Canceled WHL Season Scenarios

[e14]

yeah... I'm 80% 20% right now with 80% not starting the season at all.
unless they play through the summer? could that happen? why bother at that point.

what about the NHL draft... maybe this is the year they move to 19 year old draft instead of 18?

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

I can see some sort of a bubble until restrictions are eased. The US, that's a lost cause so I can see a scenario where they take the season off. The BC Division, why not bubble in Kamloops? Their case count has been very low, and have a hotel just steps away from the arena.

 

[e14]

Q now also suspended until January 2021

They are calling it an "extended holiday break"

 

[jetsmooseice]

Not looking very good... unless things start improving in a hurry you have to wonder if a season cancellation is imminent.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Not looking very good... unless things start improving in a hurry you have to wonder if a season cancellation is imminent.

Ya anytime now WHL will announce a start date of February.

It will be the final time they push back the start date in hopes of having any sort of season. The way things are going though, not a chance a season will happen

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

I think it's done too. With the vaccine and everything, there is a really good chance the league goes back to normal next Fall.

 

[RussianRacket]

Cougars await WHL season details

BCHL is also philosophizing about a Penticton bubble model. Wouldn't be surprised if the WHL goes with regional bubbles and pods and a similar round robin + tournament format.

Either way I'm not sure the WHL just bails on the season without some kind of effort.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Either way I'm not sure the WHL just bails on the season without some kind of effort.

It's tough because you can at least cut your losses if you just mothball the league for the season. It would be more of a hit financially if you get the players together for training camp, have the employees working in the office doing their thing, etc. only to have the bottom fall out a few weeks into the season.

Would any Canadian teams even have a realistic prospect of having fans in the stands anytime soon? There is no chance in Manitoba and I'm assuming Alberta... not so sure about BC and Sask.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

It's tough because you can at least cut your losses if you just mothball the league for the season. It would be more of a hit financially if you get the players together for training camp, have the employees working in the office doing their thing, etc. only to have the bottom fall out a few weeks into the season.

Would any Canadian teams even have a realistic prospect of having fans in the stands anytime soon? There is no chance in Manitoba and I'm assuming Alberta... not so sure about BC and Sask.

not a chance in BC.. nobody here is allowed to hang out with anyone out of our own home, let alone go into an arena with others to watch hockey... and that has been extended to Jan 8th now.. The thought of any type of crowd in BC wont happen anytime soon at all.

BC is extremely bad right now Covid numbers wise and a lot of deaths unfortunately

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

not a chance in BC.. nobody here is allowed to hang out with anyone out of our own home, let alone go into an arena with others to watch hockey... and that has been extended to Jan 8th now.. The thought of any type of crowd in BC wont happen anytime soon at all.

BC is extremely bad right now Covid numbers wise and a lot of deaths unfortunately

It is interesting it's been extended till January 8th, same day where they wanted the season to open.

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

Wonder if the CHL are going to get their players vaccinated here.

 

[MeHateHe]

The delay has officially been extended. It will be January before they decide. Obviously the lynchpin is whether the new restrictions, combined with vaccinations bring case numbers down enough to allow for fans. I now officially doubt the season will happen at all.

WHL delays start of 2020/21 regular season

 

[gstommylee]

The delay has officially been extended. It will be January before they decide. Obviously the lynchpin is whether the new restrictions, combined with vaccinations bring case numbers down enough to allow for fans. I now officially doubt the season will happen at all.

WHL delays start of 2020/21 regular season

I happen to agree too. Its hard enough to schedule the games around players who are still in high school but on top of a shorten season.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Ya this was obviously going to happen having it delayed longer. Brutal to see this happen. I would imagine during the next meeting in January that it will be agreed upon to cancel the season once and for all

 

[gstommylee]

Ya this was obviously going to happen having it delayed longer. Brutal to see this happen. I would imagine during the next meeting in January that it will be agreed upon to cancel the season once and for all

It just doesn't help with how games are scheduled the most scheduled is 2-3 games a week. kinda hard when it would be divisional only games and there's only 5 US teams and 5 BC teams in the western conference of the WHL.

