Photo Credit: EverythingGP stock photo

By Shane Clausing

JDA Kings

JDA Kings provide update on season, announce six game series against North Peace

Nov 18, 2020 | 2:28 PM

Despite the recent COVID-19 restrictions implemented by the Alberta Government on November 12, the County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings will be allowed to get back on the ice sooner rather than later.

JDA Kings Head Coach and General Manager Kyle Chapple tells EverythingGP that they will be able to finally drop the puck on their season at home on November 28 against the North Peace Navigators.

“We’re going to be playing Peace River (North Peace) for six games heading into Christmas. On the 28th we are good to go again, full back to normal routine. That’s all been approved by Hockey Alberta, AHS and our league.”

Capacity will remain capped at 90 people at the Crosslink County Sportsplex for all Kings home games.

The JDA Kings have not played since their exhibition schedule came to an end on October 24.

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Their season was supposed to open at the County Sportsplex on November 13, but their games were cancelled because of the new provincial guidelines. While the Kings games were cancelled, other teams such as the Sundown Oilfield Sexsmith Vipers and North Peace Navigators were able to continue playing. Chapple explained why that was.

“Why we weren’t able to continue is because we are in the “enhanced zone” put out by the Alberta Government and the other teams in our league are not. We thought that we might fall under the County of Grande Prairie, because that is our home and where we play out of.”

“But they (AHS) go based off where your players are located living-wise, and most of our players live in the City (of Grande Prairie). That’s why we were shut down and the rest of the teams were able to keep going.”

The provincial guidelines state that there is currently a ban on team sports and group fitness classes until November 27 in the City of Grande Prairie, however, not the County of Grande Prairie and other zones listed under the purple zone areas.

Despite the delayed start to the season, Chapple says that he likes what he has seen out of his team so far.

“We’ve played well. We’ve had some new faces come in this year and maybe not as many players from out of town. There is more of a local flavour to our team this year.”

“We felt we did pretty well in the pre-season. We won every game, which is always nice, but that’s not what it was totally about. It was about getting better every day and putting the work in and we were pretty satisfied with our group and thought they did a pretty good job. We’re just chomping at the bit to get started.”

Further information regarding the Kings season can be found on their Facebook page.