The Greater Good

Each day, I hold out hope that those who have the power to make the right decisions will exercise that power and make decisions that, while difficult in the short term, make good sense when considering the long-term effects. You could be mistaken for me writing about the government here, but I am, of course, writing about those who are in charge of hockey leagues that are still under the impression that finishing the 2019-20 season in some way, shape, or form is a good thing. Thankfully, the collective group of CHL President Dan MacKenzie and Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison made the right decision today in cancelling the CHL Playoffs in all three junior leagues and the 2020 Memorial Cup tournament.

The statement's important parts today read as follows,

"We have continued to monitor the latest updates and advice from all public health agencies and medical experts, and worked tirelessly to determine a scenario by which the balance of our season could be played. Unfortunately, given the troubling state of our global climate and public welfare, there is still too much risk and uncertainty to move forward in good conscience.

"With that in mind, CHL President Dan MacKenzie and Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have made the difficult decision to cancel the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL playoffs, and along with the support of Kia Canada as the presenting sponsor, to cancel the 2020 Memorial Cup which was scheduled to be held in Kelowna, B.C., May 22-31, 2020."

With the biggest hockey minds now recognizing that hockey should be cancelled through the entire month of May - the IIHF cancelled the 2020 Men's World Championship two days ago - I have to ask why the NHL and AHL are still sticking to their guns over this season when everyone else has made the correct decision. As I stated on Saturday, the NHL and AHL are just being obstinate at this point, so I'm not sure why I'm even asking the question any longer.

For the first time in the 102-year history of the CHL, the Memorial Cup won't be awarded to a team so it's a pretty major step to take for the four leaders of Canadian junior hockey. Kelowna, who was scheduled to host the tournament this year, won't be getting a chance to host the tournament next as it moves to an OHL city nor in 2022 when it moves to a QMJHL city. There is a chance that they could be the hosts in 2023 when it returns to the WHL's realm, but that wasn't decided today by the CHL. The concert that was to be headlined by Brett Kissel during the Memorial Cup weekend was also cancelled in light of the announcement by the tournament's organizing committee.

Again, I applaud the heads of the CHL, WHL, OHL, and QMJHL for this decision. It may be unpopular now, but history will show that these four men made the right decision when it comes to the health of everyone involved, particularly the people of Kelowna, BC. Being wrong in terms of precautions with large events such as these puts no one at risk for any further spreading of the virus, so I am entirely in favour of being overcautious than not when it comes to controlling this pandemic. As much as I like hockey, hockey be damned in times such as these.

Dan MacKenzie, David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison are true leaders in hockey. They make tough decisions during adversity, and are willing to live with the consequences despite how it may look on the surface. If only we had leaders at the highest levels of professional hockey who would take the same approach and make the same decisions that will protect the very lives and well-being of the fans who keep them in business. Now that would be something.

You have my full support, Canadian Hockey League. Thank you for being great hockey leaders.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!