Try as it might, the Ontario Hockey League couldn't get it done safely.
The OHL announced Tuesday morning that it was officially cancelling any kind of return to play for this season.
"Earlier this month the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Government of Ontario reached an agreement on a Return to Play plan for the League. However, the recently extended stay at home order along with increasing cases of COVID-19 across the province make it impossible for the OHL to have a season," said a news release sent out by the league.
“We have worked tirelessly with the Province and the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the past year on different scenarios and different windows of opportunity but the reality is the conditions in Ontario have never been right to start and complete an uninterrupted, safe opportunity for players to showcase their skills,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “We owe it to our players and their families to be definitive. We were committed to return and play this season, but our hopes and desires have been dashed by the cruel realities of COVID-19.”
The release said a few weeks ago the league and province had reached an agreement for returning to play, but then the COVID situation worsened just before it was to be announced.
That plan envisioned a shortened season to be played in hub cities following "the most rigorous COVID-19 containment protocols possible."
"The goal was to showcase the league’s 450 players for scouts preparing for the 2021 NHL Draft, U SPORTS men’s hockey programs as well as Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Evaluation Camp," said the release.
The OHL’s 17 Ontario-based teams support 327 full-time jobs across its member team and League offices, along with 831 part-time jobs. Additionally, 176 students work for teams on internships or co-op terms, along with 1,100 volunteers, the league points out.
