2020-21 Season Cancellation Announcement
Trouble viewing? Click here to download snowbelt-season-cancellation-20-21.pdf (PDF, 123KB)
Meetings and Events
Board Meetings are being held remotely via Zoom until further notice. Meeting links will be sent to the Reps in advance of the meeting.
| Day | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Thu | 03/18/21 | Snowbelt Board Meeting and Elections |
| Thu | 08/19/21 | Snowbelt Board Meeting (first of next season) |
COVID-19 Hockey Links
- NYSAHA letter declaring legal action against Governor to allow hockey in NY
- USA Hockey – Player Safety & Health
- USA Hockey – Mitigating Risks
- USA Hockey’s Chief Medical & Safety Officer Says It’s Safe To Play Hockey Now (07/06/2020)
- CDC’s Considerations for Youth Sports
- HECC – Spit Guards Void HECC Certification on Helmets
- Helping Youth Athletes Cope with Shutdown from COVID-19
- How Student-Athletes Can Cope With the Consequences of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
- NHL Future Goals — Now Available for Teachers and Families (Future Goals includes two online resources: Hockey Scholar – an interactive hockey-themed STEM curriculum for middle-school and elementary-school-aged students and Healthier Me – a program that provides elementary-school-aged students the tools they need to make healthy decisions.)
Central Section New Scoresheet Instructions
Facebook Page
If you don’t already like Snowbelt on Facebook, please do it now!
The Snowbelt Youth Hockey League Board of Representatives met via Zoom this evening and came to a consensus that the 2020-21 regular season and J.A.M. Tournaments shall be canceled. The safety of players, coaches, referees, fans, and communities is paramount. While this is a disappointing decision to have to make, we feel it is the correct choice. Multiple factors came into play during the discussion, including the following:![]()
• The Board had agreed upon a latest possible start date of January 2 or 9 if hockey games were allowed at that time. There are no indications that hockey games will be allowed within that timeframe.![]()
• Even with a possible start to the sport in early January and a reduced number of League games, the likelihood of a large number of game cancellations due to team sickness and/or quarantine would likely prevent most or all teams from completing or rescheduling all scheduled games.![]()
• NYSAHA is unable to provide us with a solid start date until the Governor’s office gives the go-ahead.![]()
• The New York State Governor’s office will not allow high-risk winter sports while the infection rates continue to increase (and infection rates continue to increase).![]()
• The NYSPHSAA (high school) has already announced the cancellation of all Winter State Championships and all high-risk sports are postponed until authorization is granted by state officials. (NYSPHSAA has no direct affiliation with the functioning of Snowbelt but the status of high school hockey does impact some associations and rinks.)![]()
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As an alternative to the 2020-21 season, Snowbelt will collect and publish team contacts from teams that would have participated in the League if the season had been allowed to progress. If the state allows hockey games between associations, this information will allow teams to schedule pick-up games with each other. This pick-up format will allow teams and associations to schedule games according to their comfort levels and according to the team’s health and quarantine status.![]()
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The Snowbelt Board wishes everyone a safe and healthy winter season. We hope to see everyone back on the ice when it’s safe to do so!
Checking the calendar: It's still 2020. Luckily no one was injured at Bill Gray's this week.![]()
Alternate caption: I've heard of barn burners, but this is going too far.![]()
www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/zamboni-catches-fire-following-a-local-new-york-youth-hockey-practice/
A message from Snowbelt President Steve Byrne: "I would like to thank Gary Lebrun for all the dedication he has shown for many years as Central Section President. As some of you know Gary is no longer our Section President he is a USA Hockey Director and we wish him all the best in his new role and thank him for leading Central Section for many years. His leadership and friendship has been outstanding. I would like to congratulate Kirk Avery for becoming our new Section President and wish him all the best in this new role. I am sure he will do a great job."