 

[MeHateHe]

It just doesn't help with how games are scheduled the most scheduled is 2-3 games a week. kinda hard when it would be divisional only games and there's only 5 US teams and 5 BC teams in the western conference of the WHL.

I know this will never happen, but if the goal for the WHL teams is to put their teams back on the ice, they would co-ordinate with the Junior A leagues to hold scrimmages/games with teams in their immediate areas. The games would not be close, but would give players a chance to get some game-intensity action in, and you would find that the top two lines of most Junior A teams would be more-or-less competitive with the WHL teams. Prince George would be the outlier, having only the Spruce Kings to play against, but clubs like Kamloops and Kelowna could match up against Penticton, Vernon and Merritt without going too far and incurring additional travel costs - especially hotels and meals. Of course I know there are jurisdictional problems that Hockey Canada would have to sort out and the Junior A clubs would twist themselves into knots telling the NCAA that they aren't playing real games so it doesn't impact their "amateur" status, and the WHL would have to get over the fact that these scrimmages might elevate the status of Junior A teams.

For me, the fact that the Ed Chynoweth Cup won't get awarded is secondary to the fact that a lot of 17/18-year-olds are losing out on a critical year of development. Some of that could be offset if some of these kinds of scrimmages could take place.

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

I know this will never happen, but if the goal for the WHL teams is to put their teams back on the ice, they would co-ordinate with the Junior A leagues to hold scrimmages/games with teams in their immediate areas. The games would not be close, but would give players a chance to get some game-intensity action in, and you would find that the top two lines of most Junior A teams would be more-or-less competitive with the WHL teams. Prince George would be the outlier, having only the Spruce Kings to play against, but clubs like Kamloops and Kelowna could match up against Penticton, Vernon and Merritt without going too far and incurring additional travel costs - especially hotels and meals. Of course I know there are jurisdictional problems that Hockey Canada would have to sort out and the Junior A clubs would twist themselves into knots telling the NCAA that they aren't playing real games so it doesn't impact their "amateur" status, and the WHL would have to get over the fact that these scrimmages might elevate the status of Junior A teams.

For me, the fact that the Ed Chynoweth Cup won't get awarded is secondary to the fact that a lot of 17/18-year-olds are losing out on a critical year of development. Some of that could be offset if some of these kinds of scrimmages could take place.

I do think there is going to be a short season. Remember, the Memorial Cup won't be awarded until the end of June. Plenty of time still. I think they're going to do whatever it takes, to have a season.

 

[e14]

Q going to 4 bubbles with 6 teams
Starting games January 21

9 games in 12 days

 

[sabresEH]

I do think there is going to be a short season. Remember, the Memorial Cup won't be awarded until the end of June. Plenty of time still. I think they're going to do whatever it takes, to have a season.

BC's restrictions just got extended to Feb 5th. It's not looking good unless they do the bubble like the Q, and that bubble would have to be outside BC. Bonnie Henry isn't opening us up anytime soon.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

Interesting

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

 

[jetsmooseice]

As has been rumoured, I'm assuming that some generous person has agreed to cover the losses on a WHL season without fans. Because without fans is the only way I can realistically see a 2021 season unfolding.

 

[e14]

Tic toc....
Despite the 24 game announcement...
Their silence is speaking loudly at the moment.
I'm guessing that in a week the season is either on or cancelled.
I can't see how they have a season start later than March 1
Working back...
Feb 1 tell players to get their cities and quarantine
Camp on Feb 15
Games start March 1

If they don't ask their players by Feb 1 I would assume game over for 2021?

Anyone think different?

 

[jetsmooseice]

Manitoba just imposed a quarantine requirement for people entering/returning to the province (Western Canada travel was previously exempt). NHL is exempt because they have the resources, but at this point I would imagine that if the ICE and Wheat Kings are going to play they'll have to relocate to Saskatchewan for the season. So that's another obstacle. And no financial assistance announced for the WHL by any province/state except SK.

Yeah, I hate to say it, but the window is closing fast on a possible WHL season. If we don't have players reporting for camp by Valentine's Day, it's over. Then all that's left is maybe the possibility of a two week tournament or something like that.