A decision cancelling the rest of the PJHL 2020-21 season was called “unfortunate” by Aldergrove Kodiaks coach and general manager Rick Harkins.
Harkins said the team managed get in six games before the shutdown, winning four.
“We were in first place in our cohort,” Harkins told the Langley Advance Times on Tuesday, March 30.
READ ALSO: Aldergrove Kodiaks start COVID restricted season with a roar
“It’s disappointing.”
It is also a potential setback to players’ careers, he added.
“The kids basically lose a year of exposure” to major league scouts, Harkins explained.
READ ALSO: Aldergrove Kodiaks veteran players new recruits of collegiate teams
During their time on the ice, Harkins said the team followed strict Langley Township COVID protocols.
“We never had one case,” Harkins reported.
Trappers had already opted out of the season in advance of the league-wide announcement, stating back in mid-February that the team would not return for the rest of the season.
The Lower Mainland-based junior B circuit – which includes the Kodiaks and Trappers – made the announcement March 10.
A statement by the PJHL Board of Directors said teams will be able to continue to practice, skate, “or provide skills-based programming for the foreseeable future, while continuing to follow guidelines and restrictions laid out by the provincial health office.”
“Everyone took a hit this year,” Harkins commented.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
