Giants president Toigo buoyed by junior hockey comments from Dr. Henry, Horgan
Vancouver Giants president Ron Toigo pegged statements about junior hockey on Friday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Premier John Horgan as “encouraging.”
The Giants and the four other WHL clubs in B.C. are pitching the health authorities about a two-bubble system in Kelowna and Kamloops for a 24-game season. The five teams along with the 17 clubs from the BCHL have also banded together to approach the provincial government for financial assistance.
The BCHL had started an exhibition season in September but had it shut down in November due to Henry’s restrictions designed to cut down on COVID-19 cases. The WHL has yet to reconvene its teams for this season.
Henry said in her press conference Friday morning: “
I want to work with the Western Hockey League so that we can salvage a spring season for them.”
Horgan was on Radio NL in Kamloops Friday morning and had this to say about the five WHL teams and the BCHL asking for financial assistance:
“These are organizations that employ a lot of people, create a lot of hope and opportunity for youngsters … We’re looking at what we can do to help the leagues.”
“At the very least we’re getting their attention,” Toigo said.
Henry said Friday that her office had received a plan in January from the WHL clubs — the Giants, Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, Victoria Royals and Prince George Cougars — that didn’t receive approval, but Toigo said it wasn’t the hub plan. The B.C. teams were earlier looking for something similar to the home-and-home, weekend doubleheader set-up that’s been approved for the league’s Alberta teams.
“The first hub proposal was (sent in) last week,” Toigo explained.
“We’ve put a plan in that we think is responsible and fair and manageable,” he added “By all accounts, when you use that format, it’s worked virtually everywhere as long as people stick to the protocols.”
Henry extended orders on Friday that don’t allow for game play between rival teams or permit travel for sport. She hasn’t given a strict deadline when they might be lifted, only saying that they’ll be in place until “the end of the month.”
If the WHL goes into a hub system, they could likely pull off four games a week per team and be finished in six weeks. Assuming a two-week training camp in early March, they could be done by the end of April.
The
Alberta division is slated to begin its 24-game season on Feb. 26
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sewen@postmedia.com
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