Laval Rocket head coach Joël Bouchard joked last week that he was the toughest coach in the American Hockey League because all of his players have an 8:00 p.m. curfew, a nod to Quebec’s COVID-19 regulations. All teams in the AHL are in a tough spot, including two Csnadian teams — Belleville and Toronto — that are not sure where they will be playing their games.
Bouchard’s situation is no daylight-filled walk in the park either. The Rocket head coach has had his players skating but has to balance professionals on the cusp of the NHL or taxi squad with players who would be in the Canadian Hockey League in a normal situation.