Maritime Junior Hockey League Logo. Photo (MHL)
The MHL confirmed today that they have come up with a provisional plan for their regular season which will allow them to play throughout the pandemic.
The League’s Board of Governors approved a modified 40-game schedule for the 2020-21 regular season during a meeting Wednesday night, though the actual schedule will not be released until Monday.
As part of the plan, the league has been divided into four “mini-leagues” to reduce travel.
The Eastlink South Division will be divided into two leagues, the first of which will consist of the Amherst Ramblers, Pictou County Weeks Crushers and the Truro Bearcats. The other division includes the South Shore Lumberjacks, Yarmouth Mariners and the Valley Wildcats.
The Eastlink North Division was also split with the first league containing Edmundston Blizzard, the Grand Falls Rapids and the Fredericton Red Wings. The other division consists of the Campbellton Tigers, the Miramichi Timberwolves and the Summerside Western Capitals.
All teams will also qualify for the Candian Tire Cup Playoffs but the format of that tournament is yet to be determined.
“Thank you to the Board of Governors, MHL Executive, Return to Play Committee, and team staff for their work in getting us to a point where we can bring hockey back to all twelve of our markets”, says MHL President Steve Dykeman. “It has taken considerable efforts with stakeholders throughout the Maritimes. Many of these conversations will continue as we navigate our way through the 2020-21 regular season. As we’ve stressed from the start, safety for fans, team staff, and players is paramount. We’re confident that the measures put in place in each of the rinks our teams play in will meet that mandate, and are excited to welcome back our fans.”
The season start date is Friday, October 30 and ends on March 28, 2021. All games will be available to view on HockeyTV. As previously announced, the league will kick off the 2020-21 season with Honda MHL Thank You Week. Specially designed “Thank You” jerseys will be worn during each team’s home opener in tribute to the workers on the front-line of the COVID-19 pandemic.
