A kind of rebirth.
After two and a half months without playing due to the health crisis, the Jokers of Cergy-Pontoise played and lost (4-3) last Friday a championship match in Grenoble.
This Friday, they will receive this time at the Aren'Ice (behind closed doors) the Savoyard formation before replaying 24 hours later at the same place against Briançon, still in the Magnus League.
“We were happy to finally do battle with an opponent even if there was no public, confides captain Kévin Da Costa, whose team has a record of 2 wins and 3 defeats in only 5 contested days.
This trip was also an opportunity to get to know our new teammates better because since the start of the season we have been training and then each returning home.
Covid-19 prevents us from eating together or going for coffee as we did before. ”
A workforce with partial unemployment
The championship, which has 44 regular season games plus the playoffs, was stopped at the end of October due to government directives requiring the absence of an audience during the games.
The economic model of ice hockey relies, in fact, on ticket sales because there is no television right for the Magnus League.
During this period, the hockey players of Cergy-Pontoise - put on short-time work - had reduced the pace with 3 trainings per week, or about 6 hours per week.
“We did not want to stop completely because it is important in our sport to keep a touch of ice, explains manager Christophe Cuzin.
The players also trained in the weight room in order to be ready for the resumption. "
Debt that accumulates
Last December, Prime Minister Jean Castex envisaged a return of the public from January 20.
The federation then launched a recovery plan for the beginning of the year 2021 with 4 games behind closed doors (2 at home and 2 away) played for each team before a resumption with the public to go after the regular season.
But the unfavorable development of the health crisis does not allow the public to return to the rinks soon.
The federation has therefore asked clubs to prepare budget forecasts before the start of next week.
The objective of this consultation is to quickly determine whether the resumption of the season without spectators is viable.
The Jokers, promoted for the first time this season in the Magnus League, have an annual budget of € 1.8 million.
“I don't think we will be able to continue the season if we no longer benefit from partial unemployment, forecasts Christophe Cuzin.
The question is not whether we will end the season with debts, but what will be the amount of our debts? "
A new formula for the championship
A modification of the formula of the championship with 22 days of regular season (instead of 44) plus playoffs is currently under consideration.
Knowing that unlike previous seasons which ended in mid-April due to the World Cup, the cancellation of this last competition allows the Magnus League to be able to take place until the end of May.
All these uncertainties necessarily disturb the players.
"We're going to play again, but until when?"
Will we have an audience this year?
There are many questions, insists Kévin Da Costa.
This season doesn't look like much but we want to play it all the way to the end. "
The federation has also announced in recent days that there will be no relegation from Ligue Magnus to D1 this season.
A lesser evil?
"We can not be happy with the maintenance because the economic situation is very worrying", concludes Christophe Cuzin.