The COVID-19 pandemic has affected daily life, and hockey is impacted as well. As we return-to-hockey, we all need to adapt to ensure the health and safety of our community. The VMHA board and employees are working hard to provide safe and effective hockey programming. Our governing bodies have been instrumental in developing a framework to bring hockey back to our communities, and our Board has been actively involved in these discussions. In the past few months, we have stayed up-to-date with the most current information so we can move forward with programs. We are thrilled to share that we are now able to offer training sessions to players, and we are actively exploring what our upcoming season can look like.

VMHA will be offering development programs in August. These will be run out of our newly developed training facility on Mitchell Island and at the Scotia Barn (formerly 8 Rinks). While our programs will be different from previous years, we are confident we can provide a safe environment for players to work on their hockey skills with their friends. The format will be smaller group training, which will be focused on individual techniques and not include game play or checking. Sessions will be highly controlled to maintain physical distancing and safety protocols. We must all follow the guidelines for the health and safety of each other, and our communities at large. There will be programs for all age groups (U7 to U18) throughout the month of August. Registration information on these programs will be available through www.vmha.com soon.

It is important to note that our programs and upcoming season are dependent on how society-at-large progresses with COVID-19 in British Columbia and within Vancouver. We rely heavily on the availability of facilities in Metro Vancouver, and this is something that we hope continues. While we are trying to provide a framework for our programs and season, we all need to remain nimble, and be able to adapt to current conditions to ensure safety for all.

Jay Douglas Aikenhead, BKin

VMHA Director of Hockey Operations