The Superior League season will move forward without it’s American based clubs.
The league announcing that both the Wisconsin Lumberjacks and Thief River Falls Norskies will pause their activities for the 2020-21 campaign due to restrictions arising from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
League officials say that the ongoing closure of the United States/Canadian border to non-essential travel made it impossible for the league’s only two American-based teams to see a pathway to meaningful participation.
League Commissioner Darrin Nicholas put out a statement:
“This is a sad day for the Norskies, the Lumberjacks and indeed the entire SIJHL. “My heart goes out to the players, staff, management and all those associated with both teams and especially David Beito of the Norskies and Doug and Sophia Lein of the Lumberjacks who have worked tirelessly to try and find a way to get their respective teams on the ice. Unfortunately, the challenges facing our US members appear insurmountable this winter/spring.”
“Neither the Norskies nor the Lumberjacks ‘opted-out’ of our season. That would imply the existence of a pathway for them to have participated in our schedule, and they have chosen not to. Nothing could be further from the truth. Secondly, both of our US-based teams are integral partners in the SIJHL, and we look forward to having them back on the ice in September 2021.”
The league confirms the remainder of the 2020-21 schedule will be released in the coming days.
