Houghton goaltender Jimmy Pietila (1) makes a save in front of Calumet's Scott Loukus (11) during the championship game of the 45th annual John MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Houghton, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — In the span of 14 months, the Copper Country went from Hockeyville USA to no hockey.

To say the least, it hasn’t been easy.

Among area high school coaches and players the vote is unanimous — it stinks. But that’s sports in 2020.

Hockey practices had already begun when schools were shut down on Nov. 18 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases across the state. College and professional sports were exempt from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order.

The coaches are hoping to start up again on Monday Jan. 4. But no one is holding their breath.

The coaches said it will be like starting the season all over again. The season will be shortened to 14 or 15 games from the usual 25.

“This crisis will tell us a lot about our kids,” said Jeffers head coach Pat Nettell. “It will show us how self-driven they can be and how disciplined they are to keep their hockey interest up and ready.”

“Everything is crazy,” Nettell said. “We were two weeks into our practices. You do all that work and conditioning, and then it gets taken away from you.”

While he added that the kids were equally disappointed, he said the shutdown threw a wrench into the Jets team building skills. Jeffers has co-op agreements with Chassell, L’Anse, Baraga and Dollar Bay. Lake Linden-Hubbell switched its co-op from Jeffers to Hancock prior to this season.

“We have two kids from L’Anse, one from Baraga and one from Chassell,” he said. “The kids were working so hard in those first two weeks, and we were just beginning to gel.”

First-year Hancock head coach Scott Mikesh said the Bulldogs were also on a roll with practices.

“We had had 10 practices when we were shut down,” he said. “I was happy with what I saw. I thought it was going really well. The players were on board with the changes we had made.”

He and his coaching staff have made it a point to stay in touch with each of the players through Google meetings.

“Along with keeping the kids updated on what’s going on, we have done a little work on our (gameplay) systems,” he said.

In Houghton, Gremlins head coach Corey Markham has 12 returning players which he said is encouraging. He too has been taking advantage of online meetings.

“We try to keep in contact everyday whether through Zoom meetings or email,” he said. “The kids here love to play hockey, and they want to play.”

All the coaches said an unusually warm November and December has made it even more difficult for players to get out on local outdoor rinks.

“It is not like basketball where all you need is a hoop,” Nettell said. “Hockey needs ice and that is not even happening.”

Markham said the Gremlins’ season will resume as soon as the MHSAA gives the green light.

“We will be excited to go once we receive our OK,” Markham said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20-plus years of coaching. By now, I am usually in the middle of my season. To be here and not be with the kids is beyond disappointing.”