details on what a season could look like.

“We have to get some dates in place, obviously,” he said. “We don’t really know when we’re going to be getting back to it. We haven’t gotten approved dates from Sask. Health yet, but we do need dates for booking rinks and ice times, and everything else.”

As it stands, the SJHL does still intend to hold a full 58-game schedule, with the hope of a late-September start.

That being said, even if the season can go ahead with just a week or two’s delay, a bit of a later start could mean a more condensed schedule for teams. Especially with special considerations being made to the travel side of things in the post-COVID world being a key factor as well.

“I think early on our plan was that if you’re going to do an overnight trip you’re not going to two different centres; you’re staying in one centre and basically going to the rink, going to your hotel, then back on the bus,” Klimosko said. “We’re really trying to limit travel so you’re not going all the way across the province, early on especially.

“Hopefully it’s a good start to the season early and then we can build from there to make our trips down south and down east later this year,” he added.

The tentative date for the North Stars’ season-opener is planned for Sept. 25 against the Kindersley Klippers in Kindersley. The two teams will then play the following night (Sept. 26) at the Civic Centre for the Stars’ home opener.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1