November 30. Some look at this date and see the end — the end of November.
Others see the last day of the month as a beginning. In Rhode Island, that’s exactly what it’s seen as — the beginning of the high school hockey season.
Nov. 30 is normally one of the biggest days of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League winter. While Rhode Island itself is small, there’s nothing small about the Ocean State’s love for hockey. This year, however, Nov. 30, is a date that signifies uncertainty rather than its normal excitement.
What we do know
As of now, the Rhode Island High School hockey season is still slated to begin on Nov. 30, as scheduled and like normal.
But what will it take for the season to actually get under way?
“I think there’s a number of different things,” said Mount Saint Charles athletic director Ray Leveille. “Obviously, seeing the (COVID-19) cases head in a downward trend would help. Make sure that coaches and players and spectators that everyone is following the protocols, not only the state guidelines but also what schools are stipulating for people to do.”
As for those state guidelines, new ones were just put in place by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo Friday afternoon.
Raimondo stated in her press conference that spectators would not be allowed at sporting events for two weeks, but did not mandate games stopping during this time.
While that is good news for fall sports, the outcome of Friday’s press conference did not look very positive for hockey in the short-term. The governor announced that indoor sporting facilities and ice rinks will be closed for at least one week starting on Monday.
Raimondo went on to add that one-third of sports-related COVID cases are related to hockey. Rhode Island's health director, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, followed up by stating there have been 96 sports-related cases over the past three months and 70 percent of those cases were associated with baseball, football, hockey and soccer.
Additionally, Raimondo emphasized the ice rink and indoor facilities closure is for at least one week and there is no guarantee they will be open by next Monday.
“(We are) going to have to have a really serious discussion around what they have to comply with in order to reopen,” said Raimondo. “This could very well last more than a week.”
What we think we know
Despite the negatives in the short term, Raimondo noted she is hopeful that winter sports can occur in the upcoming months.
“I don’t exactly know what the rules will be for winter sports,” she said. “We are starting to work on that, but I'm hopeful there will be some winter sports.”
If hockey is allowed, make no mistake about it: Players and coaches are ready to go and willing to do whatever it takes to get back on the ice.
“These kids are really ready to play. They're looking for some kind of normalcy. I think the school and the athletic directors understand that,” said Mount St. Charles coach Matt Merten. “Playing a sport is such a big part of their high school experience.”
“As long as we can get a season, my kids are ready to adapt anything that gets brought. We don't want to lose another season,” added Bishop Hendricken coach Mike Soscia. “These kids have lost enough. They just want to play regardless of the rules or restrictions.”
By the looks of it now, there could be two potentially big differences in Rhode Island high school hockey this winter.
“The inevitability is if we’re going to be able to play, they’re going to have to wear those masks,” said Moses Brown coach Dave Antonelli.
Antonelli said some of his players, whether it’s through workouts or playing on other teams, are already starting to get adjusted to life with two masks on (their normal hockey cage and one for COVID protection).
“Masks, I think are the least of the worries. I think we can adapt to that,” Merten said. “The kids are that anxious to play. They're willing to do whatever to get out there.”
What we don’t know
While masks are a relatively superficial change, the other change could come to the style of play.
According to Soscia, the Rhode Island hockey COVID rules have eliminated checking and intentional contact. Players who have been playing throughout the pandemic have not been able to hit another player unless the contact is incidental. However, Soscia did note that the RIIL hopes to make the game “as normal as possible” for the high school season.
“I guess the trends are going that way,” Antonelli said, about the potential of no checking this winter. “Until we actually hear, we are still preparing the way that we do things as is.”
“The rules changes are where it gets a little bit dicey. Hitting is a big part of hockey, but we would inevitably adapt to that,” Merten added.
Another major unknown right now for teams across the state is their schedules.
“We’re five weeks out from playing games and normally we've had our schedule for over a month now and right now we don't have anything. The league is trying to play it by ear,” Leveille said.
With so much uncertainty, everyone involved in making high school hockey is taking things day by day and just trying to do their part.
“This season is more about participation than it is about competition. It's about giving kids the opportunity to play for their schools, have some school spirit and pride. It’s really just about going out there and getting the opportunity to play,” Leveille said.
@Ian_Vescera
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