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MN Hockey COVID-19 protocol update

By Courtesy of Minnesota Hockey , 10/27/20, 11:15AM CDT

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Two-coach maximum on the bench during games, no state tournament banquets for the 2020-2021 season.

New protocols in place as of Oct. 25, 2020

1. Due to COVID-19 concerns related to possible issues related to the ability to host State tournament banquets and possible cancelation of banquets that may be scheduled with likelihood of financial loss if cancelled the following is proposed for the 2020-2021 MN Hockey state tournaments Suspend all 

Minnesota Hockey State Tournament Banquets at all levels for the 2020/2021 season.  No State Tournament host shall plan or host a Banquet for the 2020/2021 state tournament. The Banquets will resume for the 2021/2022 season.  

2. Change the rule for the 2020/2021 season for the maximum number or coaches allowed on the bench, to two coaches only.  

For the MN Hockey 2020/2021 Season only 2 coaches shall be allowed on the team bench during all games at all levels. This includes all MN Hockey sanctioned events (tournaments, games, scrimmages, etc.)  and also includes all teams playing in sanctioned events regardless if MN Hockey registered teams or not. 

3. Change in who is allowed on the bench during games during the 2020-2021 season. This is to limit the number of people in the confined bench space to only those actively involved in the game. 

For the 2020/2021 season the only people allowed on the bench are the two coaches and players actively playing/participating in the game or contest.  Players that are injured and are unable to play or are not playing in the current game are not allowed on the bench in any capacity. 

4. Players who under the order of quarantine because of positive test, or possible exposure to COVID-19 are not allowed to participate in games until said player is no longer under quarantine restrictions. 

Rule for the 2020/2021 season; If it has been determined by the department of health for a player to quarantine, the player is ineligible for participation until the quarantine period issued by the department of health expires.  Should it be found that a player who is under quarantine plays in a game rules subject to playing an ineligible player shall be enforced. 

Further, players under quarantine shall not participate in any other team activities until such time the quarantine has expired. 

5. The USA Hockey Youth Council recently adopted changes to the National Championship Guidebook which require "State/Affiliate" championships leading to advancing teams to the National Championship follow the National Championship Guidebook. MN Hockey intends for teams from the MN Hockey Jr. Gold level will be entered into the USAH High School National tournaments as a result, MN Hockey will need to adopt a change to the game format for the JGA State Tournament to 17-minute periods to be in compliance with the USA Hockey National Champion Guidebook.

JGA State Tournament will be required to be 17-minute periods vs the 15 minutes we currently do.  Currently the MN Hockey rules require a minimum of 1 hour 45-minute ice slots and with 17 min periods would require 2-hour ice slots. 

To bring MN Hockey Jr. Gold A State tournament format into compliance with USAH National Tournament requirements the following is proposed for the 2020-2021 season:

For the 2020-2021 state tournament, MN Hockey JR. Gold A level 2020-2021 state tournament game periods shall be 17 minutes and host is required to block a minimum of 2 hours for each game.

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