Swamp Rabbits hockey fans are going to have to wait longer to watch the puck dart around the ice. The ECHL’s board of governors, along with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, approved a revised start date of Dec. 4 for the 2020-21 ECHL season.
The league also plans to keep a full 72-game schedule, with the season potentially going past its usual March or April ending.
“I think the goal is to run through the end of May, staying with the 72 games,” said Swamp Rabbits team president Todd Mackin. “The playoffs will be in June and July. It will still allow us to start the 2021-2022 season on time in October.”
With the season delayed, training camp is being affected, but each of the Swamp Rabbits’ players are continuing to work out and train at home as the league works on approving a larger training camp window, Mackin said.
Along with the change in the start date and training style, the Swamp Rabbits are also exploring how game attendance and entertainment may be impacted due to COVID-19.
“We are staying within the guidelines of what the state of South Carolina outlines as far as social distancing as it concerns our players, our staff and our fans,” said Mackin. “Unfortunately, this is the world we live in right now. We are going to do everything we can to make sure everyone can come to the games in a safe fashion.”
The 2020-2021 season was previously scheduled to start on Oct. 16. The ECHL will announce any additional adjustments to the season at a later date. For more information, visit swamprabbits.com.
