WHL and B.C. Division discuss scheduling

Wednesday morning the league and the five B.C. Division teams met by zoom to discuss scheduling.

Working out all of the logistics for a normal season is difficult enough — now, to do it for five teams in a small window?

“A day ago we were kind of spinning our wheels doing nothing and now we’ve gone to a thousand miles an hour.” says Blazers President Don Moores.

The schedule for the three teams in the Kamloops hub — the Blazers, Prince George and Vancouver —- will feature 36 dates in 48 days at the Sandman Centre —– twelve home games for each of the three teams. For the Blazers that’s 12 home games at the Sandman, but also some away games at home.

“One game you might see the Blazers as the home team and the next game you’ll see a reversal, where it may be the Prince George Cougars as the home team. And then the next game you might see the Vancouver Giants as the home team playing Prince George — we’re going to be diversified.”

Games will be played on both weekdays and weekends with the tentative plan for only one game a day at the Sandman Centre —- most likely in the evening for all games.

A final schedule hasn’t been determined, but where possible it will try to avoid three games in three nights for any one team.

While each of the three teams here will play 12 home games and a set number of road games at the Sandman Centre — there will also be back and forth with the Kelowna hub, which will feature the Rockets and Victoria Royals.

“There certainly will be multiple trips —- we’re trying to make it as even as possible in the schedule.”

None of the trips back and forth will be for anymore than one game, no overnights —- each team travelling from one arena to the other, with no stops in between.

So a 24 game regular season starting late March and ending mid-May.

A playoff, or playoffs is still up for discussion.

“That is part and partial of the discussion we’re having with the Canadian Hockey League” says WHL Commissioner Ron Robinson. “Whether there will be a Memorial Cup or not. That will determine ultimately what our playoffs will look like. With the border restrictions right now it’s very difficult to envision how we’re going to have a WHL championship to the extent that we normally have, and of course a Memorial Cup.”

by Earl Seitz

WHL and B.C. Division discuss scheduling

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