QMJHL Starting Season October 1

Photo - Herd website

There will be a 2020-21 QMJHL season. Uncertainty across all sports leagues have been prevalent the last 5 months since they all shut down mid-March because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. For one junior hockey league, that uncertainty has become a bit clearer. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced that it will begin the new season on October 1st. It will look a lot different than previous years and there are still multiple questions to be answered over the coming weeks but at least we have a concrete date now to get excited for.

The main points of the press release below are; there will be 3 divisions this year and teams will play their divisions only, a 60-game regular season schedule, Quebec teams will for sure play with no fans while it is to be determined for the Maritimes clubs and finally, 34 players will be invited to training camp instead of the normal 50ish.

Press release from August 14

"The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced that it is planning to return to play on October 1, 2020 following positive dialogue with Provincial Governments and Public Health Agencies.

Since the 2019-2020 season and the President Cup playoffs were cancelled last March, the Commissioner’s office has been preparing a sustainable return to play protocol to ensure a safe environment for players, team staffs, fans and its communities. Over the past several weeks, the league has had continued dialogue with government officials and Public Health Agencies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec to propose a plan in line with Public Health directives and guidelines.

In order to begin the season on October 1^st, with training camps and return to school deadlines coming up at end of August, the league had to decide on whether or not to start the 2020-2021 season. The League’s mission is to develop players both academically and athletically while providing the safest possible environment. In view of the urgency of the situation and in line with our mission, the members voted in favour of returning to play on October 1st.

Following our conversations with both the Provincial Governments and Public Health Agencies, it has been determined that the 2020-2021 season will be played behind closed doors in Quebec, while details are currently still being discussed for the Maritimes.

Training camps will open on August 30th and teams will be limited to 34 invitees. The regular season will include a 60-game schedule and the League will be divided into three divisions. All regular season games will be played within six-team divisions while the playoff format will be announced later in December. The 102nd Memorial Cup presented by Kia is scheduled to be played from June 17-27, 2021, in Oshawa or Sault St. Marie."