Hockey teams adjust to pandemic alterations

Athletes and coaches will be faced with a variety of changes this season.

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Sports season officially here, hockey teams are eager to get back on the ice.

But things won't be the same.

Kimt news 3 sports zach gilleland is exploring how the pandemic is changing how hockey is played.xx hockey teams in minnesota are back on the ice this week and lourdes head coach jeff true is adjusting to the changes his team will face this year due to the pandemic.

"logistically speaking it's hard to run a practice when we have 30 players on the ice, we have to divide it up into two pods, we can't have more than 25 kids doing one drill or one specific thing, so that makes it a little more challenging for us, we just have to be a little more creative with what we do."

First things first, players must change outside ?

*- but can put on their skates indoors.

The chairs they sit in are marked and spaced out for social distancing.

No bags are allowed inside except for goalies, who require extra equipment.

Water bottles are placed apart along the railing.

And everyone wears a mask ?

"*?

"* a rule players wi have to get used to.

"it's a little different honestly but i feel like over time we're getting used to it, if anything it's going to help us for conditioning wise."

"it's pretty hard to breathe obviously, but i kind of gotten used to it during football when that was going on, so i kind of got a head start on all these guys."

"more so than other sports, your mask is going to get wet.

The solution, always make sure you bring a spare."

"even through practice we're going through them.

I'm telling everybody for game situations plan on bringing at least three."

Hockey will look different this year ?

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"* bu eagles are doing their part to make sure the season is a reality.

"the biggest thing right now is making sure our players and their families are safe.

We just want to make sure that we're going to be able to participate and make sure that the rink's able to keep open, so we're just doing everything we can right now."

In rochester, zach gilleland