Statement from OHL Commissioner David Branch
Toronto, Ont. – After meeting with our Board of Governors and General Managers, the OHL has made the decision to delay the start of the 2020-21 season. Training camps had been scheduled to begin in mid-January, many players were set to report to their teams in early January, and games were scheduled to commence on February 4, 2021.
This decision follows Premier Ford’s announcement of a province-wide shutdown in Ontario commencing on December 26, 2020. The League will continue to consult and work closely with Governments and health authorities to determine potential start dates in the new year.
The safety of all of our stakeholders and communities is our priority and we are committed to starting the 2020-21 season when it is safe to do so. We know that this is difficult news for many of our players, fans, billets, parents, staff and teams. However, the restrictions both provincially in Ontario as well as nationally with regards to cross-border travel have informed our decision.
On behalf of the OHL, we wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season and we look forward to dropping the puck when we safely start the 2020-21 season.
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
