Hockey is back. For many kids and their parents, Ontario’s latest reopening couldn’t have come soon enough. Simon Rollason should know. For the last five weeks he’s been clearing off an outdoor rink not far from where the family lives in Cabbagetown, Toronto so his son and his teammates can get in some ice time. “It’s my secret location,” he says, half-jokingly. “The coach comes and meets us there for practice.”
His son Owen Rollason is 13, and he can’t wait to get back in the game with the Hillcrest Canadiens, a Minor Bantam AA team in the GTHL.
“I’m very excited to see everybody,” says Owen. Shinny is okay as a stop-gap measure, but he’s got goals: to hone his skills and make the playoffs. He’s been working out with weights at home to stay in shape, all the while counting the minutes before the season resumes.
He’s not the only one. “Parents have been champing at the bit,” Dad Rollason says. “We’ve got 19 kids on our team. That’s 19 sets of parents. It’s part of our social life.” Like many parents, he is wondering how the lost time will be made up. “We’ve got to wrap up by April 23rd,” he says.
But, how?
“There’s a couple of different thought processes.” Parents haven’t been given a heads-up yet, but Rollason figures the league can squeeze as many games as possible into an already packed schedule. “We’re on the ice five times per week,” he says. “When you’re committed to playing at an elite level, you kind of expect that.”
The stakes are considerably higher when elite players with aspirations to play pro-hockey hit their late teens. The pandemic has been tough on them. “They’ve got a 2-3 year window,” says Kyle Rankin, a former pro-hockey player with the Orlando Solar Bears, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the ECHL. Rankin is currently the assistant coach of the Smiths Falls Bears, a Junior A ice hockey team in the CCHL. “They have to play to get noticed.” (Full disclosure: Kyle Rankin is writer, Deborah Rankin’s nephew.)
“One season was cut short, another was cancelled entirely, one was cut short for a month,” he says. The result: the up-and-comers start looking around for other leagues to play in. The American leagues continued to play despite COVID. Ditto, for some leagues in B.C. and down east. By comparison, Ontario and Quebec, with higher rates of infection and hospitalizations, have had more restrictions than the rest of the country. This is an added stress for players looking to take the next step.
What happens to the players who stay if things shut down? “They have to work extra hard,” Rankin says.
Rankin’s own hockey career followed a predictable course: captain of the Princeton Tigers at Princeton University, training camp with the Toronto Marlies before playing with the Solar Bears. But, when the Oilers acquired Rankin from the Solar Bears he decided to hang it up and pursue a different career path.
“I had four great years with Princeton and a couple of seasons with professional hockey,” he says. These days he juggles a full-time day job with Kinaxis a supply-chain software company, with coaching on nights and weekends. “Everyone’s playing career comes to an end,” he says. “I’m happy to be coaching now.”
It’s one thing to make a choice to do something different, another when larger forces limit opportunities. Even so, Rankin’s glad the team has an excellent support system. “The Smiths Falls ownership group provides state-of-the-art facilities with a fantastic rink,” he says. The team plays at the Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre, about a 45-minute drive from Ottawa. “It’s a great place to play,” he says. “It is arguably the best place to play in Ontario with the best amenities.”
Like everybody else during the pandemic, the team has had to find creative ways to stay safe and move forward. “Our team has Zoom sessions,” Rankin says. “We show clips from our games and NHL games.” A sports psychologist communicates with them via Zoom calls. “Our league, and hockey in general, has done a pretty good job of limiting the spread (of coronavirus). There have been no major outbreaks.” Players wear masks in the changing rooms and the same goes for coaches behind the bench. Everyone in the league has to be vaccinated.
“We’re following the guidelines,” he says.
With businesses reopening and kids back in class, it’s time for the return of hockey. “It’s back to business, as usual,” Rankin says.
No one knows this better than Tom Fatsis, who is director of the Port Credit Hockey Association Paperweight Divison (the 4-6 year old “learn to play” co-ed program). He’s an off-ice official for both the Toronto Marlies and the Mississauga Steelheads. In fact, he billets two of the Steelheads’ players, Joe Ranger and James Hardie. He’s got 30 years of experience in all things minor hockey. Every year he assesses the skill levels of the pre-tykes and fits them with a team in the Paperweight League. He also did a stint as an OHA scout for the Streetsville Derbys.
“I’m excited we’re back on the ice,” he says. The pre-tykes are probably more excited than he is. It’s all about the joy of the game even if some of them can barely skate.”It’s awesome,” he says. Fatsis would love to give the kids a “Welcome back to hockey” gift, so to speak. What better gift idea than #GameOn? “Parents keep asking him, “When will hockey return?” They say, “My kid’s going crazy.”
“They’re going to be ecstatic,” Fatsis says. He’s got a few other surprises in store for the tiny tots. He usually dresses up as Santa and hands out gifts at Christmas. Last year the gift-giving was cancelled because of COVID restrictions. He may dress up as an elf when they get back, but either way their gifts will be waiting for them.
Keeping children safe during the pandemic will continue to be a top priority, regardless of lost ice time. A “safety ambassador” will greet children and parents when they come in the door of the Port Credit Memorial Arena in Mississauga where Fatsis lives. Every single child and parent must be double-vaxxed. No QR Code, you won’t get in. There are provisions in place for contact tracing.
You can’t be too careful, or can you? “Being sidelined for five weeks – no hockey at all – that hurts kids who are learning to play,” Fatsis says. Some have lost a year of development. “At the grassroots level, that’s noticeable,” he says.
Like everyone else, Fatsis can only guess at what the new hockey schedule will look like. “The season may be extended for a couple of weeks,” he says. On the other hand, “They may be playing games way more frequently.”
Hockey is back. Ontario is back. Time to get our #GameOn.
lead photo The Faceoff, Port Credit Hockey Association Pre-tykes, photo by Tom Fatsis
by Deborah Rankin
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