Pats, Blades react to WHL pushing season start to December

Regina Pats general manager John Paddock says he and the coaching staff are letting the players know things will be different heading forward.

“I think the biggest thing to emphasize to them in all aspects from what it’s going to be like when they come and get together is this is 2020, it’s not 2019. Things are never going to be the same. There’s going to be a new order of doing things and that will be given to us at the right times,” Paddock said.

The WHL announced Thursday it is delaying the start of the 2020-21 regular season to Dec. 4. The season initially was to start Oct. 2.

Saskatoon Blades general manager Colin Priestner knew the start of the season would be delayed — it was just a matter of when the decision would be announced.

“I think it’s something that was inevitable to happen. It gives us the most runway possible in terms of getting a full season, or as close to it as we can. It would have been foolish to start any earlier than that,” Priestner said.

The league has announced it plans on playing a full schedule — each team will play 68 regular-season games — followed by four rounds of playoffs. The Memorial Cup has been pushed back to June.

Even with the league office’s confidence of cramming a full season and playoffs in before the Memorial Cup, Priestner understands the unique position the WHL is in.

With teams coming from four different provinces and two American states, any additional time to plan for a season is a bonus.

“We’re just trying to be realistic with everything. We have a league that needs to be sustained by fans attending our games, and players arriving from all over Canada and Europe,” Priestner said. “With the budgets we have, we’re not able to do a bubble situation like the NHL or the NBA.”

Priestner appreciates any efforts to push back major decisions, especially with last week’s COVID-19 spike in Major League Baseball.

“Look at some of the markets we’re in — with Oregon and Washington especially,” he said. “Right now, thinking about having fans would be asinine. There’s no chance.”

Paddock said the viability of the December start date is ultimately dependent on if health officials believe the league can function during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is basically out of all of our hands. I think this gives us a lot more time to work on things (and) see where the virus is at. There’s a lot of different things that it allows to happen here so I think that’s a really good thing,” Paddock said.

When players come in, Paddock expects them to be in good shape if there is a shortened camp due to the pandemic.

“They’re going to be very anxious to play,” Paddock said. “I think we can be helped out if we get them in earlier, even unofficially and stuff, but this is a different ball game; it’s 2020,” Paddock said.

He noted if players were able to get to Saskatchewan to practise on their own dime and volition, they could. But players couldn’t use team facilities or team funds to rent ice.

Paddock, the Pats organization and its fans were also eagerly anticipating the arrival of Connor Bedard, the first-ever player to be granted exceptional status in the WHL’s history.

“This is beating him up and his family up because they’re super-excited about it as much as it is (exciting for) us,” Paddock said. “I think it’s a real bonus for us when we do start up to showcase him to our fans and to everybody here. I believe at some time we are going to play.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Britton Gray and 650 CKOM’s Keenan Sorokan