Hockey Canada and BC Hockey have announced that all Hockey Canada sanctioned events have either been cancelled or postponed in light of the global spread of Coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
Golden was set to host the PeeWee provincial tournament next week, with teams coming from across the province to compete for gold. The Golden Star has confirmed that the championship has been conditionally suspended.
According to Stephanie Foort, whose husband is the head coach of the Rockets PeeWee team, the Rockets are waiting on an update from BC Hockey to find out if the tournament is cancelled outright, or if the tournament will be postponed and played at a later date.
The move comes after several major and minor sporting leagues across the globe announced they would be suspending operations until further notice as well.
READ MORE: Golden to play host to PeeWee provincial championship tournament
In a statement from Tom Renney, the CEO of Hockey Canada and Scott Smith, the president and COO, Hockey Canada stated that Hockey Canada is prioritizing the health and safety of all its participants, from athletes to volunteers to fans.
“After much consultation with the Hockey Canada membership, our chief nedical officer and public health officials, the Hockey Canada board of directors has made the decision to cancel all Hockey Canada sanctioned activities, including our national championships, until further notice, effective immediately.”
It was a sentiment echoed by BC Hockey, who said in its own statement that it will be suspending all hockey operations in an attempt to curb the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 virus pandemic.
“This is a developing situation that we will continue to monitor closely along with Hockey Canada and the appropriate public health authorities. We will provide further information as soon as it is made available.
We recognize the impact this situation has on our families and participants and we thank the entire BC Hockey community for their patience and understanding through this difficult time.”
This is a developing situation and updates will be made available as more details become known.
