The province’s latest health order to temporarily suspend all team sports activity for adult players has gutted the Prince George Spruce Kings practice roster.
Twelve of the 25 players on the team are 19 or older and are classed as adults, which means they are not allowed to participate in any team practices or training sessions.
The new rules were announced Thursday by public health officer Bonnie Henry is to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus. Henry said a conservative estimate of between 10 and 15 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases stem from physical fitness and sports activities.
Youth athletes under age 19 are allowed to continue practicing and training but are prohibited from engaging in any games or scrimmages.
The Spruce Kings on the prohibited list include 19-year-old goalie Aaron Trotter; defencemen Cole Moberg, 20, Mason Waite, 20, and Zach Gabruch; and forwards Corey Cunningham, 19, Connor Bowie, 19, Roman Millar, 19, Hunor Torzsok, 20, Darwin Lakoduk, 20, Kolton Cousins, 19, Christian Buono, 20, and Andrew Seaman, 20.
“We have 13 guys that technically can go on the ice and 12 that can’t, including one of the goalies,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes. “We’re hoping the PHO will come to their senses and realize they’ve made a mistake as far as not allowing 19- and 20-year-old junior players to skate with their teams.
“If you read everything that’s being put out by the PHO, this is targeting rec league and beer league teams of adults that either get together prior to hockey or after hockey, it’s not really designed for junior teams.”
The B.C. Hockey League is lobbying officials from the provincial health office, viaSport and BC Hockey officials to try to convince them to grant an exception for its 17 teams to allow the older players to return. Hawes says 48 percent of players in the league are 19 or older.
Hawes said the Spruce Kings are bound by a team agreement which essentially limits their community contacts to players, team staff and their billet families and that precaution should exempt them from the order. The prohibition order does not apply to coaches.
“Our team and every junior team going is in their own sort of bubble,” Hawes said. “You’ll have a 20-year-old player and 17-year-old player that may live together in a billet family and drive together to the rink in a vehicle. To say they can’t be on the ice together right now is kind of stupid. We need to get this changed so we can get back to some kind of business here.”
The BCHL had hoped to start its season Dec. 8but the date was pushed back to a yet-to-be-confirmed date due the alarming rate of new of infections across the province over the past few weeks. Hawes anticipates Henry, at her Monday news conference, will extend the two-week travel ban on teams wanting to compete against opponents in other regions.
“Unless a miracle happens and Monday and (Henry) and the restrictions are Monday, then we’re OK to start our regular season the next day, December 8th , but we’ve also come to the realization that’s probably a pipe dream to think we’re going to be able to start on the 8th,” he said. “I would guess it’s going to end up being mid-January as the new start date and try to work towards that.”
