Season Alternative

[Guest]

With the uncertainty of a Tier 2 season even happening at all or at least delayed, is there an interest of teams scheduling exhibition games with teams in PA NJ DE and MD?  Some sort of unofficial exhibition league?  It seems if games will be played, this might be the only way.

[Guest]

Delaware teams/players/coaches/officials can not play in PA or NJ, at least not for time being.

4 more states added to Pennsylvania’s quarantine list over coronavirus surges

[Guest]

The last direction from the league that I'm aware of is that if even one team can't play, no one plays.  That's crap imo.  There's no reason to penalize the other 20+ clubs.  At the same time, I don't think the league's intent in this process is to force some of these clubs/rinks into bankruptcy.  They would have to allow clubs to play a non league schedule to just play...whether it's an informal league or just to get on the ice and play.

Also, the self quarantine is a guideline at this point, not a requirement.  That doesn't mean the DVHL has to follow it.

[Guest]

You can be absolutely certain that USA Hockey will not support it being up to DVHL to follow state guidelines. They say specifically

Local rinks and programs need to follow the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well state and local government officials in determining when, and how, it is appropriate to return to the rinks, including requirements or guidelines for physical distancing, size of gatherings or number of people permitted in a facility, or wearing of masks, etc.

If you have players coming in from Delaware to practices and games and someone gets sick, guaranteed all the rink and club waivers protecting coaches and officials and the rink from from negligent behavior claims can be thrown in the trash.

USA Hockey and professional insurance will most likely not protect players or coaches who defy the state guidelines.

Also, any travel to impacted states means a quarantine when you come home.

It would absolutely be a Safe Sport reportable offense if any coach, parent or official did not quarantine after visiting Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah (Philly's travel advisory) and USA Hockey should pursue offenders with vigilance.

This isn't difficult: one death, one ventilator will mean rinks shutting down, some for good. Can you imagine being found out as the kid or parent or coach who didn't follow the rules and killed some official or rink staff or worse of all a child?

[Guest]

USA Hockey and professional insurance will most likely not protect players or coaches who defy the state guidelines.

You mean personal insurance because the pyramid insurance scheme known as USA hockey doesnt cover jack shit. Personal insurance doesn't ask where you got sick or injured. USA hockey underwriters make absolutely certain they know where and how you got whatever because they will do whatever they can possible to avoid paying out claims. The coverage sucks, the people running it are worse and its a total scam. Minnesota hockey has it right.

[Guest]

Nonetheless, USA Hockey will be even less likely to go to bat for coaches, players, parents, officials who get some other player sick due to them not following state or CDC guidelines.

A person would be opening themselves up to a world of attorneys and probably national "fame" as cases are tried to see just how much weight the guidelines hold (this is a big "let's see what will happen" in the world of "how will all those waivers stand up in court in COVID-19 times") re: something like a coach being sued because he went to a family gathering in a quarantine-list, came home, didn't quarantine, and got some kid sick. Who wants to be that guy?

[Guest]

How does one prove johnny got sick by going to delaware from pa and not one person on the team or parents are sick? Do we then assume everybody in the building is asymptomatic so by default johnny got sick and the state of delaware is what got him sick because thats wher the rink is? Its already been proven covid was in the US as early as November 2019 and very likely earlier since China has covered up so much. Either way, kids, coaches, parents definitely had it and no kids died.

[Guest]

There's no way to prove where a kid got Covid from.  None.  Anyone trying to sue will need to A. Successfully prove it happened at XYZ rink and that B. the club or operator was negligent in some fashion that allowed the exposure to occur.

Just like the DVHL, I don't think it's USA Hockey's intent to use their policies to force rinks and clubs to choose bankruptcy because if there is no season, I can think of a few clubs who are going under and likely not coming back.

[Guest]

The last direction from the league that I'm aware of is that if even one team can't play, no one plays.  That's crap imo.  There's no reason to penalize the other 20+ clubs.  At the same time, I don't think the league's intent in this process is to force some of these clubs/rinks into bankruptcy.  They would have to allow clubs to play a non league schedule to just play...whether it's an informal league or just to get on the ice and play.

Also, the self quarantine is a guideline at this point, not a requirement.  That doesn't mean the DVHL has to follow it.

Can't believe this is right so youre saying if squirt b team 2 of team xyz is unable to play this season the entire league shuts down because of one single team? I think theres misunderstanding somewhere in there statement.

[Guest]

Sorry should’ve been clearer I guess...if one Club can’t go...for example the Jr Pens can’t get their rink open, the whole league waits for them.