It’s official: The Lloydminster Bobcats, along with the rest of the AJHL, will have a 2020-21 Season.
The league announced that teams will hit the rink again for the regular season on November 13th. Teams will play in a North/South division split format. All teams will be operating under a COVID-19 prevention game plan under the Government of Alberta’s Junior, Collegiate and University League Guidance. They also have to follow Hockey Canada’s Return to Hockey Safety Guidelines and Hockey Alberta’s Return to Hockey Plan for the safety of participants and fans.
Despite all these rules and changes, Bobcats Coach and GM Nigel Dube says it’s a big moment for the players to finally be back in the game.
“I think everybody’s excited to get going, Obviously, you know, it’s fun to play pre-season and have these games started, but now, with the announcement from the AJHL that the league’s going to start, it gets our guys fired up and ready to go.”
The Lloydminster Bobcats are also fully back at the Cenntianal Civic Centre, after playing a mix of preseason games there and at the Kitscoty arena. Recently, it was announced that the City of Lloydminster will allow 110 people total in the arena. Dube adds that during the time of COVID-19, the team will always have to be looking at attendance day by day, but also plans to have this same capacity for now.
He also explains that the team right now is focusing on keys to success, as they continue the AJHL exhibition season through to November 8th.
“Through the exhibition development season here, we shuffled up the line combinations, changed up the systems a little bit, and used it as a tool for us to learn about our guys and also work towards the end goal, but at the same time making sure we get everybody repped in there as well.”
A complete season schedule will be posted on the AJHL website when it is finalized.