Brian Lockhart/Local Journalism Initiative

The Ontario Junior Hockey League announced on January 23 that the regular season will continue on February 1, 2022.

The OJHL season has been on pause since January 5, when Provincial restrictions included closing arenas.

Following the original regular schedule, the season would have been over on March 5. League executive approved extending the end of the regular season to April 7, to make up the games that were postponed during the arena closures.

“The OJHL Board of Governors were unanimously in favour of extending the OJHL regular season to allow for our players to play the full 54-game season,” said OJHL Commissioner Marty Savoy. “When the provincial government announced the shutdown, our teams immediately started the process with the league of rescheduling games in an effort to have as many scheduled once the league resumed play.”

A total of 125 OJHL regular season games were postponed due to the Ontario government’s recent shutdown.

Approximately 50 per cent of those games have already been rescheduled with the remaining games to be rescheduled within the next few weeks.

The leagues website will be continually updated and the reschedule completed as rescheduled games are confirmed.

Ontario will begin easing COVID-19 public health restrictions on January 31. That includes the return of youth sports.

Hockey arenas will be open at 50 per cent capacity or up to 500 people – whichever is less.

Proof of vaccination and masking requirements will continue to remain in place where they already exist.

All capacity limits on indoor spaces are scheduled to be lifted on March 14.

New Tecumseth Times