2020-21 NAHL Return To Play Plans

[JMCx4]

Very interesting ...

2020-21 NAHL regular season to start on October 9th
July 27, 2020

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced that the 2020-21 regular season, which will be the league’s 46th season, will begin on October 9, 2020. The league is committed to playing a full schedule of regular season games and the 2020-21 schedule is expected to be released by September 1st. ...

The delayed start means that NAHL events will be affected. The 18th annual NAHL Showcase will take place from December 16-19, 2020, at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. The 2021 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will take place on February 8-9, 2021, at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and the 2021 NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship will take place from May 28 - June 1, 2021, at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota. ...

Read more at: 2020-21 NAHL regular season to start on October 9th

Click to read more...

 

[mk80]

Very interesting ...

I think for the NAHL, they might find having the Blaine Showcase in the middle of the season is even more beneficial than starting off with it.

Also I'll throw in that the NA3HL will also operate on a similar timeline

2020-21 NA3HL regular season to start on October 2nd

 

[JMCx4]

From: USA Hockey

Plans For Upcoming Junior Hockey Seasons Present Challenges, Excitement
By Ryan Williamson, 07/31/20, 7:40AM EDT

After their seasons came to an end abruptly in March, the process of getting players and teams has begun with significant work being done by the league’s leaders

When junior hockey leagues halted play in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, many, including North American Hockey League (NAHL) commissioner Mark Frankenfeld, anticipated at some point that the 2019-20 season would resume at some point.

Unfortunately for the junior hockey community, that couldn’t happen due to the pandemic.

With the 2019-20 season in the rearview mirror, the focus for these leagues is how to run the 2020-21 season while adhering to the constantly changing COVID-19 guidelines but still allowing players to participate and develop on the ice.

Working Together To Make It Succeed Everywhere

This Spring, Frankenfeld and the rest of the NAHL began its work on the 2020-21 season. That planning comes as the league tries to play in 16 states.

That means the teams have to comply with a wide variety of restrictions. To try and combat this, Frankenfeld and the team owners have worked to give some autonomy to each division. ...

On Monday, the league announced Oct. 9 will be the official start of the season. However, not all teams may start on that date depending on the situation. It will be up to the individual divisions to decide whether it’s safe to play or not.

“We’ve scheduled in a way so that the divisions are able to start later if they want,” Frankenfeld said. ...

Read more at: Plans For Upcoming Junior Hockey Seasons Present Challenges, Excitement

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Are they planning to have fans for these events? Minor league pro teams are still planning their starts two months after this time.

 

[JMCx4]

Are they planning to have fans for these events? Minor league pro teams are still planning their starts two months after this time.

I think that falls under the category of: "Frankenfeld and the team owners have worked to give some autonomy to each division."

 

[JMCx4]

... Also I'll throw in that the NA3HL will also operate on a similar timeline

2020-21 NA3HL regular season to start on October 2nd

Not that you have a stake in that plan or anything.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I think that falls under the category of: "Frankenfeld and the team owners have worked to give some autonomy to each division."

Most East Division teams will not notice COVID affecting their attendance numbers.

 

[mk80]

Not that you have a stake in that plan or anything.

Only a couple bucks worth! It's not a very lucrative stake unfortunately.

 

[JMCx4]

Only a couple bucks worth! It's not a very lucrative stake unfortunately.

As long as it's enough to buy a couple of extra COVID masks. Just make sure to speak up so your listeners can understand you.

 

[kij]

Just going to throw this out here, having the NAHL and NA3HL showcases back to back makes it cheaper for colleges to scout both showcases at once instead of 2 separate trips out to Blaine. Additionally, and I think this one plays a big role, now it is even cheaper for the NAHL teams to send their mandatory scout(s) to the NA3HL showcase this year.

Also on a personal level, I hope fans are welcome at the showcase, I like to stop by and see my old team and coaches at the showcase.

