FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  - DECEMBER 30, 2020 

HO HO KUS, NJ - Earlier today, New Jersey Governor Murphy announced the ban on indoor sports would be lifted on Saturday, January 2, 2020, at 12:01 AM, which essentially restores youth hockey games and practices under the imposed mitigation requirements prior to December 5, 2020. 

“On behalf of the AAHA, we appreciate Governor Murphy’s decision to allow indoor sports to resume, and we are grateful for all the work he and his leadership team put into making these decisions,” remarked Glenn Hefferan, AAHA President. 

The State will continue to require all competition to be amongst teams within the State, and teams from outside the State of New Jersey may not be hosted for competition inside the State, at least through January 31, 2021.  "We have already begun the discussions with New Jersey State Officials regarding our challenges with the Interstate Competition ban, and we hope to present a solution in the coming days that resolves the State’s concerns,” added Hefferan. 

The AAHA issued the following requirements for its New Jersey-based programs:  

Resumption of Competition: The Affiliate is calling upon our Clubs NOT to resume games over this first weekend until teams have participated in at least two practices prior to their first game or have been able to conduct two practices at an outdoor facility over the course of this week, or all athletes of the same team have participated in two (2) on-ice lessons over the course of this week. Further, the Affiliate requires no competition by and among teams where the outcome impacts standings of any kind. NOTE: This is an athlete safety issue. If your players haven’t been getting ice-touches or aren’t in game condition, jumping right into games does not align with the athlete’s wellbeing. 

Spectators: Spectators are still precluded from indoor youth sports venues. There are ongoing discussions with State officials to remedy this issue. The AAHA hopes to have an announcement soon.  

Locker Rooms: Use of locker rooms is still prohibited for team use; however, the AAHA recognizes there may be circumstances that require the use of locker on an individual player basis. 

Governor Murphy indicated that COVID outbreaks related to sports would be addressed on a case by case basis. The AAHA implores everyone to do their part for COVID mitigation and support your Clubs and facilities in these efforts. 

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The Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA), a 501c(3) corporation, is the recognized Affiliate of USA Hockey for Delaware, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. The AAHA comprises the entire geography known as USA Hockey’s Atlantic District. The AAHA governs amateur ice hockey for all ages of the youth, girls, and adult age classifications, except for Junior Hockey, which is managed by USA Hockey.