The Estevan Eclipse Downhole Solutions U18 AAA Bears and the other teams in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League announced Thursday they are taking an immediate pause from all on-ice and off-ice activities until January.
The league will re-evaluate the decision on Jan. 4, 2021.
The season was suspended on Nov. 27 due to new provincial regulations that halted games for team sports, but teams with players under the age of 18 could still practise with up to eight players on the ice and other restrictions. Those practices have also stopped for the Bears.
The decision was taken after careful consideration of several factors, including:
- COVID-19 cases are hovering around record-high numbers in Saskatchewan;
- Hospitalization numbers are a growing concern;
- Several teams in the league, along with on-ice officials, have received positive COVID-19 test results; and
- As the Christmas holidays approach, the league considered the impact to everyone, billet families included, if players are impacted by isolation of a positive test. Beginning Dec. 11, any team member with a positive test result may defer a player’s schedule moving home, impacting the billet family and the player’s family’s Christmas season due to isolation protocols.
The Estevan Bears will continue to adhere to all protocols and restrictions, and will be planning for players to return to Estevan on Jan. 3, in time for the return of school and, hopefully, a return to hockey.
The Bears thank all of their players, parents, billets, fans, sponsors and volunteers for their support and understanding.
“We hope to see you all early in the new year when we can continue with our inaugural season,” the Bears said in a news release.
