The league said in a release that travel restrictions across provincial and international borders in place to try to stem the tide of the global pandemic would make it difficult to conduct a post-season.
The announcement comes a week after the Canadian Hockey League, the umbrella organization for the WHL, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League, cancelled the 2021 Memorial Cup major junior championship due to COVID-19.
The QMJHL is going ahead with a modified playoff format, while the OHL has not received approval from public health authorities to commence its 2020-21 season. When we returned to play in February, we set out with the intention of completing a 24-game regular season schedule, knowing adjustments would be needed along the way, WHL Commissioner Ron Robison said in a statement. We remained hopeful that public health conditions would improve, but unfortunately that is not the reality we see in front of us today.
Kincardine, ON, Canada / ShorelineToday.ca
Apr 20, 2021 12:21 PM
The Ontario Hockey League has ended plans it had to return to play for the 2020-2021 season, less than a week after the Canadian Hockey League cancelled the 2021 Memorial Cup.
Earlier this month, the OHL and Ontario Government reached an agreement for a return to play plan, however with the recently extended stay-at-home order and increasing COVID-19 cases across the province, those plans won’t happen.
The proposed plan would’ve seen a shortened season to be played in hub cities following rigorous COVID-19 protocols, with the goal of showcasing players for the 2021 NHL Draft, U Sports programs and Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Evaluation Camp.
Ontario Hockey League cancels 2020-21 season as COVID-19 cases surge in province
The Ontario Hockey League logo is shown in a handout. The OHL has cancelled its 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO April 20, 2021 - 7:57 AM
TORONTO - The Ontario Hockey League has cancelled its 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision on Tuesday means the OHL will be the only one of Canada s three major junior hockey leagues not to hold a 2020-21 season.
The league says it reached an agreement on a return-to-play plan with the Ontario government earlier this month.
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The North Bay Battalion, with the rest of the Ontario Hockey League, has seen its 2020-21 season lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision to forgo the season was announced Tuesday in a news release issued by Commissioner David Branch in Toronto after a telephone call among the OHL’s board of governors.
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“We have worked tirelessly with the Province and the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the past year on different scenarios and different windows of opportunity, but the reality is the conditions in Ontario have never been right to start and complete an uninterrupted, safe opportunity for players to showcase their skills,” Branch said in the release.