Chiefs skeptical as PJHL sets Dec. 1 season start
Lakefield Chiefs skeptical as PJHL sets Dec. 1 season start
By Mike DaviesExaminer Sports Director
Tue., Aug. 25, 2020timer2 min. read
The Lakefield Chiefs president questions the wisdom of a 2020-21 junior C hockey season.
The PJHL announced Tuesday it’s set Dec. 1 as its target date for a return to game action subject to the approvals of government, local health officials and Hockey Canada. It falls in line with an earlier announcement of the OHL Dec. 1 target date.
The PJHL, Ontario’s largest league with 60 franchises, is planning for at least a 24-game regular season followed by a full playoff format for the Schmalz Cup.
Chiefs president Don Dunford said there are too many challenges to putting on a season in a pandemic.
“I’d just as soon they shut it down and if I said anything else I’d be lying,” Dunford said.
“When you look at the overall picture with 60 teams how can you safeguard completely? I can see there are going to be problems.
“It would be nice to say all is well and it’s safe enough to go ahead, everyone wants to see hockey, but you have to think about our fans. Our fans will be down because even if they say it’s OK there are going to be people who are nervous.
“We have people at the front and at the 50/50 table who are going to have to handle money and they’re not too keen on that. It’s amazing how many things it affects and the ripple effect.”
Currently, the province allows no more than 50 people for indoor gatherings. That could change by Dec. 1 but Dunford said right now personnel from the two teams alone would fill the 50 without fans.
The Chiefs require an average of 100 fans to break even financially, he said.
“For our Tuesday home game our goal is to get enough money to pay our three hours ice-time, the officials and have enough money to pay for our bus to go to our next game.”
Lakefield averaged 125 fans through 21 regular season games in 2019-20. It’s playoffs where they can make a little money with bigger crowds.
“In our playoff last year with North Kawartha our gate for the three home games was $2,500 shy of our total gate for the 21 games.”
Dunford wonders what happens if a player or staff tests positive for COVID-19. Does that mean the teams have to quarantine?
“What’s that going to do to the schedule?” he said.
Dunford said the Chiefs will comply with whatever the PJHL decides.
A schedule will be finalized in coming weeks.
mike.davies@peterboroughdaily.com
