Hockey is coming back

After almost two months of watching old hockey games on TV, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League is returning to action.

The GOJHL announced hockey season will restart Dec. 2, but the teams are already planning controlled scrimmages to work out the kinks of playing with stricter rules on what is allowed and what is not. So, get ready to watch hockey live, it might not be as big as the NHL or OHL but the GOJHL is returning a month before both.

Joe Daniels, owner and general manager for the St. Thomas Stars for the past 12 years, said his team is preparing best they can for the upcoming season’s guidelines and what they must follow.

“We have been practicing for the last half of October right up until now, three times a week. Basically, just following the community centre’s guidelines for distancing, masks and how many people we can have on the ice,” said Daniels.

He also said of current circumstances, players are allowed to come to the arena 15 minutes before practice partially dressed, wearing their masks.

“They are assigned to a dressing room, ten players and under. Once their dressed and once the Zamboni clears the ice, then they’re allowed to go on the ice,” said Daniels.

Tucker Firth, a 19-year-old defenseman about to play his first full season with the St. Thomas Stars, said while he might not like some of the COVID-19 restrictions he’s willing to do what he can to play.

“I don’t agree with all of them but then again I’m just a player I can’t say a whole lot about them,” said Firth. “But for right now if they’re allowing us to get back on the ice, back in the game situations, game scenarios. Play through a couple restrictions here in there, it is whatever at this point you got to do what you gotta do, just follow the guidelines and just follow what you gotta do.”

Daniels and the team have their eyes set on winning the Sutherland Cup this year. The Stars have not won the cup since 1987.

“Every year that cup is our goal,” said Daniels. “We need to see what the whole seasons going to look like and obviously we are still in a pandemic and we need to see where it goes and walk through that and at the end of the day, we would love to be playing in the Sutherland Cup.”

Since COVID-19 started Firth has been working on his off-ice skills, working out and doing lots of mobility exercises along with the rest of the team.

“This year, it is kind of exciting. We have a lot of rookies coming in, but then we also have a lot of older guys that are going to come in and they’re going to work as hard as they can.”

Firth is still in contact with some of his teammates from his old team, the Lindsay Muskies. The Muskies are an Ontario Junior Hockey League team from Lindsay, ON. Firth had played with the Muskies for 22 games across three seasons before he got traded to the St. Thomas Stars. However, for now he is more focused on bringing the rookies in and making sure they are comfortable.

“Personally, we are ready for games right now,” said Firth. “Everyone is going to practices, working as hard as they can. Chemistry is happening and the coaches are pushing us out of our comfort zone.”

When Firth got the news, the season was going to start again he was at the gym with his trainer. He knew there was going to be restrictions in place, but he did not care at the time, he was just happy the season was starting again.

The Stars and the Strathroy Rockets are planning to hold a controlled scrimmage next weekend, it will be 11 players versus 11 players. The first game will be an hour long then there will be another one-hour game.

There will be more updates on the return to play for all leagues and what the guidelines will be coming within the next couple weeks.