TL;DR: 

• We are now indefinitely requiring masks for the hockey league in all areas of the ice, GOALTENDERS INCLUDED.
• Take this survey to help inform the board on the league’s thoughts on COVID-19 for our fall season.

Hey all!
We will keep this coming e-mail brief but there are two important items to cover in this e-mail.

Mask mandate: to further facilitate safety and in tandem with our vaccination requirement for all players within the league, we will be requiring masks in all spaces of the rink. This includes in the lobby, the locker room, and the ice. We understand that some goaltenders have trouble playing with a mask on the ice due to helmet fastening issues, however, given the indoor mask mandate from Dane County Public health (effective 2021-08-19), goalies will also be required to wear a mask at all times in the rink.

Survey: Last year, we used a league-wide survey to inform a number of decisions the board made last season and will be conducting a survey this season, as well. You can take the survey here. We understand that some members may wish to share their thoughts anonymously. If this is the case, please respond to an e-mail that is not linked to your MGHA account to the e-mail on the CC line (board@madisongayhockey.org). We will be evaluating this survey next week Sunday, so please take it by end of day Saturday.
Thank you all for your thoughts and respecting the updated mask mandate!The MGHA Board

As I’m sure you’ve heard around, cases are rising, and the delta variant leaves some COVID question-marks.

• As of right now, we are continuing our season as planned.  The 6 week preseason is optional, and we will be focusing on activities in smaller groups.  However we are aware of changing conditions, and the possibility that it may not be safe to return to play in a few weeks
• AS A REMINDER: VACCINES ARE REQUIRED, with exceptions for medical conditions
• We are recommending masks in rink common areas and locker rooms.  Masks on ice are optional right now, but may be mandated as conditions change
• Should a season cancellation/postponement be necessary, or if the changing COVID situation changes your personal comfort and ability to play hockey, we will work out a system to give prorated refunds of ice fees
• If you have public health and/or other COVID-relevant expertise or experience, and are willing to discuss the COVID situation with the board, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you
• We have an existing set of comprehensive COVID guidelines, and we are working on updating those guidelines to better reflect the current ever-changing landscape of the pandemic

Keep in mind that this is subject to change as conditions, regulations, and rink policies are updated.