Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
The National Hockey League season started last night, albeit the start was rocky with several teams, most notably Dallas, in limbo based on COVID-19 concerns.
The pandemic not only has impacted the pros but also has had a ripple effect throughout the world of hockey.
I recently saw a photo of teenaged girl who plays hockey in B.C. holding a sign of protest that said ” If Sidney Crosby Can Play…Why Can’t I ? “…and I sympathized with that sentiment.
Meanwhile, there was an interesting sequence in Owen Sound, and I’m sure in numerous hockey centres around North America.
A player agent called the Attack and inquired if Owen Sound would be willing to engage in some administrative scheming.
You see the agent, understandably, is concerned and is looking for places for his hockey playing clients to play
At the time of his inquiry to the Attack, the agent was concerned the Western Hockey League was about to cancel their season.
As it turned out, the WHL announced a reduced 24 game schedule, although there was no start date connected to the launch of the season.
The underlying issue for the agent is the WHL has an apparent agreement whereby players can be released directly to American based programs in the USHL and NAHL, whereas the Ontario Hockey League does not have such an arrangement.
So, the agent, fearing the WHL was going to cancel their season and the OHL might follow in lockstep, wondered if Owen Sound would put one of his clients on waivers, and if waived through the OHL, he’d be free to play in one of the American Junior Leagues.
The Attack quickly said, no dice.
First, they didn’t believe the agent’s client would manage to make it through OHL waivers without being snapped up by one of the other 19 clubs.
Plus, in the event the Attack player wanted to return to the OHL in the future, he’d have to be waived into the league, and the Attack firmly doubted they’d be able to reacquire the player who they’ve invested significant development time in.
Yes, there are vastly more drastic examples of the negative impact of COVID-19, but the proposed player shuffle in Owen Sound, and elsewhere, is a tiny example of how complex the pandemic’s reach is.
I’m Fred Wallace