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Rockets' 14-day COVID-19 suspension results in three postponed games for Prince George Cougars

Seven Kelowna players, staff test positive for COVID-19 in two days
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer
Cougars-Blazers-Gauthier 2021 bubble 3
Prince George Cougars trying to defend their on zone against Kamloops in the 2020-21 B.C. Division season opener.Allen Douglas

UPDATE:

The WHL has announced the Prince George Cougars will play April 1, 7 p.m. against the Blazers in Kamloops.

This game, originally scheduled for Sunday (April 4), was moved up due to the Kelowna Rockets beginning a 14-day suspension of team activities resulting from six new positive COVID-19 tests and leading to several postponements.

As a result, no games will be played in the B.C. Division hubs on Friday (April 2).

Prince George's matches against Kelowna on April 2 and 10 will be made up at a later date to be determined.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A trio of Prince George Cougars games, including one scheduled for tonight (March 31), have been postponed.

This is due to multiple Kelowna Rockets' players and staff members testing positive for COVID-19 and the team is now under a 14-day suspension of activities and games until the quarantine is complete.

According to the WHL, six more members of the hockey club received positive tests for the virus, including four athletes and two staff in addition to one case that was detected on Tuesday (March 30), totalling seven in the last 48 hours.

The Cougars played in the Kelowna hub Monday night (March 29) against Victoria, but the WHL postponed its tilt with the Vancouver Giants tonight in Kamloops 'out of an abundance of caution.'

Subsequently, this means Prince George's two originally scheduled games against Kelowna, April 2 and 10, have also been postponed.

Make-up games are set to be announced by the WHL 'at a later date,' and the league says it's not making any further comment on the matter.

The Cougars' next official game is slated for Sunday night (April 4), 6 p.m. against the Blazers in Kamloops.

HOW DO THE HUBS WORK?

The WHL's return-to-play plan was unveiled on March 2, which included the approved hubs of Kamloops' Sandman Centre and Kelowna's Prospera Place.

Prince George is based in Kamloops with the host-Blazers and Giants, while the Rockets and Royals are in Kelowna, roughly a two-hour drive in between the Okanagan communities.

Teams are sleeping in hotels in their assigned cities, but are allowed to play in both barns to account for each team in the B.C. Division to play each other six times, three times each as the 'home team,' for a 24-game season.

However, teams outside the hub don't stay there overnight.

For example, when Prince George goes to Kelowna to play the Rockets or Royals, they immediately hop on the bus back to Kamloops soon after the final buzzer.

Vice versa, when the Cougars host Kelowna or Victoria, they retreat back about 160 km southeast to their respective beds.

Each member of an organization is tested for COVID-19 on a daily basis, which was made possible by owners or ownerships groups.

The WHL hired DynaLIFE Medical Labs for the B.C. Division season, the same private company hired by the NHL for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IIHF for the 2021 World Junior Championships, both in Edmonton, Alta.

There are no fans in attendance for the entirelty of the B.C. Division Season, only the teams, their staff and other accredited members granted access inside the arenas.