 

[mk80]

Found the tweet I had referenced in the Additions and losses thread earlier. Mark it down as a "where there is smoke, there is fire" scenario at this point

 

[mk80]

I'm really not sure how much stock to put in this guy's tweets being that I've only discovered him the last couple days, but here we are:



Also two big rule changes for the upcoming season. These are applicable to both the NAHL and NA3HL and I would assume the USHL but I haven't seen anything posted by the U: COVID impacts NCAA rules for players

21-year-old Rule: For the 2020-21 academic year, prospective student-athletes who turn 21 years old during the season (i.e., early 2000 birthdates) will not lose a year of Division I eligibility if they play a junior hockey game after their birthday. Typically, those players would have to enroll full-time in a post-secondary institution in order to retain their four years of Division I eligibility.

Outside Competition: Current student-athletes whose institutions will not be playing hockey during the fall semester will be permitted to participate in non-collegiate, amateur competition on an outside team during the fall 2020 term (subject to school and conference approval). These student-athletes may compete on an outside team while remaining enrolled in their NCAA institution, which typically would not be allowed.
An institution or conference may not provide expenses for such competition and the student-athlete must be in good academic standing. A student-athlete who remains enrolled at the institution may not miss class to participate in outside competition. All competition should adhere to federal, state, local and other applicable guidelines related to COVID-19.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I'm really not sure how much stock to put in this guy's tweets being that I've only discovered him the last couple days, but here we are:



Also two big rule changes for the upcoming season. These are applicable to both the NAHL and NA3HL and I would assume the USHL but I haven't seen anything posted by the U: COVID impacts NCAA rules for players

on the Scouts fyi.... same ownership group that runs/operates the ECHL Mavericks in Independence

 

[JMCx4]

I'm really not sure how much stock to put in this guy's tweets being that I've only discovered him the last couple days ...

He appears to have long-standing higher-level hockey media credentials from his home base in R.I.. @210 may know more about him.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

He appears to have long-standing higher-level hockey media credentials from his home base in R.I.. @210 may know more about him.

Providence Journal.... and yeah, but then again,with the state of the newspaper industry/tv/radio/print media today, u tend not to trust everything out there, he tried drumming up interest in Manchester, that went nowhere

 

[mk80]

on the Scouts fyi.... same ownership group that runs/operates the ECHL Mavericks in Independence

Yes but that doesn't mean a suspension will happen for the Mavericks. Two separate but related entities.

The Scouts suspending operations makes a lot of sense, given their arena situation anyway was less than ideal. the rec rink they were going to use isn't that great from what I've heard, and the arena they plan to play in won't be built I believe for 1-2 years.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Yes but that doesn't mean a suspension will happen for the Mavericks. Two separate but related entities.

The Scouts suspending operations makes a lot of sense, given their arena situation anyway was less than ideal. the rec rink they were going to use isn't that great from what I've heard, and the arena they plan to play in won't be built I believe for 1-2 years.

right, but for those that may not be aware of the correlation between between the two franchises

 

[210]

I'm really not sure how much stock to put in this guy's tweets being that I've only discovered him the last couple days, but here we are:

Even though he no longer works for a big newspaper Mark Divver is one of the most connected people to hockey that there is. If he says/tweets it, odds are very, very good he's in the know on the issue.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I'm really not sure how much stock to put in this guy's tweets being that I've only discovered him the last couple days, but here we are:



Also two big rule changes for the upcoming season. These are applicable to both the NAHL and NA3HL and I would assume the USHL but I haven't seen anything posted by the U: COVID impacts NCAA rules for players

rumblings are saying it could be the entire South Division of the NAHL IS Entertaining that possibility of a hiatus

 

[mk80]

rumblings are saying it could be the entire South Division of the NAHL IS Entertaining that possibility of a hiatus

That would play into this tweet

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

That would play into this tweet

wait and see I guess

 

[mk80]

The Scouts announcement has been made official

 

[JMCx4]

That would play into this tweet

Welp, looks like I'll be scratching these guys as a road trip option for 2020-21.

 

[mk80]

Welp, looks like I'll be scratching these guys as a road trip option for 2020-21.

The more we inch closer to fall on the calendar the more hockey cancellations I expect to see unfortunately. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I'm quickly losing my more optimistic outlook.

 

[xECK29x]

That would play into this tweet

I've been honestly waiting for this shoe to drop. Things aren't getting better out there.