EDMONTON -- The NHL season is on hold due to the coronavirus, and the rest of the hockey world is in limbo from top to bottom in Alberta.
Big league rinks aren’t the only one’s dark and empty. The home of the Spruce Grove Saints is also silent.
The only noise is coming from the equipment room where Wade Sadoway is coming to terms with the expected, but still shocking news.
"Just stunned by it. You just kind of walked into that wall yesterday and this morning. You’ll never have that closure," said the team’s equipment manager.
The Saints were in the midst of a second round AJHL playoff series when the plug was pulled on the season.
Hockey Alberta followed the lead of Hockey Canada cancelling all league games, playoffs and practices at all levels due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
"We got word today about an hour ago that the season has been cancelled. That’s really the sad part about it," said Saints G.M. Rob Sklaruk.
Meanwhile, the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings remain hopeful that they will eventually be playing playoff hockey but the Saints join the top-ranked Sherwood Park Crusaders entering a long off-season.
Players wonder what could have been, especially those in the final year or junior hockey.
"I think everyone in this room believed we had the team for a championship. It would have been nice in my last year in junior, but now I'll never know what we could have done with this," said forward Brayden Nicholetts who will soon say good-bye to teammates like goalie Matthew Davis.
"It’s just an open book. We’ll never know what could have happened."
At the NHL level, Oilers players have been told to go home but stay close as the league hopes to save the season.
The hockey world has stopped due to coronavirus and people are bracing for more change in the future, like the Saints GM, who believes the worst may be coming.
"I think the brunt of it is still coming. Do I agree with the situation ? I do now," said Sklaruk.
