Belleville Senators still facing uncertainty on home games as season approaches

By James Tubb

BELLEVILLE – The Belleville Senators will kick off the 2020-21 AHL season Friday night taking on the Laval Rocket with a lot of unanswered questions about the season ahead.

The B-Sens will face Laval in Montreal for four games on Feb. 12, 13, 16 and 19 as they await the nod of approval from the Ontario government to host home games at the CAA arena.

Other than the National Hockey League, the Ontario government has stalled on allowing hockey leagues from returning to ice amidst the province’s lockdown instituted in December.

Now with the Hastings Prince Edward health region released from the stay-at-home order Wednesday and as other health regions follow suit in the next two weeks, the hope is that the Senators can return to CAA arena and play games here in Belleville.

Lisa MacLeod, the minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries for Ontario was asked Wednesday in a press conference about the progress of the Belleville Senators and Toronto Marlies being able to play at home this season.

“We have been working very closely with the Senators and MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) to try and get our AHL teams up and running. I am feeling very confident,” she said.

MacLeod cited the NHL’s 600 page proposal for returning to play in Ontario as a basis for working towards an agreement with the two Ontario teams as she says, they are very much in line with the NHL.

“I’m very confident we should have an answer soon through my colleagues at the Ministry of Health,” MacLeod said.

Ontario’s other AHL team, the Toronto Marlies , will play four games with the Manitoba Moose and then four games in Calgary against the Stockton Heat (Calgary’s farm team) with the Moose finishing February in Montreal, after their visit from the Marlies.

No other games have been announced for Belleville or Stockton.

The February 2021 schedule for the five teams in the American Hockey League’s Canadian Division. Photo provided by: @AHLPR on Twitter

The Ontario Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League‘s seasons both hang in the balance as they also await approval from the provincial government to start hockey operations back up again.

The Trenton Golden Hawks and Wellington Dukes of the OJHL were able to participate in the eight game series labelled the, Hasty P’s Cup that took place in November. Both clubs have been off of the ice since the start of 2021.