When the Saskatchewan Hockey Association's (SHA) Return to Play Proposal was approved by the provincial government on October 8th, many speculated what the guidelines had in store for local youth hockey. While the 63-page report sent out by SHA certainly has its hurdles, there no doubting the anticipation that's brimming in arenas in Saskatchewan to see the kids return to the ice.

"I think there's a lot of excitement around the rink. It's good to see a plan that's going to get all of our kids playing hockey again. I've heard from a number of people that the practices were more up-tempo, there was a lot of smiles around the rink, and people were happy that they're allowed to be back in there," said Vice President of Humboldt Minor Hockey, Jason Holtvogt.

Everyone under the minor hockey banner, including coaches, staff, players, and parents, will be required to wear masks when around the arena, something Holtvogt said is a small task to ensure that everyone remains safe and the puck continues to drop throughout the winter.

"We're sorting through the guideline that was sent out. The biggest thing for us is wearing the masks around the rink and that you're wearing them at all times. SHA made it quite clear to us that not following these rules could lead to us not being able to continue on. Ultimately, we want to follow the guidelines, keep the masks on when we're around the rink, and keep the kids on the ice."

Although some uncertainly clearly remains and a learning curve should be expected, continuity and communication are key for the success of all minor league hockey associations across the province.

"We want to be able to continue on and have playoffs. Playoffs aren't for sure right now. Provincials are not for sure yet. Once we know that everything is moving along nicely, we're hoping to get those restrictions lifted. Us following the guidelines and really working to be diligent regarding keeping ourselves healthy will be the biggest thing to keep everything rolling forward."

The Return to Hockey proposal set an approved start date for exhibition play to resume Oct. 17, with league games allowed to commence in a 'mini-league' on November 1st.

"We're in contact with the leagues for when the kids are going to be playing their games. We also have questions for the SHA as far as clarification guidelines. So as we all have day jobs, there is a little bit of a lag, but we are working as hard as we can to get everything clarified to send out to our organizations. Overall we are just super excited that the kids are going to be back in the rink playing the game that they love."

In the end, the SHA's guidelines consist of solid groundwork to allow hockey to resume which must be looked at as a positive. Athletics continue to be the foundation that many youth and parents use to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.

"These activities help us out with so much as individuals including our mental health. It's such a positive experience for us to get back out there and back around our friends. Not only for the kids but for the parents too. A lot of our social life revolves around this stuff and it's important for everyone that we get back out on the ice."