COCHRANE— Cochrane Minor Hockey has cancelled the remainder of its season in light of the recent announcement from the province regarding the new guidelines for youth sports programs.
Shelly Javorsky, operations coordinator with Cochrane Minor Hockey said that the organization made the difficult decision after reviewing the new guidelines.
“Cochrane Minor Hockey notified all members on February 5 that we would be cancelling the season due to the restrictions that were put in place by AHS on the youth team sports,” she said in an email. “It was a very tough decision by our board but given the logistics on what we would be able to provide to our members the board agreed that this was not what our membership signed up for.”
The new guidelines, which cap participants at 10 individuals including coaches and support staff, would not allow for the teams to resume even a development-only season, as the teams typically include roughly 19 players and four coaches.
Hockey Alberta also issued a statement following the easements, cancelling the remainder of this season’s regular league play for many of the leagues the organization governs, including the Central Alberta Hockey League, the Rockies Hockey League, the Rocky Mountain Female Hockey League, the South-Central Alberta Hockey League and the Alberta Elite Hockey League.
Javorsky said that Cochrane Minor Hockey is considering offering some alternatives to members, depending on what happens with the guidelines in the future.
“We are looking at the possibilities of offering spring development in the future if the restrictions are eased more,” she said.
For now, she said, the board of Cochrane Minor Hockey is focused on completing the refunds and planning for next season.
