Majority of young players resume hockey

As the region moved into the red zone, the Stayner Arena re-opened Feb. 18 for team sport training only.
Clearview Minor Hockey is one of four user groups that is taking advantage of the ice time that is available, along with the Stayner Siskins, Figure Skating Club and Sk8 Georgian Bay.
Capacity is restricted to 10 skaters, plus two coaching staff. Hockey practice is limited to skills and drills, with no scrimmages or games of any kind. Players have to stay six feet apart and follow all public health guidelines.
Clearview Minor Hockey president Valerie Hughes said the executive discussed whether or not to return to the ice and decided that it was feasible, but they put it to the membership to decide if they thought it was safe.
“We were keen to get back at it, to provide the kids some ice, hopefully until the end of March. It was awesome that the township reduced the cost of the ice so that was huge so it was a no-brainer economically, that we could afford to do it,” she said.
The majority of the younger players have chosen to lace up their skates again. Hughes said it’s the older players who have opted not to, because the sport just doesn’t have the same appeal if they can’t have any games.
She said about 90 per cent of the younger players have come back.
“Even if they can’t get close to their friends, they at least want to see them and have some sense of normalcy,” said Hughes.
Because there’s only five weeks left, the association opted not to charge fees for this last part of the season. Hughes said the league had seen some savings over the year because of reduced ice time and not having to hire referees, and with the Township of Clearview offering ice rental at 50 per cent off, it allowed them the option.
“We’re hoping if we get to orange, we can resume game play,” said Hughes. “It would be nice to let the kids have a few games because really that’s what it’s all about.”
“I think at some point this becomes a mental health issue,” she said. “Keeping the kids active and engaged and doing something other than sitting in front of their screens at home, I think that’s just as important.”
“It was awesome of the municipality to keep the ice in because a lot of municipalities didn’t so we had the ice and we felt we might as well use it,” said Hughes.
Hughes said the league hasn’t had any cases of COVID-19 and aside from one team outbreak reported in Barrie early on in the season, she is not aware of any transmission of the virus through organized hockey.