Moose Jaw’s Bryan Thomson is one of the few junior hockey players in Western Canada who knows when his season will start.

The WHL announced Thursday that their return to play plan for the Central Division in Alberta has been approved, meaning he and the Lethbridge Hurricanes will get back into action Feb 26, if all goes well when it comes to COVID-19 testing on the team.

Thomson, who hasn't seen any game action since his loan to the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in November, talked about what he's been doing since then.

“I just went back to skating and training and working out in the gym, just trying to keep busy as much as I can during this,” Thomson said. “But we’ve been waiting almost a year to play again, so it’s pretty exciting.”

He immediately will be going into a seven day quarantine at home here before heading to Lethbridge to join his teammates.

“Then, up until the season starts, (I’ll) just be practicing with the team in small groups, and get as much work in and getting prepared,” he said.

Thomson had been loaned to Melville, where we won all three starts he made with a 2.32 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Last season with the Hurricanes, his first full season in the WHL, he played 30 games and had a 2.83 GAA and a save percentage of .898 along with one shutout.

“It’s a little weird to be starting this late, but better late than never in this situation, we’re just excited,” he said.

The Hurricanes group chat is a happy place to be now.

“We’re all very excited to get back to Lethbridge, and get back to doing what we love, seeing all the boys and hanging out,” Thomson said. “It’s going to be exciting getting the season started again.”

Thomson spent three years at Notre Dame – one with the U15 Prep team and two with the U18 AAA Hounds – before embarking on a Western Hockey League career.