QMJHL camps could open next month

If all goes well, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams could be opening training camps one month from now.

Details on the QMJHL's return to play plan have begun to surface over the past week. There are a few significant adjustments that teams and players will have to get used to, but all things considered, the plan seems pretty okay.

Here are the highlights, via La Presse, who first reported the news.

• The league will reduce its schedule from 68 to 60 games.
• There will be three divisions of six teams each. Teams will only play within their division. The divisions will break down as follows:
• Acadie-Bathurst, Cape Breton, Charlottetown, Halifax, Moncton and Saint John
• Blainville-Boisbriand, Drummondville, Gatineau, Rouyn-Noranda, Sherbrooke and Val-d'Or
• Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi, Québec, Rimouski, Shawinigan and Victoriaville
• Training camps will begin Aug. 26 and teams would be permitted to invite a maximum of 34 players.
• The regular season would begin Oct. 1.
• The playoff format will be determined no later than December.

There's not too much to complain about with this plan; this certainly seems like a best case scenario. A couple of big questions remain: 1) will all provincial governments approve this plan? and 2) will any fans be allowed in buildings?

Quebec announced this week that beginning Aug. 3, indoor and outdoor gatherings will increase to a limit of 250 persons, which is presumably good news for the QMJHL's plan. But Quebec has moved faster than most provinces with this kind of stuff, so it's difficult to say how close the Atlantic Bubble is to implementing similar rules.

According to CBC Nova Scotia, "Quebec-based teams have been approved by their government to allow season ticket holders to attend games, but no decision has been made by the Maritime provinces."

Only allowing season ticket holders to attend is something NFL teams have purposed - and it makes a lot of sense for contact tracing and for figuring out where to seat people. One of the major logistical hurdles seems to be how do you sell tickets on a per-game basis but ensure social distancing is maintained. Having to create a seating plan just once or twice would definitely help with that.

TSN reported this week that the CHL has hired lobbyists to try and secure government funding to help the league through this difficult time. Even if fans are allowed in buildings this fall, there will be financial hardships on teams. The CFL and CPL (soccer) are trying to land similar funding.

The QMJHL is seemingly ahead of the other CHL leagues in its return to play process. Having COVD-19 under control (for the most part) in three of the four QMJHL provinces helps as does not having any teams based in the United States.

Worth saying: I’ve talked to a number of people around the QMJHL who think they’ll play on time in the fall. No American teams like the W and O. Few big cities. Quebec teams can play within Quebec, Maritime teams can play within the Maritimes. COVID largely contained out east.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 24, 2020

US based teams could present a major problem if the two countries continue to head in opposite directions.

Attempting to pin down a second source - Erie, Flint, Saginaw will likely make their homes in Ontario, at least to open the season. https://t.co/96aUobfW5u

— Murray Pam (@Pammerhockey) July 17, 2020 

Here's to hoping that, like normal times, this is the final month without junior hockey for a while.