There’s no denying the fact that things didn’t go according to plan in 2020. In New England, the youth hockey community knows it all too well.
But now, after months of uncertainty, disappointment and dismay, it’s on to 2021.
With most New England prep leagues not sanctioning their normal winter seasons, schools all over the region are scrambling to find a way to get kids back on the ice safely, as well as how to play at least some semblance of a season in the new year.
In New Hampshire, the Lakes Region’s plans for a condensed prep season include a schedule of weekend home-and-homes for each of its eight teams, running from the end of January until late March, with a potential playoff tournament at the end.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, each of the eight schools are aligning with the same testing protocols. Plus, each school will play only one opponent per weekend in all of its winter sports, so as to limit cross-campus contamination as much as possible.
In Massachusetts, several Boston-area prep schools are looking to take a similar approach.
According to sources, plans are currently in the works to create a 15- to 20-game prep season with two games per week between select teams both in and around the city.
Like the Lakes Region, it would start in late January and run until the end of March.
Teams rumored to be involved in the campaign so far, include but aren’t limited to, Nobles, Belmont Hill, St. Sebastian’s, Rivers, Dexter Southfield and Thayer.
The move to a local, state-only season comes on the heels of all six New England governors’ decision to extend the interstate youth hockey travel ban until Jan. 31.
The ban, which restricts out-of-state youth hockey competition, originally was set to expire on Dec. 31. It does not affect the collegiate or professional levels of play.
If these plans do come to fruition, it could open the door for a potential Massachusetts prep state championship.
The New England Prep School Athletic Council, which hosts the region’s annual playoff tournaments in March, already has canceled its winter championship events.
Public school state tournaments won’t be happening in winter 2021 either, the MIAA Board of Directors announced following a unanimous 20-0 vote back in October.
If the league is able to get off the ground and play enough games over the course of the next three months, it’s possible that a one-and-done type tournament, similar to the state’s annual Super 8 high school tournament, could take place come March.
This, of course, all relies on the state of the virus coming out of the holidays, which, after weeks of close contact and family gatherings, could be a ticking time bomb.
Things are moving in the right direction, but it’s going to change week by week, and a post-New Year’s spike could spell disaster for the league before it can even begin.
Only time will tell.
Liam Flaherty can be reached at liam.flaherty@hockeyjournal.com and on Twitter @_LiamFlaherty.
