College hockey, Gophers season delayed due to COVID-19
Duluth and Cornell play in the second period during the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship held at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, MN. (Carlos Gonzalez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - The start of the 2020-21 college hockey season is being delayed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hockey Commissioners Association, which represents the 11 Division I men’s and women’s hockey conferences, announced the delay Thursday. The HCA says each conference will announce details on game schedules, including the start dates, individually.
“The 11 Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey conferences, represented by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA), are committed to providing memorable competitive experiences for our student-athletes during the upcoming season. The conferences have been working together on plans to return with a focus on the health and safety of everyone associated with our campus communities. Due to the impact COVID-19 continues to have across the country and within higher education, the start of competition for the Division I college hockey season will be delayed. Each conference will announce details on game schedules, including the start dates, individually. We look forward to our players and fans enjoying the college hockey experience this season," the HCA said Thursday in a statement.
Locally, it means 3M at Mariucci Arena and Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus will be quiet for the near future.
The Gophers men's hockey team finished 16-14-7 last season and was preparing to face Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals when the NCAA canceled all winter championships on March 12 due to COVID-19 concerns.
“Clearly everyone in college hockey wanted to be playing games next month, but we knew this delay was likely to happen and the health and safety of our student-athletes is what’s most important. We all believe there is a path forward and look for that to come soon," Gophers coach Bob Motzko said Thursday in a statement. "The good thing is that this delay will not affect our team’s preparation for when we do start the season. We’re confident that day will come, and we will be ready to compete when it does.”
The Gophers women's hockey team finished last season 27-6-3 and were preparing to face Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament when the remainder of their season was canceled. They had just lost to the Buckeyes in overtime of the WCHA Final Faceoff and were looking to win a national title after losing to Wisconsin in the 2019 title game.
For now, everything is on hold until it's safe for student-athletes.
“While we are disappointed that the start of our season is delayed, we trust in our leadership to make the best decisions for the health and safety of our student-athletes. When the time comes to drop the puck, I can promise that we will be ready," Gophers coach Brad Frost said.