AJHL delays start of regular season, Storm gear up for leagues “development season”

The league announced Friday that all 15 of its AJHL clubs will participate and training camps are permitted to open as early as August 31.

Millsap says the development season is about getting players on the ice and geared up for what they hope is a 2020-21 hockey season.

“It will largely start with teams establishing a roster that’ll be much bigger than usual rosters. Those teams would be focused on practicing, inter-squad scrimmages and developing their players.”

Millsap mentioned that for players, it’ll look as close as possible to a regular AJHL schedule, just no games against other opponents.

Millsap tells EverythingGP that the league has discussed potentially having some developmental games between other AJHL competition, where regular-season points could potentially be up for grabs or be looked at as exhibition games.

For example, the Storm could potentially play games against teams like Spruce Grove, Drayton Valley and Whitecourt in their own ‘mini-bubble’ where they wouldn’t have to utilize hotel and restaurant space and would be able to bus back to their home base right after their game. That hasn’t been officially announced by the league. Discussions regarding that situation remain on-going.

With the development season approaching in just over two weeks, Millsap says that expanded rosters could potentially be set at a maximum of 50 players, but the league is still waiting to finalize a specific number.

He adds that with the expanded rosters, there’s an opportunity for more players from the Peace Region to take part in the development season.

“The first thing that’s going to be different is that at this point, you won’t see any American players at camp. For us that means up to four players we counted on being part of our roster, won’t be there.”

“Where those replacements come from it’s yet to be determined, but our focus is going to be offering this development opportunity to local Peace area players who want to take advantage of that. But, there’s also a fine line there.”

“What we don’t want to see happen is we don’t want to be stepping on the toes of our U18 programs in the area. Because we have the ability to expand our roster, we don’t want to see U18 programs depleted with U18 kids stepping into our program that otherwise wouldn’t realistically be ready to play Junior A hockey.”

“Once again, there’s a lot of moving parts there and we’re going to work hand in hand with our midget programs and other programs in the area to make sure that young athletes are in the place that they should be to advance their development.”

The Storm says they’re aiming to launch their development season camp on August 31

“What we are largely looking at is a modified season, that focuses on keeping players sharp, developing hockey players, still having them in the community and being a part of the team, but less of a focus on gameplay and standings in the season.”

As for when the AJHL could begin it’s 2020-21 season, that date remains up in the air.

Other junior hockey leagues like the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have both said that they won’t begin their seasons until December. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced Friday that it’ll start its season on October 1 with no fans in attendance.

Storm officials have said that if there are no fans are in the stands throughout the next year for the AJHL, it’s very unlikely that there will be a season at all.

Millsap says that with COVID-19 on everyone’s mind, discussions are always circulating and plans are always changing.

“We’re getting email updates (from the league) almost daily. I do foresee a lot of changes coming and changes coming very rapidly as this thing unfolds. But overall I think the leadership of the AJHL is doing a great job here, juggling with what they have to work with.”

by Shane Clausing

AJHL delays start of regular season, Storm gear up for leagues “development season”

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