The Okotoks Jr. B Bisons won’t get a chance to finish unfinished business.
Hockey Alberta announced on Feb. 10 the province’s Senior and Junior loops, including the Heritage Junior B Hockey League, have concluded league play for the 2020-21 season.
“We all see the writing on the wall, it was just getting later and later in the season,” said Bisons head coach Chris Beston. “I think it was either this week or next our season would be over and we would be starting playoffs. It was getting to the point where it’s unrealistic to even salvage anything.
“With everything we’ve seen in the past we had a hunch the season might be over, but we were hoping for the best. It is what it is and we’ll see what kind of things we can make happen next year.”
Okotoks had its playoff run cut short last March in the South Final after a record-setting season with just two regular season losses, placing the herd as a heavy favourite to content for a provincial championship.
“We were excited, we had a younger team this year, but a lot of good talent and felt we had a good opportunity again to make a good run, but it was cut short,” the coach added. “It is a little frustrating, but we’re not the only team that goes through it. There’s lots of good teams that have to put up with the same things.”
It’s a bitter pill to swallow in particular for the overage players who have now aged out of junior hockey, barring any rule changes.
For Okotoks, the 1999-born group includes stalwart netminder Devin Reagan, last year’s league MVP and top scorer in Turner Valley’s Tyson Scott along with steady blueliner Bryan Weber and team captain Tyler Witzke.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do and if they’re going to allow overagers another year or what Hockey Alberta is going to plan with all that,” Beston added. “All four of them are top-end hockey players that will be missed, they’re almost irreplaceable, big shoes to fill with those four if they don’t allow them to come back.
“And, who knows, even if they do allow them if they do come back because there comes a point in time where you’ve just got to move on.”
Okotoks’ 2020-21 group, one that featured an impressive crop of local area talent from the AA and AAA minor hockey ranks, got in two regular season games before being sidelined in early November.
Team sports restrictions announced by the province were then enacted in mid-November, extended in December and continue through the Path Forward plan with Step One allowing a return of limited practices in team settings of less than 10.
“It’s bittersweet,” Beston said. “It’s nice to finally have an answer to the question, we can finally make some plans and move on. Everyone has kind of been sitting in limbo. Now all we can do is get ready and prepared for next season.”
Hockey Alberta noted in its release, that there is the potential opportunity for teams to return to on-ice activity in mid-March.
But for many leagues that’s far beyond the limits of when a season would come to an end anyway.
The ruling on Senior and Junior leagues does not apply to the Alberta Junior Hockey League, which has not yet announced a decision on if and when play will resume.
The Western Hockey League is going ahead with a condensed season with all five Alberta teams playing within the province and with no fans in the stands, with games to begin on Feb. 26.
“Hockey Alberta and its senior and junior leagues unanimously decided to conclude all regular league play for the remainder of the 2020-21 season during a meeting held on February 8,” noted a Hockey Alberta release. “While league play is concluded for this season, the opportunity for Teams to return to on-ice activity at some point remains a possibility. In the Government of Alberta’s “A Path Forward”, Step 3 outlines the potential return of ‘adult team sports’ which could potentially occur in mid to late March.
“Hockey Alberta will continue to work closely with government representatives to explore all options that could allow players to return to on-ice activity.”
Minor hockey 2020-21 season concluded
On the heels of provincial regulations allowing for limited group training in team sports, Okotoks Minor Hockey determined that returning to the ice at
this juncture is not on the cards following a meeting on Feb. 10.
“Due to AHS and facility restrictions, it will be nearly impossible for OMHA to run 1,300 players per week. Players would skate once every 10 days affording them only 3-4 skates until the end of March when the Town plans on taking the Murray and Piper ice surfaces out,” said OMHA president Geoff Stewart in a release.
“Okotoks Minor Hockey is working diligently on options of credit or refunds for our members. We are awaiting final confirmation of refunds from Hockey Alberta, Hockey Canada, and our leagues.”
