The General Manager of the Sarnia Sting says he's disappointed but not surprised by the cancellation of the Ontario Hockey League season.
The league officially announced an end to its "return to play" plan Tuesday, citing the recently extended stay-at-home order and increasing cases of COVID-19 across the province.
Dylan Seca said he understands why the decision was made, but it's still a tough pill to swallow.
"We're disappointed because we were holding out hope and working diligently as a group, players coaches and the staff, to be ready to play and for a return," said Seca. "I think, in the end, we all had this feeling that with where we're at, it (a cancellation) might be coming sooner than not."
"You feel for the players that have put time in and they might not be able to play in our league again," he said. "I think that's kind of where my mind really tends to be going, is with some of those people that have played their last game and haven't had the chance to do that in front of the fans in Sarnia."
Seca is holding out hope that the team can return to Progressive Auto Sales Arena in September, and play in front of fans.
The OHL said it had reached an agreement with the province on having a season, but on the eve of announcing any details, COVID-19 conditions worsened dramatically as new variants of concern took hold and posed a significant threat to overwhelm the health care system.
The plan was to have a shortened season, played in hub cities, following the most rigorous COVID-19 containment protocols possible.
The goal was to showcase the league’s 450 players for scouts preparing for the 2021 NHL Draft, U SPORTS men’s hockey programs as well as Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Evaluation Camp.
The OHL will be the only one of Canada's three major junior hockey leagues not to hold a 2020-21 season.
The Western Hockey League played a 24-game season, and there was a shortened QMJHL campaign.
