What was inevitable became official Thursday, when the Hockey Commissioners Association announced that the 2020-21 Division I college hockey season will be delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, wiping out the Oct. 3 starting date for men’s games and the Sept. 19 start for women’s games.
When the seasons actually will start remains to be determined. Each conference, according to the HCA, will decide on its own season start. The Big Ten and WCHA didn’t list a target date to start play, while the NCHA in a statement said it “anticipates that competition for NCHC programs will commence on or after November 20.”
“I am convinced we will have a college hockey season in 2020-21,” WCHA men’s Commissioner Bill Robertson said. “The determination of our start date is part of our larger return-to-play discussion. We want to give our student-athletes the opportunity to safely play as many games as possible this season.”
Gophers men’s coach Bob Motzko and other coaches have been pushing for a start in November. Motzko pointed to a season start near Thanksgiving, when the University of Minnesota could take advantage of a bubble of sorts because all in-person instruction will conclude by Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving.
“November might be a very positive time for everybody to start looking at, because you keep hearing the virus is coming back, and that’s going to bring some unknowns,” Motzko said in August. “Well, in November [the students] are all going home. All over the country they’re going home, and they’re going to be home for a couple of months.”
A late-November start might allow for some nonconference play, which would benefit the Gophers, who have strong rivalries with regional foes such as North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State and Minnesota State Mankato. If COVID-19 protocols can match up between conferences, the chances of regional nonconference play would increase.
In addition, there has been talk of teams playing additional games against intraconference foes but designated as nonconference games.
Starting the season in December and on Jan. 1 are other options conferences might explore. The ECAC, for example, has six programs from Ivy League schools, and the Ivy League shut down all athletic competition until Jan. 1.
How long the season might last depends on when it starts and if the NCAA would be willing to move the Frozen Four to later in the spring. The men’s Frozen Four is scheduled for April 8 and 10 in Pittsburgh, the women’s March 19 and 21 in Erie, Pa.
For women’s college hockey, a Jan. 1 start would be problematic if the NCAA tournament keeps its current schedule.
“If they don’t push that championship back and it’s a Jan. 1 start date, then there’s a lot more questions because that would be a significantly shortened season,” Gophers women’s coach Brad Frost said in August.
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College hockey commissioners announce delayed start to season - Minneapolis Star Tribune
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