Like virtually all sports in the province, minor hockey has been practice-only since November due to recently-extended restrictions from the province.

While it's not ideal, Moose Jaw minor hockey has been trying to make the best of it, given the circumstances.

Minor hockey president Chris Flanagan said kids are eager to get back to games, but the coaches are working on skill development.

"Moving forward, yes, kids would love to play games but we can't," he said. "I think just keeping them active on that ice is very important right now. We're doing a pretty good job as an organization, I think, and we thank our parents, our coaches and volunteers for making this happen.

Minor sports will be part of these restrictions until at least Jan. 29. Flanagan said everyone has been complying with the restrictions.

"Obviously kids are eager to get back to games, but we do have a good system, we have great coaches in our association that are using this time to work on individual player skills, and player development," he said. "Kids are getting one to two ice times per week, and I think it's the best we can do in the circumstances right now."

Groups of eight with two coaches are allowed, with coaches and players masked and socially distancing. 

"Since we've been doing this for nearly four weeks now, It's now the new norm," he said. "Everybody's just used to it and it's working the best it can right now."

The Saskatchewan Hockey Association put out a release on social media Thursday.

"Yesterday, Wednesday, January 13, 2021, during a virtual call with all Provincial Sport Governing Bodies, Ken Dueck from the Provincial Government’s Business Response Team (BRT) announced that there would be no consideration of return to play (games) for at least four (4) weeks and that a return to game play is unlikely to happen before the end of March," the release from Kelly McClintock said. 

"This certainly was not the news that the SHA, nor all other winter sports was expecting," the release continued. "With the current rate of positive cases per 100,000 people placing Saskatchewan near the top in Canada, the likelihood of things changing before the end of March is looking bleak."

Moose Jaw Minor Hockey will be meeting Thursday night to discuss how to move forward.