(Facebook/Nipawin Hawks)

By Aaron Schulze

Hawks Prepping for Pandemic Season

Hawks seeking additional volunteer security guards ahead of potential pandemic season

Oct 1, 2020 | 5:02 PM

As Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) clubs prepare for a potential season amidst the coronavirus pandemic, one team is seeking the public’s assistance to get more hands on deck.

The Nipawin Hawks is in need of volunteers for additional security in the 2020-21 SJHL season.

Normally, the Hawks have around five security guards per game. But Bren Kulpa, Hawks director of marketing and office manager, said they’ll need more security in places such as Centennial Arena’s back hall, lobby, and upstairs, to ensure spectators are following provincial health guidelines.

“It’s going to be a different kind of year,” Kulpa told northeastNOW. “We’ll have certain doors you can enter in and exit out of, but we’re going to need more manpower to direct traffic. Just until people get used to the new rules we’re going to have to follow by the government. We want everyone to stay safe.”

During the Hawks’ annual general meeting (AGM), it was unveiled some of the expected attendance restrictions include mask use, with every second row being blocked off, and fans only sitting with members of their respective households with two seats separating each household. Kulpa added the Hawks staff is constructing a plan that can best help contact tracing efforts in the event of a COVID-19 exposure.

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Concrete health guidelines explain the proper protocols of running a hockey game with fans hasn’t been presented to the Hawks yet, but Kulpa doesn’t foresee any issues for fans to navigate through Centennial Arena with COVID-19 preventive measures being in place for months.

“We haven’t been told what would happen if the rules aren’t being followed, but I’m assuming there would be consequences if someone from the Saskatchewan Health Authority showed up and we’re all in a big clump and not following the guidelines they have for us,” she said. “We want to make sure we can play hockey all season. If something does happen and the season gets cancelled halfway through… it would be nothing we did for that to happen.

“We’re asking our fans to please understand and be patient. This is a learning curve for everybody; we haven’t had to deal with a hockey game in a COVID-19 season yet. I’m sure it’ll take a few games for everybody to get used to it, but we have the best fans in the SJHL and we know they’ll do anything they can to watch our boys on the ice.”

Interested participants can contact the Hawks’ office if they’d like to volunteer as a security guard.

As of the Hawks’ AGM, the SJHL’s tentative start date is Friday, Oct. 16.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow