By way of update, the governing body of the MHL, the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), issued a statement today regarding the Province of Ontario’s January 20th announcement to commence the re-opening process as of January 31st.
How this reopening process will affect indoor sports, and minor hockey in particular, has not yet been fully detailed. We may not have details for several more days, but should our governing bodies allow a return to play on January 31st (or sometime shortly thereafter), here is how the MHL plans to make-up games lost during the mandated pause.
- Games WILL have to be played throughout March Break including both weekends.
- House League Championship Weekend (including U8 Gold) will move to April 1-3.
- “A” Championship Weekend (including U9 Gold) will move to April 9-10.
Our goal will be to reschedule all the games lost during the mandated pause. There are however several key dates and deadlines that the MHL is not able to control. This includes the OHF mandatory final date for the 2021/22 season, tryouts for the AAA/AA/A levels for 2022/23 and the City of Mississauga schedule to remove ice from the arenas. We will do our best to reschedule all the games lost, but please understand that some teams may not be made 100% whole. For that we apologize in advance.
In order to accomplish the foregoing, we are going to have to remove and re-write the remaining 2021-22 season schedule, and deny any new applications for tournament scheduling exemptions and selectively reconsider those that have already been granted. Some permits may have to be cancelled to accommodate the MHL game schedule.
The MHL appreciates your patience and understanding as we work through the process of a safe return to hockey.