OHL delays start of 2020-21 season due to provincial lockdown

Due to Ontario's imminent lockdown, the OHL is once again delaying the start of its 2020-21 season.

The OHL was most recently targeting Feb. 4 for its opening puck drop, with training camps slated to begin in mid-January. Players were scheduled to report to camp in early January.

"This decision follows Premier (Doug) Ford’s announcement of a province-wide shutdown in Ontario commencing on Dec. 26, 2020," OHL commissioner David Branch said in a statement. "The league will continue to consult and work closely with governments and health authorities to determine potential start dates in the new year."

Branch also cited cross-border travel restrictions as a factor in the decision.

In early August, the league pushed the target start date for the season to Dec. 1. In late October, the OHL was reportedly eyeing a 40-game season that would begin in early February.

The lockdown will go into effect on Dec. 26 at 12:01 a.m. ET and last until Jan. 23 for all of southern Ontario. Nearly all non-essential businesses will be ordered shut, and most schools will be closed for in-person learning for over two weeks.