New Brunswick, where strict COVID-19 restrictions have recently been announced, forcing people to avoid mingling with others and to stay at home.Nova Scotia teams can practice, but only in groups of 10, while New Brunswick teams can’t practice at all.
QMJHL stares down another turbulent season “It’s quite difficult on some of those players,” says Ritchie Thibeau, the director of hockey operations for the Moncton Wildcats. “They don’t understand why they can’t at least work out.”To accommodate that, the team has sent some training equipment to their billet families’ homes and connects with players virtually.“You know, their family is their team and their coaches, so they enjoy being around the rink.
But right now we can’t do that, so it’s added difficulty. We’ve had a number of kids that have wanted to go home.” COVID-19: Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre will require proof of vaccination, be at full capacity Thibeau says one lesson they learned last season is to ensure players are “in the best shape possible” after suffering “a lot of injuries” when returning to play following an extended COVID-prompted absence.Team representatives realize all businesses have faced significant challenges during the pandemic.But he says “there’s no worse business to be in, probably, than the mass gathering business” during the pandemic.That’s a feeling the Cape Breton Eagles realize first hand, especially being in a smaller market.“The amount of financial losses we’ve suffered as an organization over the last 18 months have been significant.
You know, seven digits,” says Gerard Shaw, the team’s president.“So, the ownership group have been very supportive, they’ve been digging deep in their pockets to finance this team right now.”Shaw says.