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SJHL still on ice; waiting for resumption of play

There is still no new word yet on when, or whether, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will have a season. Teams around the league remain in suspension as they wait for word from the province on whether a season can go ahead.
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There is still no new word yet on when, or whether, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will have a season.

Teams around the league remain in suspension as they wait for word from the province on whether a season can go ahead. A key challenge for teams is making sure there is ice available for them to play.

The Battlefords North Stars had gone to council recently to request an extension of the ice into May at the Civic Centre. Other teams have gone to councils to make similar requests. Among them are the Melfort Mustangs who had a delegation go to council on Monday seeking to extend the ice at their arena beyond Feb. 15.

Rumours also continue about whether a “bubble” format could be done at a single location, but so far nothing has been announced.

The season has been on hiatus since late November when the province announced the health measures that put competitive sports on hold.

While play on the ice has not been happening lately, there has been plenty of action on the virtual ice.

The SJHL staged their “Virtual Showcase” on Jan. 29 and 30, with four all-star teams of players from around the league selected to perform on the EA Sports NHL 21 platform.

The showcase came to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday as the Global Ag Risk Solutions team beat the Sherwood team 8-7 in overtime. It was the North Stars’ Steven Kesslering who scored the winning goal with 2:53 left in overtime.

It was the North Stars’ Brayden Klimosko who coached the winning virtual team.