Minister of Sport says OHL will have no body-checking
Posted October 30, 2020 3:57 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2020 4:49 pm.
The Ontario Hockey League will not have body-checking this coming season, according to the provincial government.
Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s minister of sport, confirmed the decision on Friday afternoon.
She said that removing purposeful physical contact from the game was a necessary step to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
MacLeod said the decision was influenced by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, which has had several COVID-19 outbreaks on its teams this fall.
But speaking shortly after MacLeod made the statement on Sportsnet 590 the FAN, OHL Commissioner David Branch denied the decision has been finalized.
OHL Commissioner David Branch on Writers Bloc: The playing rules obviously are a factor of return to play but we haven't even broached that. At the right time, there will be good discussion. But we have nowhere even scratched the surface with it. #Bodychecking
— Alex Seixeiro (@AlexSeixeiro) October 30, 2020
The OHL announced on Thursday that it plans to start a shortened 40-game season on Feb. 4, but did not say in the initial release whether there would be body-checking.
Ontario Place re-development a key part of future of sport in Ontario
Re-developing Ontario Place and supporting bids for major sporting events are among the province’s plans to boost the economy when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Lisa MacLeod laid out 15 initiatives in a speech to the Empire Club of Canada today, including plans to support bids for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 Commonwealth Games.
Canada is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup along with Mexico and the United States, but the venues for the men’s soccer tournament have yet to be named.
A committee has also been formed to put together a bid for Hamilton to host the Commonwealth Games in 2027. The quadrennial event features 6,500 elite athletes and coaches from 71 countries competing in summer sport.
MacLeod also says she will work on having a stronger relationship with Ontario’s athletic organizations and its professional sports teams.
