QMJHL plans for Oct. 1 return

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League gave everyone a jolt of optimism yesterday.

During a press conference held over Zoom, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said that the league is planning on starting the 2020-21 season on Oct. 1 - a full 68-game game schedule. The commissioner added that the plan includes starting the campaign with “a certain percentage of spectators” in the stands.

Obviously, this could all change. There's still a chance the entire 2020-21 season may not happen at all (hopefully that's not the case). The October start seems like a best case scenario - a scenario that seemed unlikely just a few weeks ago but, as the curve continues to flatten (for the most part) in Quebec and the Maritimes, an early- to mid-fall start seems more and more possible.

The 2019-20 season started on Sept. 20, so an Oct. 1 start would only delay things by a couple weeks. This aligns with reports that the 2021 Memorial Cup could be pushed into early June.

There are tons of questions and concerns still surrounding a possible Oct. 1 return. It seems like all the questions can be broken into two groups:

1. Can the sport itself be played safely?
2. Can fans attend games safely?

The good news about question one is that the league will likely have a framework created by the NHL and/or Hockey Canada that can be followed. Ideally the NHL starts up sometime this summer and they figure out the logistics of playing the game safely. Of course, the QMJHL doesn't have the resources that the NHL has - testing every player every day seems unlikely at the junior level - but hopefully some best practices are created and other hockey leagues can follow.

Question two is much more of an unknown at this point. Will health officials allow enough fans into buildings for teams to financially make this return happen? This is a question facing a lot of sports leagues - even those with massive television contracts.

There's lots of work to do before Oct. 1 - but targeting an Oct. 1 return this is a promising start.

A few other notes:

• Several teams issued statements following the league's press conference. From the Mooseheads: "Although this is a positive announcement for all of us that are looking forward to getting back in the Scotiabank Centre, we fully understand that there are still a number of factors to be determined and approved by our Provincial Government and public health authorities before we can begin selling ticket packages. We are currently working closely with the QMJHL on a Return to Play protocol for the 2020-21 season in order to ensure a safe return for our players, staff and fans, that will be in compliance with public health guidelines."
• The Wildcats' statement included a few lines regarding tickets: "... we do understand that there are still many factors to be determined and considered before we can begin selling season seats. Social distancing will certainly be a key priority moving forward, and we are waiting to hear from the government what those guidelines will be for our facility."
• The Associated Press noted many of the challenges facing teams getting fans back into buildings. Just getting people through the door presents a challenge.
• While the OHL and WHL have not made statements, several reports on Twitter yesterday seemed to indicate that the three leagues were aligned on this Oct. 1 start plan.