SMHA Return to Practice Protocols
October 2020
Please click here for a PDF version of the information below
SMHA Return to Practice Protocols
Thank you to all volunteers who have stepped up to help SMHA to get teams formed to begin practicing. We are all collectively hopeful to receive a start date for league games from Saskatchewan Hockey Association in the near future. SHA is working diligently with the government to get a format agreed to so that we will see minor hockey be able to resume game play.
The ask by SHA is to begin leagues starting November 1, 2020. This will be very close to the start for most grassroots hockey with the exception of AA and AAA hockey that typically starts in late September / early October. U7 does not begin games until December 1 and U9 and U 11 until November 15th anyway so hopefully the net effect will be minimal on our teams. SMHA is actively in touch with SHA daily and will be able to update our teams as soon as possible once a date is established. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, October will be a practice month. With tryouts over and teams formed now, there are slightly different protocols in effect than there were during tryouts.
Please respect the protocols that are included in this plan. They have been thought out thoroughly by the volunteers / staff involved at SMHA and by our arena operators. It is important that we respect the operators of the rinks that we use for minor hockey.
Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation.
If we all pull together and adhere to the protocols in place, we will collectively have a better chance of our kids getting to play hockey for the full season this year.
SUMMARY
- Any player, coach or spectator feeling ill should stay home from the rink;
- TeamLinkt COVID-19 screening is mandatory for all participants and spectators;
- Masks are mandatory for all except for on-ice for players and coaches;
- One spectator per player is permitted in the rinks to watch;
- Please adhere to specific rink protocols as they can differ between rinks;
Oversight:
- Tracey Brown from the SMHA office is the SMHA COVID-19 appointee to SHA. traceyb@sasktel.net
- All zones plus the Comets and Saskatoon AA Hockey must have a COVID-19 Point Person that will work in concert with Tracey and be the main point of contact for SMHA / SHA to be in touch with. The Zone appointee will then be the main person for ensuring that all of their own zone teams are aware and adhering.
- All SMHA teams from U7 through U18 AAA must have a team contact appointed as their Team COVID-19 Rep.
This person will be vital to the operation of minor hockey this season as they will need to ensure their parents, players and team staff are all aware of the protocols at each rink and of any general SMHA or SHA protocols.
-The Team COVID-19 Rep. is responsible for the actions of their team with respect to COVID protocols;
-The Team COVID-19 Rep. or their delegate should be in attendance at all team events to ensure the team is adhering to all protocols;
-The Team COVID-19 Rep. is responsible to make sure all on the team (players and spectators) complete the COVID-19 screening on TeamLinkt.
COVID-19 Screening & Attendance for Contact Tracing – TeamLinkt App Mandatory
- SMHA has made it mandatory for ALL teams to utilize the TeamLinkt App for COVID-19 Screening Questions and for accurate attendance records in case of the need for contact tracing.
- If your team wishes to still use another app, your team MUST use TeamLinkt for the purposes of attendance and COVID-19 Screening.
- Remember – TeamLinkt is free of charge and a locally owned company that has worked with SMHA to create Screening and attendance tracking for spectators (parents) and for players.
- Zones will be given access to view and check in on all of their applicable teams to ensure that players and parents are completing the screening for all activities – ice times and off-ice activities like dryland.
- SMHA will have the ability to check in on any team to see what % of participants and spectators are completing the screening.
- CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR INFORMATION ON THE TEAMLINKT APP THAT IS MANDATORY FOR ALL TEAMS TO USE:
http://saskatoon.goalline.ca/news.php?news_id=1897496
Questions about TeamLinkt?
Spencer Bomboir
spencer@teamlinkt.com
Office: 888-420-5635
www.teamlinkt.com
Safety Protocols:
SMHA Mask Policy:
- SMHA has a comprehensive mandatory mask policy in place that touches on all involved with minor hockey.
- Masks must be worn into the rinks by all involved – parents, players, coaches, on-ice officials and off-ice officials – no exceptions.
- The mask policy applies at all arenas that teams use – whether using SMHA-assigned ice or additional practice ice booked in Saskatoon or outside of Saskatoon.
- CLICK HERE FOR THE SMHA MASK POLICY:
Arena Protocols:
- SMHA needs our arenas and our arenas need SMHA so we must work well as partners during this pandemic.
- Each arena operator has different protocols that we must respect and follow.
Key Points that apply at all arenas:
- All arena operators have agreed to a one parent per player policy for practices. Please be sure your team adheres to this policy.
- Siblings are not permitted. Infants will be permitted if they are in a car seat and the infant must stay either in the car seat or with the parent at all times and does not require a mask.
- Players should arrive no earlier than 20-minutes prior to the ice time.
- Players should exit the arena within 15 minutes of the ice time ending. No exceptions.
- Dressing rooms will only be provided to teams that practice on full ice – U11, U13, U15 & U18. Two dressing rooms will be provided per team and teams must adhere to the dressing room maximum.
- Showers are not available.
- Dressing rooms will not be provided to U7 and U9 teams. U7 and U9 players should come to the rink with all equipment on.
Please see the information below provided by each arena operator:
As the contract holder, SMHA is responsible to ensure that all of our participants and spectators are following the rules.
Canlan Rinks – Jemini (quad) and Agri Place (twin)
- The spectator and participant will both have to fill out a separate prescreening questionnaire at www.icesports.com/questions , AS WELL AS THE SURVEY ON THEIR TEAMLINKT ACCOUNT.
