The end of August usually signals the start of Regina Pats training camp and pre-season hockey for the WHL.

However this year COVID-19 has forced the league to now shoot for December 4th to begin a regular season, that if all goes as planned will still be 68 games.

Pats Coach Dave Struch was on the SportsCage Wednesday, and said there’s been lots of virtual meetings with the players throughout the extended off-season.

“We’ve had Zoom meetings with them three times now, before that it was individual phone calls,” Struch said. “We’re giving the players a break this week from Zoom and again doing individual calls again, going forward we’ll probably be consistent with one group Zoom meeting a week.”

Struch says once the middle of October rolls around the plan is to begin a few team building exercises before training camp, which could potentially start at the beginning of November.

“Yeah, that’s the process that I have planned right now, and I don’t think I’m going to veer to far from it because it keeps the players engaged, it keeps us working and busy, and we think that is the best and most creative way to do things during this COVID time,” Struch said.

Struch is confident the regular season will start December 4th, but admits he doesn’t know what it will be like (i.e fans at games or not).

“A lot of unknowns but there is a goal set,” he said. “We’re all shooting for that goal and as coaches and organizations we’re doing our thing to keep ourselves, the players and the preparation going ahead.”

Normally the Western Hockey League begins it’s regular season around September 20th.