Jamie Nye: Excitement and skepticism for WHL’s return

But two things seem hard to ignore.

First is the hypocrisy of allowing Saskatchewan WHL teams to travel to Manitoba and vice versa. The government isn’t allowing travel for any form of hockey, so why is the WHL getting a different set of rules?

Now, commissioner Ron Robison has admitted that interprovincial travel hasn’t been approved quite yet but believes it won’t become an issue.

Then there are the fans in the stands. I can’t wait for the day we can cram thousands of people into the arenas in this province, but in three months? The league is setting a maximum capacity of 50 per cent for rinks with assigned seating if social distancing can be done with masks required.

Robison says 50 per cent is likely high but the WHL appears optimistic fans will be there when the games begin.

And then you look at the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, which started and then stopped less than two weeks into its season.

I’m excited for the WHL but it’s also being met with a large amount of skepticism.