Growing up and into his adulthood Cameron Sault was your typical Canadian in that he loved to play hockey.
Stickhandling at full speed on the ice, Sault no matter if he was playing with friends or more recently the Hamilton Steelhawks was always full of passion and had that trademark smile on his face. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sault won’t be playing for the Steelhawks this season as Allan Cup Hockey (ACH) Commissioner Tom Strauch announced in December cancellation of the season.
“I saw a press release from the league president stating that there would be no 20-21 season,” Sault said. “I knew the chances of a season happening at all was slim so when the announcement was made it was no surprise.” Reflecting on his passion for hockey Sault, who is a veteran of the Allan Cup Hockey League added,
“I’m missing skating and playing for sure. I mean for as long as I can remember that’s what I loved about the winter the most. Playing puck. I’m usually on the ice 3-4 times a week during the season but not this year. Playing hockey is a huge self-care practice for me and has been for a long time. The teammates, the competitiveness, the skill level, the physicality and the simple joy and fun of playing. I’m missing all aspects of the game.”
Prior to last year’s COVID-19 shutdown in March, the Steelhawks found themselves in the drivers’ seat leading the Ontario finals 2-0 over Sault’s old team, the Brantford Blast.
“Leading the Ontario finals vs. Brantford two games to nothing, and having the season all of a sudden cancelled was tough to take,” Sault said at the time. “We had an Allan Cup contender of a team for sure.”
In the December press release in officially cancelling the season, ACH Chairman of the Board Don Robertson stated,
“We pulled out the common -sense book and it indicated that for the safety of our athletes and organizations and of course our fans, this was the only move that made sense. With most of the Province of Ontario shut down and most buildings not permitting fans, the Board of Governors has made this difficult decision. Last year we lost the Allan Cup tournament and this year is clearly no picnic either. That said, we are hopeful for the 2021-22 season and hoping to host the World’s oldest National Hockey Championship, the Allan Cup in Hamilton and Dundas in 2022. Stay safe everyone”
Sault wasn’t sure what his future holds in terms of returning in a year’s time as he said,
“To be honest, I hadn’t made a decision about playing another season. If it’s safe to return to play next season and they have a league then I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”
Right now, all anyone can do is play the waiting game and cross their fingers that Allan Cup hockey will return next year.