There seems no discernable pattern as to why sports leagues, which are comparable in some ways, have had such disparately different experiences in terms of openings amid the pandemic.
In the pro ranks, the venerable Canadian Football League was unable to mount a season while soccer鈥檚 two-year-old Canadian Premier League, which includes Island-based Pacific FC, was able to conduct a season in a bubble in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The sa国际传媒 Hockey League, meanwhile, is well into its extended pre-season, yet the major-junior Western Hockey League will not begin play until Jan. 8 and the Ontario Hockey League until Feb. 4.
It all comes down to each league鈥檚 unique and particular circumstances, with no situation being the same.
The Victoria Grizzlies (6-1-2) and Nanaimo Clippers (6-3) were meeting in a BCHL exhibition game, sans fans, Saturday night at the Q Centre that was in progress at press time.
It is a minor miracle the game, and all others in the BCHL, are even taking place. The players and coaches are appreciative, especially when they survey the rest of the country.
鈥淭here are not a lot of hockey leagues playing right now. So you have to give a great deal of credit to the BCHL for really taking charge and allowing us the opportunity to play,鈥� said Nanaimo Clippers head coach and GM Darren Naylor.
鈥淥ur players are playing while a lot of junior hockey 颅players in other places are not. It was tough recruiting a couple of American players we wanted, because of the border being closed, but, other than that, it has gone smoothly for us. 颅Opening the league keeps everybody positive and believing.鈥�
Not that the BCHL hasn鈥檛 been scarred by the pandemic. No league has escaped that. Case in point are the Clippers. They were on their way to a deep run when the BCHL playoffs were abruptly cancelled in March on the eve of the Island Division final between the Clippers and Cowichan Valley Capitals. Naylor remembers the moment the news broke.
鈥淚t was surreal and really emotional, especially for the older players, and truly tough for the 20-year-olds,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e had won nine consecutive games, 14 of our last 15, and had swept the first round of the playoffs. We really felt we had the team and were on our way to something special. But one phone call and it鈥檚 all over.鈥�
Naylor, of course, understands the necessity of the decision. But that doesn鈥檛 mean it didn鈥檛 hurt. The bulk of those veteran players moved on, that chance gone forever.
Even for a returnee such as Clippers captain Kyler Kovich, much was lost. He is committed to Cornell of the NCAA and was the 168th-ranked North American skater for the 2020 NHL draft last month, but was not selected. Many believe the lack of playoff exposure due to the pandemic-caused cancellations last spring hurt Junior A players more than those in major-junior because the latter are scouted more during the regular season. 鈥淚f [Kovich] had a playoff run last spring, more eyes would have been on him,鈥� said Naylor.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 get that, so scouts went with the easier picks. But we know what Kyler is capable of and I told him that sometimes it鈥檚 better not to get drafted so you can pick any [NHL] team to sign with.鈥�
Kovich had nine points in nine games heading into Saturday as the Clippers are off to a strong start in the Island Cup pre-season tournament under his leadership.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a lot of returnees but a bunch of good guys who have bought into the 颅system,鈥� said Naylor.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing OK.鈥�
The provincial Phase 3 of the return to sports allows for team-versus-team play on a regional basis in cohorts of up to four teams. Two-week quarantine breaks are required before the teams can rotate into new cohorts of up to four teams.
There are five teams in the BCHL Island Division. So the Island Cup pre-season tournament began last month with the Grizzlies, Clippers, Cowichan Valley and Alberni Valley Bulldogs in a cohort. The Grizzlies, Bulldogs and Clippers will later hive off into a three-team cohort and Capitals and Powell River Kings into a two-team cohort.
鈥淚t is what it is. It鈥檚 better than not playing,鈥� said Naylor.
The BCHL regular season is tentatively set to begin on Dec. 1, also in a cohort format. That means the teams in the two-team cohort will play each other eight consecutive times before switching over into a three-team pod. No big deal to Naylor. Been there, done that.
鈥淲hen I played for the 颅Victoria Cougars [in 1987-88 and 1988-89], there was one season when the WHL playoffs were best-of-nine series,鈥� he said.
鈥淭alk about bad blood and intensity when you play one team so many times in a row.鈥�
