An investigation has been ongoing into a scrimmage involving an Estevan minor hockey team that occurred in Torquay in late February.
A video of the scrimmage, involving members of the Estevan Wolves U18 house league team, was posted onto social media through a Facebook Live video. The players appeared to be in a four-on-four game with someone wearing a referee’s outfit. Social distancing was not followed.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has also been investigating the session.
The video has since been taken down.
Kelly McClintock, the general manager of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, said the organization’s discipline chair has investigated the incident, and they’re waiting to hear back from public health as to their next action.
While they can’t comment on what the health authority might do, McClintock said there would likely be sanctions taken by Sask. Hockey for the adult coaches and staff involved, likely in the form of a suspension. He doesn’t expect any discipline for the players.
McClintock became aware of the video on March 1 through staff members who saw it on multiple Facebook accounts. The video was later picked up by the media and the scrimmage was brought up during the provincial COVID update press conference on March 2.
He cited several restrictions that were broken after seeing the video. Teams can only have groups of eight on the ice, and players have to be three metres apart within their group. If you have multiple groups on the ice, they have to be five metres apart. There also can’t be a competitive environment.
There was also someone dressed as an official who dropped the puck, and there were people on each bench with no social distancing.
“There’s no question here about the violation of the guidelines,” McClintock said.
This marked the first time that the Saskatchewan Hockey Association has received a complaint about teams playing a game or having a scrimmage, or violating provincial regulations since those restrictions came into effect at the end of November.
“We’re not naïve enough to believe that things may not have been happening, but if people have done it, they haven’t taken video of it and posted it on Facebook, or posted it on some social media avenues. That’s the disturbing part for us is they did it and they posted it and were flaunting what they were doing.”
Since the game involving the Wolves was brought to Sask. Hockey’s attention, they have been informed of another scrimmage. McClintock did not divulge the location of that incident.
