COVID issues grip 15 WHL teams

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This article was published 07/01/2022 (1397 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mounting COVID-19 crisis has now officially swept over the Western Hockey League.

The 22-team WHL announced on Friday that 15 teams — the Eastern Conference’s Moose Jaw Warriors, Winnipeg Ice, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Calgary Hitmen, Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings and Medicine Hat Tigers and the Western Conference’s Kamloops Blazers, Victoria Royals, Prince George Cougars, Everett Silvertips, Spokane Chiefs, and Tri-City Americans —have all paused team activities.

The league had postponed 27 of the 29 games it had planned between Jan. 3-12. Eight were postponed on Friday.

“The WHL and our member clubs remain fully committed to playing through the 68-game WHL regular season schedule and playoffs,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said in a release on Friday. “As we work through the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our priority continues to be to deliver a world-class development experience for WHL players, staff, and officials, and to do so in a safe and healthy manner. On behalf of the entire WHL, I wish to thank WHL fans and WHL corporate partners everywhere for their patience as we work to reschedule games in the coming weeks.”

The Brandon Wheat Kings are the only Manitoba or Saskatchewan-based team that hasn’t faced team-wide issues yet. The Swift Current Broncos were cleared to return to action on Friday afternoon after being shut down on Dec. 30.

Brandon has had a pair of positive tests, but in both cases the person was not exposed to the team.

Each organization is responsible for daily monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 among players and staff. If anyone displays symptoms, they are given a rapid antigen test and isolated. If it’s positive, they are sent for a PCR test to confirm the positive result.

The league has established a protocol for what happens next in that event.

If there are multiple rapid antigen positives, all team activities are paused. The WHL’s chief medical officer is notified and the entire team undergoes PCR testing and isolates until results are delivered.

At that point, the chief medical officer reviews all positive test results and scenarios on an individual basis, looking at things such as travel, recent schedule and any potential exposures. 

The Wheat Kings are scheduled to head out on Alberta road trip on Monday for games in Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer.

Last season, due to the pandemic, the seven Manitoba and Saskatchewan teams played in the Regina hub, with teams from Alberta, British Columbia and the United States playing within their divisions but outside of bubbles.

During the 2019-20 season, play was paused on March 12, 2020 and never restarted.

ICINGS: The Tri-City Americans acquired 18-year-old defenceman Chase Friedt-Mohr on Friday from the Edmonton Oil Kings for an eighth-round pick in 2023. Edmonton picked up Friedt-Mohr from the Spokane Chiefs on Dec. 6 for a conditional eighth-round pick in 2024. The WHL trade deadline is Jan. 17.

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