Vaughan association: Hockey players 12 and older must be vaccinated by Oct. 17

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 23, 2021

Players who are 12-years-old and older must be vaccinated by Oct. 17 if they want to participate in the Greater Toronto Hockey League programs (GTHL), said Barry Harte, president of the City of Vaughan Hockey Association.

The association’s trials of its house league for the Double A program began Sep. 18, and the Single A program starts Sep. 25.

Harte said that anybody who comes under the GTHL's “auspices,” which includes Vaughan, must be vaccinated.

“And they have to show proof of being vaccinated,” he added.

The City of Vaughan Hockey Association has a House League Select for both single and double A programs but not covering the triple A category. The latter includes players who want to make a career out of hockey.

In an interview Harte says there is a “small portion of resistance” especially if the parents aren’t vaccinated, and “therefore, they don’t want their child to be vaccinated or don’t they feel that their child should be vaccinated.”

Harte mulled over the possibility of a lower participation rate due to the vaccination policy. He said before the pandemic, his association had up to 2,000 hockey players.

In an Aug. 25 announcement, the GTHL announced its Game Plan 2.0 framework, outlining return-to-play protocols and procedures for the 2021-22 season.

It said the protocols are in line with Hockey Canada’s Safety Guidelines and the Ontario government’s COVID-19 Return to Sport Guidelines.

The policy requires that all GTHL directors and staff, GTHL member executives and staff, team officials, timekeepers, on-ice officials, instructors, in-arena employees of the GTHL and players who were born in, or before, 2009 to be vaccinated unless the individual has a valid medical reason or has an approved exemption under the Ontario Human Rights Code.