IceDogs set to open Oct. 7
The Niagara IceDogs are set to open the 2021/22 Ontario Hockey League season Thursday, Oct. 7 in Barrie.
The OHL released the 2021/22 schedule Tuesday which sees each team play the usual 68-game slate. The IceDogs home opener is Saturday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. versus the Oshawa Generals.
Divisional alignment remains the same in 2021-22, with each of the league’s 20 teams playing an unbalanced schedule predominantly consisting of intra-conference play. Cross-conference matchups will occur in select instances between opponents of close geographical proximity. The OHL’s three American-based teams – the Erie Otters, Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit – will open the season facing each other exclusively through the end of October.
The 2020/21 season was not played due to the COVID pandemic. The IceDogs last game was in Ottawa on March 10 of 2020.
“It really, really is an incredibly encouraging step,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said. “It’s something, to be honest, we’ve been waiting a year-and-a-half for.
“We were never able to get this far in our lost season last year. It’s a sign we are officially back and there will be no more delays and we are ready to go.”
Burke said details of when training camp can begin as well as how many fans will be permitted will be forthcoming from the provincial government and local health agencies.
“The way things are trending we certainly feel very confident we will have fans in the stands in October, the amount of which we will have to wait and see,” Burke said. “In terms of training camp, it will most likely be in the first week of September, but it’s been very encouraging. The league has told us we might be able to start as early as the last week of August.”
Training camp is normally held the final week of August followed by the start of the regular season at the end of September.
Burke said the club will begin camp at the earliest date possible, regardless of the start date of the season.
“The longer amount of time we have these guys in town and get them on the ice every day, the better,” he said. “It’s been a long stretch for everyone. We’ll get them in for a month-and-a-half before our first regular season game if we can.”
The organization is also prepared to make whatever adjustments on and off the ice necessary to be able to play again, Burke said.
“We will be ready to go. There are no issues from anyone here. Whatever needs to be done, we’re ready to do it.”
Burke has been in contact with the players, who he said are ecstatic at the news.
“All the feedback we’ve got is the players are over the moon,” he said.
The IceDogs play five home games in October, November and December, six in January, five in February, seven in March and one in April.
Saturdays are the busiest home night with 13 games followed by 10 on Thursday and five each on Friday and Sunday. There is also a rare Tuesday night home game versus Mississauga in February.
Niagara will also play their usual home game New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m. with the Peterborough Petes providing the opposition.
Following is a link to the IceDogs 2021/22 schedule: https://cdn.ontariohockeyleague.com/uploads/niagara_icedogs/2021/06/28130144/2021-22-Niagara-IceDogs-Full-Schedule-Home-and-Away1.pdf
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