Bad news for fans looking forward to seeing the Niagara IceDogs hit the rink this year - the Ontario Hockey League has decided to cancel the season.
Earlier this month the OHL had released hopeful Return To Play Plans, but the extension of the stay-at-home order make launching the season impossible.
The league and the province had reached an agreement allowing players to take part in a shortened season in hub cities to get a chance to show scouts what they could do.
OHL Commissioner David Branch says "We have worked tirelessly with the Province and the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the past year on different scenarios and different windows of opportunity but the reality is the conditions in Ontario have never been right to start and complete an uninterrupted, safe opportunity for players to showcase their skills. We owe it to our players and their families to be definitive. We were committed to return and play this season, but our hopes and desires have been dashed by the cruel realities of COVID-19."
Shortly after the news came out, the IceDogs sent a simple tweet "We miss y'all."
We miss y'all
— Niagara IceDogs (@OHLIceDogs) April 20, 2021