- Coaches and players must wear a mask when entering and exiting the arena.
- One spectator per participant will be allowed in to watch from upstairs up to the rink maximum (below). Any additional spectators will be denied entry. The only exception to this would be a parent bringing in their child in a car seat. The child must stay either in the car seat or with the parent at all times and does not require a mask.
- Spectators will not be allowed into the dressing rooms to help players get dressed. Players should come into the rink in full gear if they require assistance in getting dressed.
- Weekday morning and daytime spectators will come in the Rink 1 players’ entrance. Evening and weekend spectators will enter in through the main doors. If the main doors are locked at Jemini 5 minutes before the start of your ice time please proceed to the player’s entrance.
- Spectators can start coming in 5 minutes before the booking start time.
- Spectators will be upstairs at both Jemini and Agri Place and must sit or stand on a physically distanced dot. Anyone not complying will be reminded once and then told to leave the building.
- Spectators must wear a mask properly at all times while in the building.
- Spectators must remain upstairs and exit immediately following the end of the ice time. At Jemini, spectators should exit out the main doors. At Agri Place, spectators should exit out the side doors.
Jemini maximum of 26 spectators per rink (Five (5) spectators on Jemini Rink 3 will have to go on the meeting room deck).
Maximum 26 spectators per rink at Agri Place (first 16 will have space upstairs and on the catwalk, the remaining 10 people will be directed to viewing at rink level by the back).
Please listen to the directions of staff when you arrive at the rink. Spectators will be allowed in on a first come first serve basis.
Rod Hamm / Harold Latrace / Schroh & City of Saskatoon Rinks (Archibald/Cosmo/Lions/ACT/Kinsmen)
Granatier Sportsplex
- PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS MUST FILL OUT THE COVID SURVEY ON THEIR TEAMLINKT ACCOUNT FOR ALL TEAM ACTIVITIES
- Coaches and players must wear a mask when entering and exiting the arena.
- Spectators must wear a mask properly at all times while in the building.
- One spectator per participant will be allowed in to watch.
- Spectators should enter Granatier at the start time of the ice time
- Any additional spectators, including siblings of players will be denied entry.
- Players should come into the rink in full gear.
- Spectators will not be allowed into the dressing rooms to help players get dressed.
- 8-PERSON Maximum per dressing room – there will be chairs outside the rooms for extra players/coaches to tie skates. Teams must adhere to this.
Recommended actions in the case of a potential Covid-19 case on your team:
Should a player or team official be asked to self-isolate due to possibly being associated with someone who is being tested for COVID-19, please take the following steps:
- Send a reminder to all involved with your team that if they are not feeling well, they should never attend practice.
- If the player / team official being asked to self isolate is showing COVID symptoms, they should be asked to have a COVID-19 test done.
- If the individual refuses to be tested, they will be required to stay away from the team for 14 days.
- If the player / team official is tested and the test comes back negative, they may return to the team after a minimum of 48 hours with no symptoms after receiving the test results.
- If the player / team official is tested and the test comes back positive, the teams will need to be shut down for 14 days.
If a sibling or family member of a player or team official is being tested for COVID-19 due to possibly being infected or being near someone who has been, that player or team official should stay away from the team until the result of the test comes back.
If the test comes back negative, the player or team official may return to the team if they have not shown any symptoms themselves.
If the test of the family member is positive, the player or team official must get tested and stay away from the team for 14 days.
This is new for all of us. Each situation will be different.
Please contact SMHA COVID-19 Liaison, Tracey Brown – traceyb@sasktel.net or at 306-244-1363 with any questions.
Affiliates:
SMHA teams are able to sign and register affiliate players to their rosters. For the month of October, affiliate players are not permitted on the ice with the teams they are affiliated to. Exceptions may be made for affiliate goalies in U13 to U18.
Goaltenders:
- U7 Beginner teams should not use goaltending equipment – just the goalie stick;
- For U7, U9 and U11 where zone-supplied goalie equipment is supplied to teams for sharing amongst the players wishing to try playing goalie, teams should undertake the following:
-be sure that the goaltending equipment is aired outside the bag for at least 48 hours before it is passed on to a different player;
-spraying the equipment with an alcohol-based disinfectant will also be helpful;
Split Families:
If there is any issue with which parent will attend the ice time as a spectator, SMHA’s policy is that the parent who has custody at the time of the player’s ice time is the parent who can attend the ice time with the player.
Practices:
Teams are permitted to have battle drills, small area game play and competitions within their practices. Body checking and contact is permitted for teams in U18 and U15 that play with body checking rules.
Teams should do their best to promote physical distancing of players and team officials while in lines for drills or during any “chalk-talk” where drills are being shown on a board or a skill being demonstrated.
Resource Information:
SHA Return to Hockey Resource Web Pages - https://www.sha.sk.ca/news/return-to-hockey
Hockey Canada Return to Hockey Safety Guidelines Document - http://saskatoon.goalline.ca/news.php?news_id=1881774
Planning a Safe Return to Hockey E-Learning Program - http://saskatoon.goalline.ca/news.php?news_id=1890778
Government of Saskatchewan Sports and Activities Guidelines – Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan –
https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/guidelines/outdoor-sports-and-activities-guidelines#competition-and-game-play
SMHA Contacts:
Tracey Brown – COVID-19 Liaison
306-244-1363
traceyb@sasktel.net
Kelly Boes – SMHA Executive Director
306-244-1363
kellyboes@sasktel.net
Email
Print
