The B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League is adamant it can do what the Senior A Western Lacrosse Association couldn’t — mount a 2021 season of some sort. The BCJALL has announced a return to play through what it is dubbing the Summer Showcase Series.
The rationale is the same as it was for the major-junior Western Hockey League, which staged an abbreviated 2021 season, mainly for scouts ahead of the NHL draft, and the Junior A-level B.C. Hockey League, which did the same in bubble formats to showcase its players for NCAA recruiters.
“It’s very important to get our players exposure to NCAA programs and also to WLA and [pro] National Lacrosse League teams,” said Rod Wood, vice-president of the Victoria Junior Shamrocks and chairman of the BCJALL. “At least one WLA team has already asked [in case a season can’t be held], if we could at least host a combine in August.”
The BCJALL believes it can do better than a combine. But what form a potential season will take is anybody’s guess. It will depend on what guidelines are announced on June 15 when the current provincial restrictions are set to expire.
“Everybody wants to do something and get something on the floor,” said Wood.
“We would like to get started by the beginning of July, but we don’t right now know what it will look like. There are a lot of unknowns at the moment that won’t be clarified until June 15 and possible new viaSport guidelines put in place at that time.”
The biggest issue for the BCJALL is travel, which is currently restricted between regions in the province to only essential movement. Six of the teams in the league are located on the Lower Mainland, with the Junior Shamrocks and Nanaimo Junior Timbermen on the Island.
“All eight teams would be involved with games taking place at venues across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island,” the BCJALL said in a statement.
“This will give our players the best opportunity to showcase their skills to NLL, NCAA, and WLA associations. It will also allow them to properly develop and not miss out on a second straight box lacrosse season.
“We are still working through the specifics of what this summer will look like, but we are excited to see teams back competing on the floor. We are almost at the end of the road, and we are just as thrilled as everyone else to return to some level of normalcy.”
