Portland Winterhawks assistant coach Don Hay can see a situation where teams play within their divisions to begin the season (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

WHL RETURN TO PLAY

Hay feels interdivisional play may be the way to start WHL season

Jun 26, 2020 | 2:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — Don Hay is ready to hunker down in Portland if needed when the next Western Hockey League season begins.

“Even if the teams have to open up in maybe interdivisional play for a couple months. The B.C. Division plays in B.C. We play in the States until they have a cure for this.”

This week in the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci said a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by the end of the year. The borders, however, remain closed and may be for the foreseeable future.

Last week, WHL Commissioner Ron Robison announced a return to play plan. It includes an Oct. 2 start date and the potential for divisional play.

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“Anything is possible,” he said during a Zoom media call on June 18. “It’s going to be dictated largely by what the outcome of our discussions are going to be with our health authorities and what restrictions we are working with. We’re going to need to certainly be flexible from a scheduling point of view, so stay tuned. We might have a completely different-looking schedule than we traditionally have. Would more divisional play be something we’re considering? Absolutely.”

A lot can change, but COVID-19 cases in Oregon, for example, are on the rise. According to the Oregon Health Authority, there are 4,000 cases reported daily. That number is expected to jump based on state modelling.

“I know in Oregon, the Govenor there is pretty strict,” noted Hay. “She’ll get a good test when the Oregon Ducks start to play in July, so they’ll have their training camp, so it’ll be interesting to see if she opens it up there.”

If the WHL is given the green light to begin the season in October, training camps would start Sept. 15. Hay hopes that plan can go ahead.

The Winterhawks assistant, however, still wonders how this past season would’ve played out if not for COVID-19.

“There’s a lot of good teams in our league. Kamloops had a good team, Everett had a good team, Spokane had a good team. It would’ve been fun how everything worked out in the playoffs,” he said. “I know we were young, but we thought we had the right players in place — Joel Hoffer in goal, John Ludvig on defense, our captain, and a great group of offensive forwards up front. It’s always disappointing, but you’re also looking to see how you would’ve made out in the playoffs — how these kids would’ve grown. They missed out on that.”