In a letter to its members on Friday, The Delaware Valley Hockey League, a large Philadelphia Area Youth Hockey League, explained the impact of the 3rd Circuit stay of Judge Stickman’s ruling against Governor Wolf in the Federal Court Case known as County of Butler et al v. Wolf et al.
DVHL President Colleen Marinari said:
“While the rinks have the right to use the 50% capacity for their recreational facility, the league is required to abide by the mandate of the 25-person cap during game play in accordance with CDC and PA State guidelines. We are being told at this time, there is no getting around it. Our games will not be sanctioned by USA Hockey or insurance companies if we do not abide by the rules. We are under CDC and state mandates.”
Marinari’s statement was part of a larger explanation of the DVHL’s “hybrid method” that the league now plans to use to conduct league games.
The DVHL hybrid method is an attempt to allow two youth hockey teams with up to 20 rostered players to play each other in a sanctioned USA Hockey game without violating the current 25-person cap on participants imposed by Governor Wolf’s executive order.
Apparently, this involves splitting each team into two and having each half team play the opponent for approximately half of the scheduled game time.
RinkAtlas is seeking a complete explanation of the DVHL’s hybrid method, and we hope to share that with readers soon.
The letter goes on to say that the DVHL is delaying the beginning of its season by one week, from October 3 to October 10, in order to give its member clubs an opportunity to play under the hybrid method to gain some understanding of the tactics needed to perform well.
There is apparently some possibility that Governor Wolf may relax the 25-person cap on participation in indoor sports events. Marinari tells the clubs to be prepared to play next weekend with games conducted in either the hybrid method or the standard method of conducting USA Hockey-sanctioned games.