The WHL received some good news last week, after the Alberta government gave the league approval to play a shortened season in the province.
The WHL has five Alberta-based teams and they’ll all play in the league’s Central Division this season, playing a 24-game schedule starting later this month (Feb. 26). The league announced last month that it planned to return for a shortened season.
The league is still waiting on all of its approvals, but there is a plan in place for East Division, a British Columbia Division and a U.S. Division.
Alberta’s government has some restrictions in place, but they aren’t insurmountable. Teams will only be allowed to play the same opponent in a particular week, with a five-day break before playing against another opponent.
Players are currently in the middle of quarantine and will be able to remove themselves on on Feb. 6 (Saturday) and report to their teams. COVID testing will be handled by an outside company, and if a player or staff member tests positive, they’ll be out for 14 days.
The QMJHL resumed its season this past weekend. The league is using hub cities in Chicoutimi, Drummondville, Rimouski and Shawinigan.
The OHL planned to return to play this week, but COVID protocols has forced the league to hit pause.