ice all activities until January due to a rise in COVID-19 cases and restrictions, players are now getting ready to head home for the holidays.There’s a sense of excitement to see their families, especially during a difficult year.Rookie Vincent Labelle hasn’t seen his family in his hometown near Ottawa since August.“I’m looking forward to seeing my mom, my dad, my step-parents,” says the 18-year-old. “My girlfriend misses me, too, so I’m excited to see her.”But these players want to be on the ice.
Missed games means missed opportunities for NHL scouts to watch them.“I want to play and it’s my draft year so for me, it’s a little bit sad,” says 17-year-old defenceman Charles-Antoine Pilote. “But it’s like that for everyone.