Highland Storm players won’t hit the rink again until Jan. 27.
The season was paused due to provincial COVID-19 restrictions barring indoor sports and the use of indoor training facilities.
“We understand this is a disappointment for everyone at the moment. We want to thank everyone for making hockey their sport of choice this season and we look forward to returning to the ice as soon as possible to get back to the game we love,” said the Ontario Minor Hockey Association in a press release.
Tony Prentice, Highland Storm president, said it was tough news to break to players and families after the club’s executive met on Jan. 5.
“We hate to see kids miss any hockey,” he said.
During the shutdown he said he’s heard of coaches sending training material to players, however, there won’t be practices or outdoor training sessions.
“We all support the healthcare system,” he said.
“At the same time, we feel sorry for our kids who want to be on the ice to play hockey.”
Shutting down the organization temporarily isn’t hard, Prentice said. It’s rescheduling games and making up for lost time that he suspects might pose issues in February.
Prentice encouraged players and parents to “stay positive. There’s got to be better times ahead of us,” he said.
“We can all celebrate hockey but we all gotta’ do our part.”
