As I know anyone and everyone who is reading this knows, COVID-19 has affected everybody in the world. It was definitely not anything we saw coming, and our day to day lives are not like ever before. A part of my day to day for a long period in my life has been playing hockey, and I've never thought that would be something that could change, but here we are. Between training and playing for my club team, I was grateful that we were able to get back on the ice as soon as we did because there was a lot of progress that could've been lost if we waited longer to play.

We began playing around the end of July to the beginning of August, after not playing since late March. The new regulations on the rinks were very new and confusing to us when we began, but we got used to it. We had to get dressed in the lobbies of any rink we went to because we were not allowed to use locker rooms. We had to wear masks at all times, and we were only allowed to take them off when we got on the ice. We had to sign multiple waivers and agreements for any rink we went to, and we have to get temperature checked before entering the building. But other than that, it's still the same old hockey that all of us hockey players love. It's a break from reality, an escape from the stresses that life brings.

We are however in danger of being shut down again due to COVID-19. With cold and flu season happening, with the cold weather, it is much easier to spread and contract illnesses of any kind, but what we are concerned about the most is COVID-19. We are now faced with rising numbers, and the finger is easily pointed at hockey, an indoor, contact sport. And that is understandable, which puts us at risk of being shut down again. The state of Massachusetts has closed all hockey rinks until further notice. And with the nature of the sport, if one player gets it, it is very easy to give it to multiple teammates. We are also faced with the challenges of telling between COVID and other illnesses, and we have to be very cautious. We still continue to play the game we love, and we hope to continue as long as it is in our safety's best interest.