Last week the Ontario Hockey Federation released their Return to Hockey Stage 3 plans which provide further detail to seasonal structure and game play for the upcoming season.
The complete document can be found here .
Key Highlights of Stage 3
- No tryouts – team formation will be based on where players played last season
- No affiliation or integration with other leagues – Players can only play for 1 team, no Select or AP’ing.
- No travel hockey – programming is based on player residency except for the provisions to F1 players at AAA
- Modified Programming (not traditional 5-on-5).
- No contact hockey
Summary of Progressions within Stage 3
- We are currently in Stage 3a until August 31st
- We are attempting to run programing based on Chatham-Kent Arena Ice availability, Once an Arena Opens we will be quick to act to deliver programming.
- As of September 1st we will move in to Stage 3b
- Stage 3b allows for:
- Registration to open September 1st
- All F1's can either return to the Cyclones team they played for last season or return to their home center. (WE OBVIOUSLY WANT YOU TO RETURN TO THE CYCLONES)
- Max of 25 people on the ice, including instructors and referees.
- Programming is skill development based, no game play at this stage.
- Stage 3c allows for:
- Max of 30 people on the ice, including instructors and referees
- Nothing changes regarding F1's and those rules
- League Max is still 50
- Game Play is Modified 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 with no physical contact
- Stage 3d allows for:
- Max of 40 people on the ice including instructors and referees
- No changes to the rules for F1's
- League max is still 50
- 5-on-5 play can be introduced with no physical contact
- Game Play may be allowed with adjacent Public Health Units
- Stage 3e allows for:
- Exact same as Stage 3d but with travel expanded to the Local Health Integration Network
Obviously based on the above there are many open questions.
We are hoping to have a "Frequently Asked Questions" New article shortly to answer some of your concerns.
Please have faith in the process, the Cyclone Organization is working diligently to ensure we are ahead of the curve and offer programming as soon as there is a local Rink becomes available.