Island players on U.S. Division teams in the Western Hockey League will have to cross the border and quarantine in order to play, but the hurdles will be worth it.
The U.S. Division has received the go-ahead from Washington state health authorities to begin a 24-game season on March 19.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome news and long awaited,鈥� said Payton Mount of Victoria, a forward with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of ups and downs to get to this point.鈥�
Mount is awaiting instructions from the Thunderbirds: 鈥淭he news is still so fresh. I鈥檓 waiting to see what鈥檚 next in the process [of moving down to Seattle]. The quarantine is just something you have to do in the times we鈥檙e in. I鈥檓 taking it step by step. Obviously, the team has plans in place. I鈥檓 just happy we鈥檙e going to be playing. I have not seen my teammates since last March.鈥�
Along with Mount, Ty Gibson of Victoria is a defenceman for the Everett Silvertips and Campbell Arnold of Nanaimo a goaltender with the Spokane Chiefs.
Four of the five U.S. Division teams are in Washington. Details of venues and format, and status of the lone Oregon team, the Portland Winterhawks, are to be announced.
The U.S. Division go-ahead follows the Alberta government鈥檚 blessing for its five WHL teams to open play on Feb. 26 in a travel format with no fans allowed in the arenas. The Saskatchewan government is reportedly on the verge of stamping an OK on a season for its five WHL teams, and the two from Manitoba, to play in a bubble in Regina.
That leaves only the sa国际传媒 Division, which includes the Victoria Royals.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry talked Friday about the possibility of a WHL spring season for the Royals, Vancouver Giants, Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers and Prince George Cougars.
鈥淎bsolutely, I want to work with the WHL so that we can salvage a spring season for them,鈥� Henry said.
Even only 24 games 鈥� there will be no playoffs 鈥� will at least provide something for the graduating 20-year-olds and also the players looking to show off their moves for scouts ahead of the 2021 NHL draft.
鈥淚t is important for the players,鈥� said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price.
There is mounting speculation the sa国际传媒 Division will play in bubbles, without fans, with the Royals and host Rockets based in Kelowna and the Giants, Cougars and host Blazers based in Kamloops.
鈥淲e have received emails about thoughts that they [WHL] have had about different types of hubs. I haven鈥檛 seen that in detail yet,鈥� Henry said.
Most WHL players have not played since last March. There have been a few exceptions, such as Blazers goaltender Dylan Garand from Langford with silver-medallist sa国际传媒 at the 2021 world junior championship in Edmonton.
Mount also has played this season, with the Victoria Grizzlies in the extended sa国际传媒 Hockey League pre-season in the fall, after the WHL allowed its players to skate with other junior leagues.
鈥淭hat was a good learning experience and helpful,鈥� said 18-year-old Mount, who had 15 goals and 39 points in 62 games when the 2019-20 WHL season came to an abrupt halt last spring.
鈥淲e know we are going to have to hit the ice running when WHL play begins.鈥�
Mount was a first-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft and has had provincial and national representative experience with Team sa国际传媒 at the 2017 WHL Cup (formerly Western sa国际传媒 U-16 Challenge Cup) and with Team sa国际传媒 Red at the 2018 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in New Brunswick against the national teams of the U.S., Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden.
But the five-foot-nine, 185-pound winger was overlooked in the 2020 NHL draft. He hasn鈥檛 let that deter him. It only strengthened his resolve, much like it did for undrafted former WHL defenceman Dylan Coghlan of Nanaimo, who made his NHL debut Friday for the Las Vegas Golden Knights. That didn鈥檛 go unnoticed by Mount.
鈥淭o see an undrafted player like that make it to the NHL only motivates you more to put in the hard work and keep pushing and grinding every day,鈥� Mount said.
So while there will be only 24 WHL games this season, they matter, Mount said.
