The COVID-19 pandemic has been an eye-opening experience for everyone and in many ways, the most important thing we can learn from this ordeal is perspective. We cannot take for granted the things we love and hold dear to us, of course that is family, but it can also be things in life that we love like sports or hobbies. In the blink of an eye, everything can change, and in Canada, when we are missing hockey we are missing a part of our cultural identity.
Moving into the future, the reality is that COVID-19 has probably changed the way we live our lives, and elements of this new normal we are still experiencing will stick around for good. Much of this will revolve around sanitation and hygiene, as we attempt to control the spread of viruses and bacteria through personal contact. As many of you know firsthand, this has dramatically changed the game of hockey as we know it, especially at the recreational level. But let’s not dwell on these as negative impacts, and perhaps focus on the fact that we can still play hockey at all. Like I said, perspective. Let’s take a look at a few more positive spins that we can put on the aftermath of COVID-19 and how hockey fits into our new normal.
For the Love of the Game
I think the whole COVID-19 scare will really put things into perspective for us, especially since it is so fresh in our minds how quickly something can disappear. For many of us, hockey is a ritual and a way of life, so when suddenly the game we love so much was taken away, we truly learned how to appreciate a thing as simple as lacing up our skates and hitting the ice with our friends.
Whenever we may be free of this pandemic, and we return to our lives, hockey will be there for us just as it always was before. The hope is that this experience can provide us all with a renewed respect for each other, whether your teammates or the opposition. When we battle for loose pucks along the boards, we can remember that not too long ago we were all fighting together in a unified battle against this terrible virus. A mutual respect and love for your fellow player can go a long way in providing a fun hockey environment with high levels of sportsmanship and competition.
Have Patience!
Far too often we as players, spectators, or parents, get far too caught up in the competitiveness of the game and let our emotions get the better of us. Will this happen after COVID-19 is over? Probably. But hopefully we can look back and remember a time where we didn’t even have hockey, and just enjoy playing or watching the game while we have it. Besides, as parents all we have to do is remember our kids bouncing off of the walls during quarantine when hockey was not available.
Coaches and referees are in the same boat here and next time, before you decide to yell at a ref based on a call they made against your team, remember that they don’t have to be there on the ice, they choose to. And in the new normal we should all be mindful of putting ourselves in places and situations that could potentially impact our health.
Keeping Things Clean
Sanitation is going to be one of the biggest issues that we tackle moving forward and we all know how difficult this can be in the game of hockey. Keeping your gear clean, sharing water bottles, showering, changing next to each other, and even spitting may all be things of the past even if COVID-19 is not around. The fact of the matter is, because of the contact and proximity of players, hockey rinks are always going to be difficult to keep clean and sanitized.
With an increased focus on hygiene cleanliness, the way we play the game may be changed forever. Already in certain Provinces we have seen a shift to 4 on 4, rather than 5 on 5 gameplay to lessen the amount of players on the ice. To eliminate proximity, we have seen faceoffs eliminated and of course, have seen the game moved to a near zero-contact sport. Is there anything else we can do to improve this? If there is, it should be enforced, period. The health and safety of our players, especially our children should be enforced and truly be the number one focus of any hockey organization.
Conclusion
Nobody can deny that COVID-19 has changed life for all of us. Things we took for granted before are things that may never be the same again. All we have to hang onto is the hope that one day things will return to as close to normal as we once knew and that we learn from this experience rather than celebrating its defeat. Hockey is going to change no matter how much we love the game, the experience of it will change and that will probably apply to most sports.
In Canada, we turn to hockey as a release from our everyday lives. Hitting the ice with old friends is nostalgic for us and is an opportunity that is often too tempting to pass up. What this may look like post COVID-19 is something we will all need to turn our minds to. Will we need the vaccine before we can play? Will there be temperature screening or symptom tests before you enter the rink? The questions far outnumber the answers right now as we continue to find our way through this pandemic. One thing we do know is we will all have a collective appreciation for the game of hockey and cherish it, with hopes that it is never taken from us again.
