THE GTHL has announced their RETURN TO PLAY guidelines for the upcoming 2020-2021 season. We are excited to get underway and bring back house league hockey for this coming season. We are currently working on setting up the house league program and should have it finalized shortly.
The GTHL released on September 1st the RETURN TO PLAY guidelines. These guidelines outline how hockey will return. All rules and laws set out by the Province of Ontario and Health Canada must also be followed at all times.
Below is a summary for the RETURN TO PLAY:-
WARM-UP – September 8
- Player registration resumes
- Collection of fees for Period 1 through 3
- No sharing equipment
- No on-ice Activities
- Off-ice training – Groups of 10 or Less
- Players assigned/selected to Teams
- House league Organizations may assign players to Teams during Warm-Up. To facilitate 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 competition in the 2nd. and 3rd. periods, house league Organizations might consider, for example, forming Teams of 10 (9 skaters + goalie) for Participants above U9, and Teams of 7 (6 skaters + goalie) for Participants U9 and younger who are participating in modified ice programs.
- Team Officials/instructors Physical Distance
- Selection/training – Team Safety Person
- Coach COVID-19 protocol training
- Training should align with Long Term Player Development (LTPD)
- Players and Team Officials must maintain physical distancing (2-metres) at all times
- Face masks must be worn at all times by players, Team Officials and spectators. Players can remove their face masks during physical activity
- Groups of 10 must remain consistent during a training period (i.e.: players remain with the same group at each session)
- Facilities slowly opening
- Spectator numbers only as permitted by the Government of Ontario and/or local Public Health Units/municipalities and/or facility
- Cheering or yelling by spectators is strongly discouraged
1ST PERIOD – October 7 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
- Player registration continues
- Paper Team selection/grouping of players starts (no in-person tryouts)
- The sharing of hockey equipment is prohibited unless it is goaltender equipment at the house league level which has been properly cleaned and disinfected
- On & off-ice training – the same group of 20 or less for Participants above U9; 30 or less for Participants U9 and younger who are participating in modified ice programs
- Collection of fees for Periods 1-3
- Players assigned/selected to Teams
- No competition with other teams
- Team Officials/instructors Physical Distance
- Players and Team Officials must maintain physical distancing (2-metres) on and off the ice at all times, except as otherwise permitted in the case of players (see Appendices E and F)
- Scrimmage within groups – 3 on 3 or 4 on 4
- Safety Person training
- Coach COVID-19 protocol training
- Training should align with Long Term Player Development (LTPD)
- Focus is on skating and puck skills
- No bodychecking or intentional contact
- Face masks must be worn at all times by players, Team Officials and spectators. Players can remove their face masks during physical activity
- Team Officials or power skating instructors who work in consecutive on-ice sessions will have to physical distance and use hygiene best practices between on-ice sessions. If teaching multiple sessions, they should ensure the maintenance of a physical distance at all times, so as not to potentially infect multiple cohorts
- Facilities slowly opening
- Spectator numbers only as permitted by the Government of Ontario and/or local Public Health Units/municipalities and/or facility
- Cheering or yelling by spectators is strongly discouraged
2ND PERIOD – TBD
- Player registration continues
- Paper Team selection/grouping of players continues (no in-person tryouts)
- The sharing of hockey equipment is prohibited unless it is goaltender equipment at the house league level which has been properly cleaned and disinfected
- On & off-ice training – the same group of 20 or less for Participants above U9; 30 or less for Participants U9 and younger who are participating in modified ice programs
- Players assigned/selected to Teams
- No bodychecking or intentional contact
- Team Officials/instructors Physical Distance
- Players and Team Officials must maintain physical distancing (2-metres) on and off the ice at all times, except as otherwise permitted in the case of players (see Appendices E and F)
- Scrimmage within groups – 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 or 5 on 5
- Competition with other Teams – 3 on 3 or 4 on 4
- Formation of groups of Teams for competition. Maximum group size as permitted by the Government of Ontario from time to time (50 as at August 31, 2020)
- Maximum roster size for competition against other Teams is 10 or less
- Spectator numbers only as permitted by the Government of Ontario and/or local Public Health Units/ municipalities and/or facility
- Cheering or yelling by spectators is strongly discouraged.
3RD PERIOD – TBD
- Player registration continues
- Paper Team selection/grouping of players continues (no in-person tryouts)
- The sharing of hockey equipment is prohibited unless it is goaltender equipment at the house league level which has been properly cleaned and disinfected
- On & off-ice training – the same group of 20 or less for Participants above U9; 30 or less for Participants U9 and younger who are participating in modified ice programs
- Players assigned/selected to Teams
- No bodychecking or intentional contact
- Team Official/Instructors Physical Distance
- Players and Team Officials must maintain physical distancing (2-metres) on and off the ice at all times, except as otherwise permitted in the case of players (see Appendices E and F)
- Scrimmage within groups – 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 or 5 on 5
- Competition with other Teams – 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 or 5 on 5
- Formation of groups of Teams for competition. Maximum group size as permitted by the Government of Ontario from time to time (50 as at August 31, 2020)
- Maximum roster sizes for competition against other Teams are to be determined
- Exhibition games against other Teams, small geographic tournament play can take place
- Spectator numbers only as permitted by the Government of Ontario and/or local Public Health Units/ municipalities and/or facility
- Cheering or yelling by spectators is strongly discouraged.
OVERTIME – NO EARLIER THAN DEC 1, 2020
- Hockey returns to normal
- 5-vs-5 hockey
- Intentional contact allowed
- Bodychecking allowed at appropriate age levels (AAA & AA U14-U21)
- Inter-branch play
- No spectator restrictions
SAFETY
We continue to work with the GTHL and the City of Markham to put in place procedures that will enhance the safety of our community when we return to the arena.
To read the full details of the RETURN TO PLAY, please CLICK HERE