The news these days is filled with stories about the COVID-19 pandemic, and while hockey fans anxiously await the return of their favourite sport, it isn’t exactly what they’re thinking about.
On March 12, the Winnipeg Jets announced that they are suspending their season due to the “unpredictable health and safety concerns” created by the pandemic and the resulting restrictions imposed by the government.
Just over a month later, on May 5, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that it, too, is temporarily suspending its season due to concerns over COVID-19 and in order to maintain social distancing.
While the worlds of professional sports and entertainment have paused to deal with one of the biggest issues our world has faced in recent memory, little has been said about the minor leagues. Specifically, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA), which together consist of 70 teams. More than a hundred high schools and hundreds of collegiate teams were also shut down due to concerns over COVID-19.
Those leagues are crucial in developing the next generation of hockey stars. After all, it was the minor leagues that produced the likes of Connor McDavid (the next superstar in the making), Brock Boeser, Mitch Marner and William Karlsson – players whose professional careers are just getting started.
This season, those leagues couldn’t have mattered more. As the pandemic began to impact the entire world of sports in April, the leagues were preparing for the annual entry drafts. The MJHL was set to hold its draft on April 16, the SIJHL on April 17 and the OMHA on April 18.
Instead, these drafts were postponed until further notice due to the pandemic.
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An Entirely New World
Although the NHL and the other professional sports leagues have been struggling with the pandemic, they’ve still managed to keep up some of their favourite sports. And it’s thanks to the minor leagues that we’ve been able to witness some truly unforgettable moments.
For instance, on March 23, the Nashville Predators played the New York Islanders in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Both teams have been ravaged by the pandemic, with the Islanders missing 17 of their players due to COVID-19, and the Predators losing 16 of their forwards and 14 of their defencemen to the disease. The Predators won the game 6-3, advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
A Record-Breaking Season
The worst was yet to come for the minor leagues. Just as the Predators were beginning to do some good in the battle against COVID-19, they shattered the all-time single-season record for wins (76). They went on to become the first team in NHL history to reach the quarterfinals of the playoffs with a record number of wins (24). Now, as the season has turned to summer, the minor leagues are desperately trying to rebuild.
The season wasn’t lost on the ice. Goaltenders began to stand out, with the netminder with the best save percentage going the whole season wins the Calder Trophy as the top minor leaguer. The leading scorer and best player as voted by his peers was also a goaltender, giving the entire league a boost of confidence in the face of adversity.
However, the off-ice impacts of the pandemic were just as significant. The Manitoba government recently reported that over 80% of the province’s non-essential businesses had closed down as a result of the pandemic. Many of the jobs that were available prior to the pandemic have now been lost, and there is no clear indication as to when the economy can find a sustainable path forward. The poverty rate in the province, as a result of the pandemic, is now 13.6%, the highest it has been in 30 years. It’s an entirely new world that the minor leagues have found themselves in.
The Consequences Of Unpredictability
The minor leagues aren’t the only ones that have felt the repercussions of the pandemic. As an unforeseeable consequence of the global nature of the pandemic, a large portion of the world’s population has been left without any professional sports teams to follow.
Many of the teams in the NBA, MLB and NHL have either relocated or suspended operations. Teams like the Toronto Raptors, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders have ceased to exist, while the Oakland A’s, Memphis Grizzlies and Seattle SuperSonics have had to play in front of empty seats. In total, around 12.5 million tickets were sold in the NBA this season, a 32% decrease compared to 2019.
Looking Forward
Despite all of this, the future for minor leaguers looks promising. It comes as no surprise that teams across North America have begun searching for ways to get back on the ice. As the pandemic continues to lessen in intensity, teams will gradually be able to resume play. The OMHA has already announced that it will hold its draft on Sept. 13.
Meanwhile, the MJHL and the SIJHL have announced that they, too, will hold a draft in early September. The NHL has also given teams the green light to hold training camps and has allowed some players to return to the ice as long as they’re not travelling or interacting with other people. This is the kind of support that these minor leagues need in order to continue thriving.