In 2020, no day is the same as the next, especially when it comes to COVID-19.
That feeling’s been true since the beginning of March when the virus first got to the United States and started seriously impacting the flow of average, daily life.
Now, in New England, it rings even louder, as a dark and dreary winter looms. As cases continue to rise around the region, the status of the winter sports remains equally as uncertain as the state of the virus itself, seemingly changing day by day. Each week, new guidelines go into effect and new modifications have to be made as states and schools scramble to generate safe and responsible plans for a season.
The first domino to fall on the winter sports season came in October when several governors put temporary shutdowns on all hockey-related activities in their states. Then, on Nov. 13, the announcement of a seven-state youth hockey travel ban — a regional effort to curb the spread of the virus through hockey by prohibiting teams from traveling state to state — put even more of a damper on the impending season.
Since then, further government-issued mandates and shutdowns have made things even more uncertain as states work to manage the surges within their communities. While the college and pro levels of the game have largely gone unaffected by all of the regulations, the youth, prep and high school levels have been affected the most.
During the week that usually signals the start of the winter high school hockey season, NEHJ takes a look at how each of the six New England states and New Jersey are planning, albeit tentatively, to get the 2020-21 season off the ground.
Massachusetts
The high school hockey season can begin in less than two weeks in Massachusetts. On Nov. 20, 10 days prior to the original start date, the MIAA Board of Directors voted unanimously to push the start of the winter sports season back until Dec. 14.
In addition to the updated start date for team practices, the BOD also approved a list of modifications to the game rules, furthering the growing reality of a season.
The most significant changes relate to faceoffs and scrums, where social distancing will be enforced by officials, as well the number of players per team from 22 to 20. The 2020-21 season, which will not feature any playoff tournaments at the state or sectional levels for the third straight MIAA scholastic season, will end on Feb. 21.
In western Mass., the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference has not budged on its previous decision to delay the start of the winter season until Jan. 4. Berkshire County, which accounts for three co-op high school hockey teams in western Mass., already has announced it won’t be offering the sport this winter.
In the prep world, the Independent School League has yet to release an official update on its season but, at this point, league-sanctioned play isn’t very likely.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire also can begin practices on Dec. 14, followed by games on Jan. 11, after the NHIAA agreed to recognize all winter sports for the 2020-21 season. Since Nov. 30, schools have been allowed to start skills and drills work in accordance with both of the state’s amateur and youth sporting guidelines.
Team practices can begin the second week of December, before winter break. No season end date or details regarding the 2021 postseason have been released. For prep hockey, the Lakes Region is targeting a late-January season start date.
Maine
Maine, like Mass., and N.H., tentatively can begin formal team practices Dec. 14.
Following the announcement of a tentative framework of winter guidelines by the state and the Maine Principal’s Association, games could begin as early as Jan 11.
On Dec. 7, high schoolers can begin skills and drills work at home, alone or with household members. Then, a week later, official team practices and intrasquad scrimmages can get under way with the start of the formal preseason on Dec. 14.
Coming out of winter break, games with regional opponents officially can begin.
Connecticut
In Connecticut last week, Gov. Ned Lamont announced a statewide pause on all team and club sports, meaning the winter season can’t get under way until Jan. 19.
The pause affects all team activities for youth, high school, prep and adult leagues.
The state defines the term “team” as a group of four or more people engaged in athletic activities on a field, court or rink. With the pause, all team scrimmages, competitions, camps, clinics and tournaments are prohibited until it expires.
The CIAC, the governing body for interscholastic high school sports in Connecticut, had previously postponed the start of the season to Jan. 19.
In the prep sphere, the Founders League canceled its league season in October, leaving its members to follow the state’s guidelines and plan their own seasons.
Rhode Island
After the RILL initially voted to make the start date of the winter high school sports season Dec. 11, Gov. Gina Raimondo has elected to push it back further.
The season won’t start until January at the earliest, Raimondo said, after the state enacted a two-week statewide pause on sports and indoor facilities until Dec. 13.
A new start date for the season has not been released. Although Raimondo said games won’t begin until January, it’s possible teams may start practicing sooner.
Vermont
In Vermont, the winter high school sports season has been postponed indefinitely. Six days before the previously set start date of Nov. 30, Gov. Phil Scott announced he was delaying the Vermont Principals’ Association season, “until further notice.” Recreation and club sports activities already have been suspended since Nov. 14. A new date has not been given, but the status will be reviewed each week, Scott said.
New Jersey
On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced a “full pause” on the winter sports season, pushing the start of the winter hockey season until after the new year.
The decision comes as part of the state’s overarching suspension of indoor youth and high school sports, which goes into effect on Saturday and runs until Jan. 2.
The NJSIAA’s season was previously set to begin with practices on Dec. 14, followed by the start of competition on Jan. 4, before concluding on Feb. 17.
It remains unknown whether the set end date to the season will be changed. As part of a previous announcement, there will be no state tournaments this year.
Liam Flaherty can be reached at liam.flaherty@hockeyjournal.com and on Twitter @_LiamFlaherty.
