Burlington City Rep Hockey Club uses the following procedure in the event of bad weather impacting hockey schedules. When will a game be cancelled? Safety is always a priority.
The ice scheduler will cancel games (or a practice) under the following circumstances
- the arena is closed
- roads to the arena are closed
- the other team has contacted the ice scheduler to say they aren't coming for safety concerns
The association is not in a position to make the call on whether or not a game should be cancelled because it is not safe to drive - each individual, and by extension each team, needs to take responsibility for making that call themselves.
The ice scheduler will reach out to the contact at the other teams centre to find out information about conditions at their end to pass on to coaches, but the association does not have additional insight into conditions than anyone else does, and more specifically are not in a position to be able to make the decision about whether or not your team should drive to your game.
Tools that can be used in making that decision include the MTO road conditions
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/trip/map.shtml?ll=43.696424,-79.459648&z=10
and www.theweathernetwork.com
If a team decides they want to cancel a game because they feel it is not safe to drive, then the association is never going to override that decision. With that in mind, we would encourage that you are making sure the decision is based on safety and not just convenience. Sometimes the only requirement given weather conditions is just to give yourself more time to get to your destination.
Again, while the decision to cancel or not go to a game should never be taken lightly, safety should always be a priority. But bottom line, whether the association or the team cancels a game or not, it is the right and responsibility of each individual family to make decisions regarding their own safety.
How to cancel a game
If a team has decided they wish to cancel due to weather conditions, the coach or manager is to contact the ice scheduler. The ice scheduler will then coordinate with the ice scheduler at the other team's end. Coaches are not to reach out directly to the coach of the other team - going through the ice scheduler's ensures that all required parties (refs, teams, arenas) are properly notified.
There is not a set timeframe for making the decision to cancel a game. This time of year weather conditions can change dramatically within a couple of hours. The key is to keep the lines of communication open. If a team is considering this action, please contact the ice scheduler as early as possible.
If a game is cancelled
As soon as a centre lets the ice scheduler know that a game is cancelled, the coach and manager will be contacted by e-mail and as soon as possible (dependent on access to a computer) the game to be cancelled on the schedule.
All team members are encouraged - if you haven't already done so - to subscribe to notifications on the website. This means that when a game is cancelled you will receive an e-mail or text notification
The game will be rescheduled as soon as the two centres can work out a date.