The below was emailed earlier this week to 2019/20 NLHA participants.
Please find below a thorough update on the hopeful return of hockey and pertinent registration information for the 2020/21 season.
Obviously we are in the midst of a time of most uncertainty and this is true of nearly all facets of everyday life. While we realize there are more important things then hockey we also acknowledge that for many families hockey and other minor sports are a symbol of normalcy. With that I can assure you that the North London Hockey Board has continued to plan the upcoming season with great enthusiasm in hopes that we both return to the ice on time and as close to normal as allowed.
Both Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey Federation have released their "Return to Hockey" processes earlier this summer. All information can be found at the below links.
Hockey Canada's Return to Hockey Safety Guidelines can be found here:
https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Exclusive/return-to-hockey/downloads/HC_RTH_Safety-GUIDELINES_EN.pdf
Hockey Canada's Safety Protocol FAQ's can be found here:
https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/return-to-hockey/plans/safety
All current OHF information can be found here:
https://www.ohf.on.ca/media/pebbpcix/ohf-return-to-hockey_0703.pdf
What this means:
- It will be up to each individual province and municipality to determine the timing of their return to play which will be based on the directive of local health authorities
- When hockey does return, there will be numerous changes to what we are used to seeing
- It will be staged approach in that traditional 5 on 5 hockey, etc will not be experienced in stage 1 of return to play
- Authority lies with our Health authorities and we take our guidance from them
The health and safety of our participants is a priority and as such we will be diligently following all health regulations in place to deal with COVID-19 while providing our players with a great experience. The recent news of Ontario moving into 'Phase 3' of the province's reopening plan is encouraging and will allow the OHF/Alliance/GLHA and the City of London to prepare protocols on the next steps for our sport.
Registration Update
To aid us in the planning process, and to judge the interest in participating this coming season, we encourage our families to register. Due to the uncertainty and many unknowns at the moment surrounding what our upcoming season may look like, North London Hockey created a flexible payment plan for those who register by August 31 so that 3 payments for registration will be deducted on September 1st, October 1st and November 1st with no funds due up front. If you qualify for the Early Bird Rate, you will have the option of 4 equal payments (August 1. September 1, October 1 and November 1).
In response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our hockey families, NLHA has frozen our registration fees at our 2019-20 rates, despite an increase of ice time costs. Should the structure of the 2020-21 season differ from past seasons fees will be adjusted accordingly.
Registration Information
https://northlondonhockey.ca/Pages/1386/General_Information/
North London/Hockey Canada Registration Portal
https://registration.hockeycanada.ca/Registration/AccountLogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fregistration%2f%3fID%3d1476&ID=1476
Early Bird Deadline
The Early Bird deadline is JULY 31st. You must register by this date to receive the $75.00 discount (for qualified programs).
Financial Assistance
We recognize that everyone is experiencing different things during this crisis. We are hopeful that we do not lose participants due to financial reasons. We have programs / subsidies in place for qualifying individuals.
Some community based programs can be found here.
https://northlondonhockey.ca/Pages/8093/Financial_Assistance/
Alternatively. if you require financial assistance outside of these programs or wish to discuss options please reach out to [email protected] and we will work with you to find a program or way to ensure your player can participate this coming season.
Safety First
We recognize what a stressful time this is for everyone with every day bringing new information to each of us. We are committed to doing whatever we can to provide a safe environment in our Return to Play format. We have recently created a new Board position to ensure that we have the needed expertise to help coordinate Return to Play Policies and Procedures. The "Director of Return to Play" will coordinate efforts to ensue that we are aligned to OHF and City of London polices. We really are doing all we can to ensure Safety First!
While the upcoming season is definitely going to be unique and require collaboration from all participants, we are still excited for a return to some normalcy and we believe that hockey proves a great distraction from the crazy experience we have been living through in 2020.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
NLHA Board