Haiden Dickson is just hoping for one last hurrah with his friends and longtime teammates.
These days, the 20-year-old Delta Islanders standout is stepping on the floor once a week as part of four training groups at the Ladner Leisure Centre, awaiting word if there will be some form of a 2021 B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League season.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the entire 2020 campaign and the current provincial health restrictions, which have been in place since November, only allow teams in all sports to train.
That could change soon as government and health officials will announce on Tuesday the province’s re-opening plans.
Outdoor sports are expected to be playing games again soon, but it remains to be seen what happens with box lacrosse. The Ontario Junior Lacrosse League did announce it plans to start its season in July on the heels of its provincial re-opening plan.
BCJALL team governors will meet later next week, with just how flexible of a time frame it has to return, being a top priority of discussion.
“Our league originally planned a meeting for June 1, however, with the changing landscape we are looking to move it up to May 26 or 27 after the PHO (announcement) on Tuesday,” said BCJALL commissioner Karl Christiansen. “We have made a few different scenarios, however, many facilities are now wanting to put ice back in and our clubs are becoming limited to facilities (available to them).”
As for Dickson, he just wants the chance to close out the Delta stage of his career.
The last time he played junior he was a member of the Coquitlam Adanacs in the 2019 Minto Cup national championships. The Islanders traded the high-scoring right-hander to the league juggernaut at the deadline with his playing rights reverting back to his hometown team at the conclusion of the season.
Weeks later, Dickson was selected by the Calgary Roughnecks in the first round of the National Lacrosse League draft and made the rare jump to the pro ranks when he was 19, netting a hat trick in his debut.
A 2021/22 NLL season is looking like a good bet and he will for certain be among the top picks in the 2022 Western Lacrosse Association Draft, which means his days are numbered for playing in the Ladner Leisure Centre again.
Dickson is part of a strong 2000-born age group that helped Delta Lacrosse win its first-ever Midget A1 title in 2016. It had been a bumpy start to junior with the Islanders missing the playoffs for three straight years. Now the hope is COVID doesn’t cost them the other two.
“I have played with these guys for a long time and hopefully we can do something this year if we can get this season going,” he said. “It’s a good mix with older and young guys. We have also made some trades too, bringing in offensive and defensive players.”
