Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN) - Hundreds of passionate youth hockey parents and players turned out Sunday in Amherst for a rally to allow youth hockey competition to resume in New York State.
Under current COVID guidelines implemented by New York State, hockey is considered a high risk sport and is limited to skate, shoot and practice activity only. Scrimmages and game competition are not allowed.
Sarah McGuire organized the rally held along Maple Road in the shadows of the Northtown Center, one of the busiest youth hockey facilities in the region.
"Other states are doing it, I think we can work alongside them," said McGuire in asking that New York State relax the guidelines to allow kids in New York to resume competitive play as they are in neighboring states. McGuire and many of the parents WBEN spoke with acknowledged that there needs to be some COVID guidelines for safe play, but say that can be easily accomplished. "I think they're already safe on the ice doing the practices, I think they'll be just as safe playing the game."
The two key political targets of the Sunday demonstration were clearly Governor Andrew Cuomo as well as Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a hockey enthusiast himself who has been seen recently skating at Northtown Center.
New York State Senator Rob Ortt, a former youth hockey player himself, spoke at the rally and said the restrictions on hockey are representative of an overall political mindset coming from Governor Cuomo.
"The goal seems to be to find ways to keep things closed down, rather than to find ways to open things up," Ortt told WBEN during the rally. Ortt says there is no logic in allowing youth hockey to practice and drill, but not compete. "I don't know that there is any epidemiological difference between two kids practicing for an hour or a game that goes on for an hour and a half."
Buffalo Regals youth coach Adam Shine agrees with Ortt, saying he knows of no spread in area hockey organizations and says the restrictions aren't logical. "In a typical game you have ten players on the ice, during a practice I have more than that, I have fifteen players on the ice," said Shine who admits some COVID restrictions should be in place, including masking and limiting the number of spectators who can attend.
Dozens of youth hockey players lined the street wearing their jerseys and many with sticks in hand. One player from the West Seneca Wings and Clarence High School hockey programs identified himself as 'Nick' and told WBEN that it makes no no sense to allow practice and not competition. "There's absolutely no difference."
Another issue commonly repeated Sunday was the long term impact the lack of competition will have on youth players as they work toward scholarships and recruitment efforts. "They need to be in schools, they need to be able to play sports," Coach Shine said.
Ortt hopes the pressure on political leaders will eventually lead to a change in the restrictions on hockey and other sports. "You can let 6700 people into the Bills stadium, which I support, but that doesn't mean you can't let one or two parents in per kid to watch kids play hockey," said Ortt.
"How many times were people complaining about the Bills not letting fans in," Ortt noted and he said he hopes continues demonstrations and pressure from parents and players will lead to resuming hockey competition.
"There's no question we can come up with guidelines that allow them to play."
Ortt and other members of the NYS legislative delegation in Western New York have signed a letter to Gov. Cuomo on the youth hockey issue.
