Remembering Alberta's world junior championship that wasn't
CTV
The tournament’s cancellation seemed increasingly inevitable, in a week where Alberta twice broke a daily COVID-19 case count record that had been set eight months before.
Alberta’s second World Juniors in as many years didn’t feel right from the start.
The warning signs weren’t hard to find.
Pre-tournament games were rescheduled, reduced to one per team and then even one of those was cancelled due to COVID-19.
By the time Germany and Finland hit the ice on Boxing Day to open the tournament, three players had already tested positive.
“We were very much playing catch up here with an evolving situation,” said Dr. Matt Robbins, medical supervisor for the International Ice Hockey Federation.
More positive tests followed, resulting in one forfeited game on Tuesday, and the cancellation of the best-of-three relegation round.
By Wednesday, the tournament’s cancellation seemed increasingly inevitable in a week where Alberta twice broke a daily COVID-19 case count record that had been set eight months before.
