When the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament confirmed last week that it would be back from February 9 to 20, the downside was that only 12-year-olds could participate. Now this restriction has just fallen.
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The organization said this morning that “all peewee-aged players will be accepted into the 2022 Tournament provided they are adequately vaccinated,” according to an official statement.
Initially, only players born in 2009 who received their double dose of COVID-19 vaccine were to be accepted. In the light of discussions with public health stakeholders in Quebec, Canada and the United States, the Tournament concluded that the vaccination of 5 to 11 year olds is likely to start soon and thus make it possible to welcome players. 11 years old.
“I’m super happy we can announce this. Of all the points in our press conference last week, this was the one that hurt us the most for young people. We are getting even closer to a normal tournament, ”said General Manager Patrick Dom, during an interview.
Seven days before
Like the players of 2009, the youngest will also have to provide their proof of vaccination so that it is validated by the organization of the tournament before their arrival. They must be vaccinated according to Health Canada standards, before February 2.
“We must count seven days before the optimization of the vaccine,” said Patrick Dom.
“We didn’t want to settle for an edition with only 12-year-old players. It’s never me who will give up. It was the best solution at the time of the announcement, but it was not perfect. There, we have all the clues that suggest that vaccination of 5 to 11 year olds will begin soon in different places on the planet, ”he continued.
Dom also plans that the organization will have to hire an external resource to manage the validation process for vaccine evidence. “During the tournament, there will be several resources allocated to this. This is a big issue and it will be taken seriously, ”he said.
7,500 spectators
At this time, there is no change announced to the limit of 7,500 spectators. Most Canadian NHL teams expect to be able to play in a packed arena, but this is not currently the case for the Canadiens in Montreal.
We will have to see if the developments in the coming months will allow the Peewee Tournament to open the turnstiles at will.
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