FRISCO, Texas -- The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced that the 2020-21 regular season will begin on Oct. 2, 2020, a delayed start from the league's typical September drop of the puck.
The NA3HL includes five Montana teams who play in the Frontier Division: the Bozeman Icedogs, Butte Cobras, Great Falls Americans, Helena Bighorns and Missoula Junior Bruins.
The schedule for the 2020-21 NA3HL season, which will be the league's 11th, is expected to be released by Sept. 1.
“We are excited to be moving forward with a return-to-play date. Our No. 1 priority remains returning to the ice this fall in the safest manner possible for everyone in our hockey community, and we believe that Oct. 2 is a realistic date to achieve that goal,” NA3HL commissioner Blake Macnicol said in a media release. “We will be closely following and monitoring the situation with the (North American Hockey League) and with our hockey partners to develop the most current return-to-play guidelines as possible.”
The media release went on to state that the "NA3HL will continue to work daily with teams to monitor the situation in all 32 NA3HL communities, utilizing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local authorities. The NA3HL and its member clubs want to ensure that they are utilizing the latest information available in order to provide the safest environment as possible for all of the players, coaches, staff, billet families and fans."
