Hi Everyone,
I want to first thank everyone for all they are doing to follow the guidelines for what is the most trying hockey season we have ever faced. There are a couple of developments that are prompting this note to alert you to the need to heighten our awareness regarding the pandemic and, by extension, increase the precautions we take to minimize the risk to everyone and protect our health as much as is humanly possible.
The Greater Toronto Hockey League has put all sanctioned activities on hold until January 1, 2021, due to Covid-19. Ontario and Quebec are facing more challenging times than Alberta in regards to the virus but this action is a stark reminder to ensure best practices are adhered to in Alberta in order to ensure we can continue with our Return to Play (RTP) program. Our RTP protocol contains two critical pieces:
- Hockey Canada’s E-Learning Module HU - Planning a Safe Return to Hockey https://ehockey.hockeycanada.ca/ehockey/ClinicList.aspx?oid=4&qid=1150, contains important, concise guidelines to help you minimize the health risk to all involved in the hockey environment. This is mandatory for safety reps and coaches and strongly recommended for all Team Officials.
- It is also mandatory for those coaches and safety reps to read and adhere to the Hockey Alberta/Hockey Edmonton Return to Play manual http://www.hockeyedmonton.ca/content/return-to-hockey-plan-2020-21 . We also encourage players and their families to also read the document.
Neither ourselves at Hockey Edmonton, nor the people in the organizations throughout the Club, District and Operating Areas can be present to police every skate at every rink or all the off-ice activities at various locations across the city. We need to work together and respect the guidelines put in place by health experts to ensure our kids can continue to play the game everyone loves.
We will get through this challenge together.
Sincerely,
Joe Spatafora, President
Steve Hogle, General Manager
