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Minnesota Hockey COVID-19 Update – November 12

By Minnesota Hockey, 11/12/20, 1:15PM CST

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On Tuesday, Governor Walz announced “dial back” measures for some businesses and social gatherings. The announcement came as COVID-19 cases continue to spike in all areas of Minnesota.

Fortunately, youth sports in Minnesota are unaffected by this latest order, and we want to make sure we keep it that way. Our priority at Minnesota Hockey is to keep our players on the ice this winter, in a time when they need the social interaction, exercise and most importantly, some fun in their lives.

With that in mind, we stress that it is imperative that our associations, teams and members are following the recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health, as well as the Minnesota Hockey Return to Play Guidelines and Guidelines for Managing Positive Cases.

We also want to call particular attention to the demand for increased diligence on social gatherings. It is very clear that social gatherings are one of the highest risk settings for transmission as people often let their guard down in regard to distancing and mask wearing.

Tournaments and team gatherings are among the most special events that happen during a hockey season, in large part because of the memories made off the ice. However, for this season, many of these activities we value so much off the ice should not be taking place as they are likely to cause outbreaks that negatively impact teams, schools and further the spread in our communities. In order to keep our players and families safe, this season will require some inconvenience and sacrifice in order to keep the game going.

Minnesota Hockey recommends the following:

  • Do not travel to any game or tournament if your team has been told to quarantine by the Department of Health or local county health officials
  • Do not take a team bus to out of town games or tournaments.
  • Do not hold team dinners or parent gatherings at local restaurants, bars, hotels or homes.
  • Do not go inside the arenas for any reason other than to play or watch your son or daughter’s game. Leave the arena immediately once the games end, and do not watch other games.
  • Do not gather in arena lobbies after games.
  • If you must conduct ride sharing for practices or games, masks should be worn while inside the vehicle.
  • When possible, arenas should not resurface except in between games.

Minnesota Hockey thanks all of our participants for continuing to stay vigilant and doing the right things, especially around wearing masks, arriving and leaving the arena while fully dressed, following arena protocols, avoiding locker rooms whenever possible and staying home when sick, or when a quarantine is recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health or county health officials. 

We will continue to strive to keep our players on the ice for a great 2020-2021 season.

Thank you!

Steve Oleheiser
President

Glen Andresen
Executive Director

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