As the WHL’s B.C. Division gets the go-ahead, the BCHL seems to be left in limbo.
The WHL was approved earlier today for a 24 game season to start on March 26.
Doctor Bonnie Henry says the BCHL has a number of issues to address before teams can drop the puck.
“There are a number of concerns identified, I’ll be blunt about that, that need to be addressed before that can happen safely,” said Henry during her briefing.
“I know timing is an issue, and whether those can be worked out or not, I am not clear.”
A league board of governors meeting is scheduled for this week, where the BCHL will decide to continue to work on their plan or cancel the season entirely.
She says safety plans the province had in place before November were ‘not adequate’ especially when it came to sports.
“We saw this virus start to transmit a lot easier during the colder winter months, and we are still in that period,” she explained.
Henry says a team of medical health officers, VIASport representatives, Worksafe BC officials, public health inspectors, and other officials has been compiled to look at different aspects of reopening.
“Right now they are continuing to work with the BCHL and with our regional teams. The plan is dispersed around the province in a way that is slightly different than the Western Hockey League, for example,” she noted.
The BCHL is currently proposing five hub cities across the province.