The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League says COVID-19 cases on four teams have led to the postponement of six games.
The Beaver Valley Nitehawks, Castlegar Rebels, Fernie Ghostriders and 麻豆精选 Chiefs each have positive cases, according to a league announcement Thursday.
The 麻豆精选 Chiefs told Black Press Media that nine of its players have tested positive, and more are expected throughout the week. 麻豆精选鈥檚 game Friday at home to the North Okanagan Knights has been postponed.
Castlegar Rebels president Mike Johnstone said eight-to-10 players are exhibiting symptoms. He added not all of them have been tested for COVID-19 as current Interior Heath guidelines don鈥檛 allow for testing of double-vaccinated individuals without other risk factors.
鈥淚t spread quite quickly around our room and we wanted to cut it off and limit exposure to our players, staff, volunteers and opponents, so the decision was made to cancel the games,鈥� said Johnstone.
Nitehawks president Stephen Piccolo said six players had tested positive and are currently in isolation.
鈥淥micron is hitting everyone hard it looks like,鈥� said Piccolo. 鈥淎nd I mean everybody 鈥� our fan base, the games that we can鈥檛 have, and we鈥檙e hoping it doesn鈥檛 carry into another season.鈥�
Other games to be rescheduled include:
鈥� Friday, Jan. 7: Beaver Valley Nitehawks at Castlegar Rebels; Grand Forks Border Bruins at Fernie Ghostriders
鈥� Saturday, Jan. 8: Castlegar Rebels at Nelson Leafs; Fernie Ghostriders at Columbia Valley Rockies
鈥� Sunday, Jan. 9: Golden Rockets at Beaver Valley Nitehawks
The infections come despite the KIJHL鈥檚 COVID-19 policy, which required every player and staff member to have received two doses of vaccine prior to the start of the season in October.
The Nitehawks were fined $2,500 in December and had their head coach suspended for eight games when it was revealed two of their players had begun the season not fully vaccinated.
With files from Jen Zielinski in 麻豆精选, Betsy Kline in Castlegar and Jim Bailey in Trail.
