A change of heart by the provincial government means 91原创 91原创 are back on the ice again.

Junior players aged 19-21 had been forbidden from playing with younger teammates under COVID-19 restrictions imposed in November, which meant about half the players in the BC Hockey League (BCHL) couldn鈥檛 practice with the other half.

An estimated 48 percent of the league is currently made up of players 19 or older.

As a result, the team had to shut down, announcing it was putting the season 鈥渙n page.鈥�

READ MORE: BCHL teams can practise together following revised health-order

With the change, announced in late December, 91原创 head coach and GM Bobby Henderson said players are still limited to 鈥減hase two鈥� activities that restrict contact, but it is still a welcome change.

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful,鈥� Henderson told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淕uys are able to practice and be around their peers, which is huge.鈥�

READ ALSO: 91原创 91原创 go with all-Canadian roster during pandemic

Late last month, viaSport announced that the province has modified its rules around adult sports, allowing junior hockey players 22 and under to practise together. Under the previous rules, junior players aged 19-21 had been banned from training with their younger teammates, as the November-issued health order lumped those older players in with other adults playing recreational sports, which were suspended under the order.

The revised rules have changed 鈥渁dult team sport鈥� 鈥� which previously lumped in the older juniors 鈥� to now read as 鈥済roup sport鈥� and does not include 鈥渟port for children or youth, varsity sport or high-performance athlete sport.鈥�

鈥淕roup sport (i.e. sport for those 22 years of age or older) is only permitted in groups of up to two people (e.g. singles tennis or an athlete and a coach training session). Outdoor group sport is only permitted in groups of up to four people (e.g. four individuals may run together or four individuals could run soccer drills),鈥� the statement from viaSport reads.

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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