On March 12, 2020, Princeton freshman Annie Kuehl was standing next to a coach bus, hugging friends and making plans to stay in touch over the summer. 

The temperature hovered around forty degrees, warm enough to hint at an approaching spring, but still cold enough to remind the cluster of students that it was hockey season. 

Until it wasn't. 

That same day, the NCAA announced that it was canceling its championships for winter sports. 

"Our bus was loaded. We were saying our good-bye's to all our friends who weren't on the hockey team," Kuehl says, now almost nine months removed from that blustery New Jersey morning. "I was with a group of girls when I found out via Twitter."

Cornell defenseman and former Lakeville South standout Sam Malinski can relate. 

"We were hearing a bunch of rumors that it was canceled, and then we got a text from our coach saying we had a team meeting," Malinski said. "We went to the locker room, and sure enough, it was canceled."

For Malinski and the Big Red, it meant the team that had gone 23-2-4 and took home top honors in both the Ivy League and Eastern Colleges Athletic Conference would be dogged with what-if and what-could-have-been. 

"(It) was obviously brutal news to hear, being (that) we were doing so well and had a legit shot in the tournament, especially for the seniors," Malinski said. "But pretty much all we could do after that was try to enjoy the time we had left with that special group of guys."

Kuehl's Tigers were also entering their tournament with a wave of momentum. 

"Our team came off beating the number-one team at the time," Kuehl said, referring to the Tigers' late-season defeat of Cornell. "We were really connected, so that was just kind of left at a 'what-if?'" Kuehl continued. "This year, there's not really that picture of imagining what would be happening."

Kuehl is taking a gap year in her education in order to preserve her remaining three years of eligibility. The Ivy League does not permit its athletes to redshirt, and graduate students cannot participate in athletics. 

"When I talked to my parents, the best decision for me was to apply for a gap year, which I was granted," Kuehl said, adding that retaining her eligibility was the primary reason for her application. "Hockey is something for me that I've played my whole life," Kuehl said. "It's a part of who I am, and I just wasn't ready to give up a year at Princeton and do school online."

Kuehl and Malinski both understand that the situation is far from ideal for any athlete or administrator.

"I mean, we're in a lockdown for a reason," Kuehl said. "I've just been enjoying my time with my family, as that's all I can really do right now." 

Malinski opted not to take a gap year and is slogging through classes recorded on video. 

"Things have been online for a while now, so I'm used to it," Malinski said. "(I'm) getting kind of sick of looking at my computer screen all day," he added with a resigned chuckle.

While Malinski has schoolwork, home workouts, and sporadic ice time to fill his days, Kuehl's only outlet was paused in mid-November. A product of the Edina Youth Hockey Association, she had been an assistant coach with Edina's 12UA team. 

"I've been working with teams via Zoom," Kuehl explained. "We'll run workouts or stickhandling. Just whatever people can do in the comfort of their home."

Both Kuehl and Malinski have taken in several college hockey games on live streams, and while the games provide a welcome distraction, they are also a painful reminder of what they're missing out on after the Ivy League's cancellation. 

"I've been watching quite a bit of Minnesota and (Minnesota) Duluth," Malinski said. "That's probably one of the worst parts, watching them play. Meanwhile, I'm at home, working out in my basement, only getting to skate a couple of times a week."

The rivalries and camaraderie are what Kuehl misses the most. 

"I remember the Ohio State (and) Gopher game was a really big one, and I could barely watch it because it was so frustrating," Kuehl said. "Like, that should be me (playing), but it's not right now."

The five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) may not all apply to the emotional process of players who have had their season canceled, but Malinski and Kuehl have reached the stage that would qualify as acceptance, albeit (and understandably) without much enthusiasm.  

"I think we've kind of come to terms with it, that we're not going to play a game for another ten months," Malinski said. "And now we can just try to use this time to address our weaknesses (as players)."

"It just feels like a really long summer break," Kuehl said. 

"Everyone has a different approach to deal with what's going on in the world right now, and I try to support the Ivy League's decision to not play because that's who I play for," Kuehl continued. 

"But at the same time, it is really disheartening to see other people playing when you can't."