By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

EXEMPT FROM TWO-WEEK PAUSE

AJHL playing on thanks to COVID-19 protocols developed over summer

Nov 16, 2020 | 2:07 PM

The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is still playing games in the province as of Nov. 16.

Last Friday, Alberta Health announced that for two weeks, teams and leagues operating in cities under enhanced measures related to COVID-19 would need to pause in response to a sharp rise in cases across the province.

Though the AJHL, a Jr. ‘A’ league, operates in communities like Calgary, Drayton Valley and Grande Prairie where enhanced measures are in place, it is able to continue playing thanks to league protocols announced in October.

“With that announcement, a few light bulbs went off in terms of ‘How come they’re not included in this?’ The answer is our proactive approach we took right from the summer after our playoffs were cut short,” says AJHL Commissioner Ryan Bartoshyk. “Having the government understand our business, what we’re capable of, and most importantly our teams and athletes taking responsibility to follow guidelines was key.”

Bartoshyk says he is extremely proud of what the league’s members have done to date.

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During the league’s pre-season, a member of the Whitecourt Wolverines contracted COVID-19. Two exhibition games with the Drayton Valley Thunder were cancelled and the league soldiered on once everyone with the Wolverines had tested negative. There were no further cases.

“We understand things can change and tough decisions could be made in the future, but we’re excited to have started our regular season on Nov. 13 and be playing meaningful games,” he says.

Published last month, Alberta Health released a slate of guidelines for junior, collegiate and university leagues if they wanted to continue playing.

U Sports and the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference have both cancelled their championships through winter 2021 despite having these guidelines at their disposal.

Other leagues in Alberta such as the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL) cannot continue playing over the next two weeks.

League President Derek Loomer says the AJFHL simply lacks comparable resources to the AJHL.

“I’m thrilled the AJHL and others, if they want to, are able to play. That’s the right call. But there are clearly some protocols the AJHL has in place, and there are resources they have at a league and club level which go beyond what we have in place,” says Loomer.

“The league has been around longer, most teams have their own facilities and dressing rooms where they can maintain a certain level of cleanliness and sanitization. Our team in Calgary can get game ice, but they’re on the phone basically begging with the City of Calgary every day to see if they can get ice for practice.”

Loomer says the AJFHL is in talks with Hockey Alberta to potentially get support to provide member clubs enhanced measures and more certainty that play won’t need to be interrupted.

He adds that part of it is a matter of the teams and league being willing to invest in the proper resources.

Established in 2009, the AJFHL has nine teams in Sherwood Park, Lethbridge, Irma, Fort Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Penhold, Cochrane and two in Calgary.

By comparison, the AJHL has 15 teams from as far north as Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie, south to Okotoks and Brooks.