The Moose Jaw Warriors are now in Regina, the hub city of the Western Hockey League’s East Division, as they prepare for the 2020-2021 season. 

The Warriors are staying at the dorms at the University of Regina and are in a tower with the Brandon Wheat Kings. A second tower is housing three other teams and two teams are staying at the Luther College dorms. 

The players arrived on Feb. 27 and placed in “quads” that consist of four rooms and a common area. The players and staff are currently isolated in those rooms. 

James Gallo, the voice of the Warriors on Country 100 and the team’s manager of communications and hockey administration, said it is far different than your average road trip. 

“When you roll into Victoria, it's always nice to kind of walk downtown and walk around the harbor and just stretch the legs and to do something. We don't have that advantage at all,” Gallo said. 

While in isolation, food is being delivered in boxes to the rooms. 

“It's like opening up a Christmas present three times a day to see what's in the box,” laughed Gallo. 

Before leaving for the hub city, teams were told to stock up on food, so players have brought everything from steaks to ingredients to make nachos. 

The players and staff have undergone two COVID-19 tests and once those are clear they will be given a few more freedoms and are hoping to begin practicing on March 5. 

For Gallo, it's been 387 days since his last Warrior’s broadcast on Country 100. 

“I haven't talked to a broadcaster that that isn't just completely amped up to get back into a booth and watch some hockey and do what we enjoy.” 

All of the regular-season games in the East Division this year will be played out of the Brandt Centre in Regina without fans to adhere to COVID-19 public health protocols. 

Gallo said the last he heard the plan is to crown four division champions to the end of the regular season. 

“I think a playoff would be hard to ask because players and staff will be cooped up for a long time and so to add time might be pretty hard to explain to the families,” he said. 

The Warriors get their season underway on March 19 when they take on the Brandon Wheat Kings at 4 p.m. Gallo will have the play-by-play live on Country 100.