Pats’ Paddock understands why CHL put 2019-20 season on hold

The Regina Pats’ 2019-20 season may have ended Thursday, even though the WHL team has five regular-season games remaining.

The Canadian Hockey League announced the ’19-20 season had been halted due to concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“Following consultation with medical professionals and meetings today among the CHL Executive Council, and regional league Board of Governors, the CHL announces that the balance of the 2019-20 season and all hockey activity shall be paused immediately until further notice,” the CHL said in a media release.

That meant all games in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League were postponed.

The Pats were to visit the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, the Winnipeg Ice on Saturday and the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday.

Regina — which didn’t qualify for the playoffs — then was to conclude its season with a home-and-home set against the Moose Jaw Warriors, with games in Regina on March 20 and Moose Jaw on March 21.

Pats general manager John Paddock said there may be a chance the WHL could push back the season to get all of the games in. If not, the Pats’ season is over — and not being in the playoffs wasn’t any consolation.

“It’s certainly different if you’re out of the playoffs than if you’re in first place possibly or potentially,” Paddock said. “But I’m sure that everybody involved in all the leagues hopes — and maybe some expect, who knows? — that there will be some games played again.

“For us, it is different, but we don’t know that we’re not going to play games again. That’s all conjecture at this time.”

The CHL was one of a number of organizations that put the kibosh on games Thursday, one day after the NBA announced it was suspending its season due to the virus.

The NHL, the American and East Coast hockey leagues, the National Lacrosse League and Major League Soccer all suspended their seasons, as did the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Major League Baseball cancelled the remainder of spring training and pushed the opening day of its regular season back two weeks.

The NCAA’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the world women’s curling championship, the world women’s hockey championship, the world figure skating championships, and the CFL’s regional and national combines were among the other events cancelled.

In Regina, Paddock said the CHL’s decision likely wasn’t difficult to make.

“The landscape for all sports has changed dramatically in a short period of time,” he said. “I don’t think it’s being copycat.

“There’s stuff going on that precautions have to be taken by every level where there’s some sort of decent-sized crowd going to be at an event and players being in close proximity to each other and exposed to things. It’s difficult because it’s very new, but I think it was actually pretty easy.”

Saskatchewan has reported only one presumptive case of COVID-19, but Paddock doesn’t believe that low number should have entered into the discussion about postponing games. As he put it, the suspension of the season was “a needed thing.”

Labour disputes have ended seasons before, and the 1919 Stanley Cup wasn’t played due to the Spanish flu outbreak. Other than that, Paddock hadn’t heard of a season being put on hold.

“It’s uncharted territory for everybody,” he said. “We’re just following what the best plan is to slow this down and eventually shut it off.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Britton Gray