Kneehill Minor Hockey
Return to Play 2020-2021 Season Guidelines: V2 UPDATED Oct 23 

Kneehill Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) welcomes participants to the 2020-2021 Hockey Season! 

KMHA will be following the recommendations by the Alberta Health Services and the Guidelines created by Hockey Alberta in their Return to Hockey Plan found on their website www.hockeyalberta.ca 

For questions or concerns, contact a KMHA Board Member, phone numbers and emails available on the website under Contacts.

KMHA operates within the Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL) under Hockey Alberta and will continue to work within the leagues Guidelines as well.

KMHA is committed to getting players back on the ice while keeping our players, members, coaches, volunteers and families safe. 

KMHA, the Town of Three Hills and the Town of Trochu are working together to enforce all safety measures due to the COVID19 pandemic. 

 

Table of Contents 

Section 1: General Guidelines

Section 2: Roles – Players, Parents, Spectators and Coaches

Section 3: Rapid Response Plan

Section 4: Hockey Alberta Can I Participate

Section 5: Home Facility Guidelines

 

Section 1: General Guidelines 

1.1 Alberta Health Guidelines 

• All AHS health and safety recommendations should be followed. 
• No persons should enter any facility if they are feeling unwell, including but not limited to fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough. 
• AHS strongly encourages players/parents to download and activate the ABTraceTogether mobile application. 
• Participants, parents, spectators should all practice physical distancing of 2 meters wherever possible. 
• Contact tracing will be implemented for practices and other activities, following AHS recommendation. 
• DO NOT ATTEND HOCKEY ACTIVITIES IF YOU ARE SICK OR HAVE SYMPTOMS 
• AHS will contact those deemed close contacts through their contact tracing processes. An individual participant is under no obligation to inform sport organizations or other participants, coaches, officials of the reason for missing a practice/game, if they are pursuing COVID-19 testing, or the results of a COVID-19 test. However, the sooner we are able to know as an organization, the sooner we will be able to assess the risk. 
• AHS Guidelines as of September 14th, 2020 includes a maximum of 100 spectators within a facility for indoor settings. 

1.2 Cohorts 

• Cohorting has been identified as an option for sports organizations to use if athletes are not always able to practice physical distancing during activity. 
• A cohort is a closed, small group of no more than 50 individuals who participate in sport together. 
• If cohorting is being used for a program, this should be clearly communicated to participants/parents prior to the formation of the cohort. At this time, KMHA is looking to implement cohort programming. 
• Sports cohort numbers do not include parents or spectators, however does include coaches/trainers.
  

Section 2: Roles – Players, Parents, Spectators and Coaches 

2.1 Players/Participants 

• TeamSnap “Health Check” and “Availability” MUST be completed prior to going on the ice for practice or for games.
• Players to leave the facilities within the time specified by each individual facility.
• Water bottles – fill at home, CANNOT be shared, must have own with markings and washed at home following each session. Players are encouraged to spread out bottles on bench as much as possible. 
• No spitting 
• At the conclusion of the ice session, coach will indicate which gate to leave the ice surface. 
• Players are expected to practice physical distancing as much as possible when off the ice surface. 

2.2 Parents/Guardian 

• Parents/Guardians to leave the facilities within the time specified by each individual facility.
• No siblings of participants in dressing room areas (coaches will tie skates).
• Parents should endeavour to have children mostly dressed prior to arriving at facilities should they not have enough time to dress within the individual facility guidelines.
• Respect the rules within our home facilities, Three Hills and Trochu, as outlined in their respective attachments, and throughout their facilities
• Facility rules outside of Three Hills or Trochu will be communicated through the Team Managers prior to arrival at least 48 hours prior to event (as per CAHL), including recent changes we have been made aware of.
• Parents, and their guests, to follow the rules set out in each facility to best represent KMHA.

2.3 Spectators 

• Respect the rules within our home facilities, Three Hills and Trochu, as outlined in their respective attachments, and throughout their facilities as well as out of town facilities.
• Sign in sheets are at the entrances of most facilities, and signing in will be required for contact tracing.
• Spectator spots are divided equally between player families by the team manager and are for immediate family or guardians of the player, and shall be communicated in advance to the team manager.
• Physical distancing of 2 meters is an expectation for all spectators (between household cohorts).
• Spectators will stay out of the participant areas.
• Cheering and yelling is strongly discouraged as it presents a high risk of spreading droplets (AHS recommendation).
• AHS also strongly recommends that spectators wear masks.

2.4 Coaches and Team Managers 

• TeamSnap “Health Check” and “Availability” MUST be completed prior to going on the ice for practice or for games (for Coaches and Players).
• Managers will organize spectator attendance as per CAHL guidelines/rules, and KMHA guidelines.
• Coaches and/or Team Managers will ensure contract tracing is completed. AHS recommends two weeks of records of attendance of all participants.
• Coaches will tie skates wherever needed to keep the numbers in dressing rooms to a minimum.
• Coaches will strive to be leaders in safety practices, and respectful of procedures and processes by each facility and by Hockey Alberta and Alberta Health Services.

Section 3: Rapid Response Plan

• If a participant develops COVID-19 symptoms, the person will be directed immediately to go to the First Aid Room located by change rooms in both Three Hills and Trochu Arenas. 
• The Arena Operator will be notified immediately.
• The contact number will be called for the person to be picked up immediately by either Team Manager. 
• 911 will be called if the situation is severe and medically distressed.
• Arena staff will clean the area once the person has been removed from the building and will clean any touch points that may have been used. Arena staff will spray the areas with an approved disinfectant. Arena staff will require masks to wear while cleaning.
• Provided that the Guidance for Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation – Stage 2 (Dated October 20, 2020), and amendments thereto, have been followed, there is no need to cancel an activity or to postpone the undertaking of a cohort group in the event that an individual becomes sick. 
• Contact tracing will be prepared by the Coach/Team Manager, should it be requested by AHS at a later date. The information may be necessary to assist public health officials if the sick individual later tests positive for COVID-19.
• The AHS Guidelines will be followed, if deemed necessary by AHS, for any isolations.

Section 4: Hockey Alberta Can I Participate

Updated November 5th, 2020

Section 5: Specific Home Facility Guidelines 

3.1 Trochu Arena (407 Royal Way, Trochu, Alberta) 

• See attachments on KMHA website.

3.2 Three Hills Arena (202 3rd Avenue North, Three Hills, Alberta) 

• See attachments on KMHA website.