The owner of the Newfoundland Growlers is taking a stab at owning a second ECHL franchise, this time in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. However, any Growlers fans with concerns can breathe a sigh of relief.
During a call to the Monday Night Sports Show with Ben Murphy, Dean MacDonald said that he and Growlers COO Glenn Stanford were approached by the Trois-Rivières City Council last Spring about potentially bringing in a franchise affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens – similar to what was done here with the Growlers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Listen to Dean MacDonald speak with VOCM’s Ben Murphy below:
Stanford has a long-standing relationship with the Canadiens franchise. He was also COO of the St. John’s Ice Caps when they were the Habs’ American Hockey League affiliate.
There is a brand new arena under construction in Trois-Rivières that is set to open in September 2020 where the team would play. MacDonald and Stanford made a trip there and visited the site, which initiated further discussions. They presented to city council again last week.
MacDonald says the thought behind it is quite simple. He claims that if they can get another ECHL team here in Canada and closer to Newfoundland, it severely cuts down on travel and associated costs, as they subsidize teams that come to Newfoundland and Labrador. He says it would have great economic benefit for the Growlers and the league overall by bringing the Montreal Canadiens into the ECHL instead of just a handful of players spread over multiple teams. The Canadiens currently do not have an ECHL affiliate.
He indicates that it also makes sense for the Canadiens as their AHL affiliate is in Laval, Quebec and Trois-Rivières is only an hour and a half away.
That being said, a lot needs to be done with the City of Trois-Rivières and whether the economics will work for them. MacDonald says market studies on fan support and corporate sponsorship support are currently underway. He says it’s far from a slam dunk, but they’ll do anything they can to strengthen the Growlers franchise and the league.
MacDonald says the project is contingent on the affiliation with the Canadiens. He says they’ve had deep discussions with the Canadiens and they—along with the Trois-Rivières council—understand and are aware of that condition.
Owning Two Teams Permitted, says MacDonald
Some raised questions about owning two teams in the same league, but MacDonald says it is permitted and already happening—although, it does come with some strict rules; like no trading among each other.
He says if it reached a point where it looked like things were coming together, they would be looking for local ownership to come on board to be the face, heart and soul of the team.
MacDonald has already been working with former Habs defenseman, Marc Andre Bergeron, who would take on the role of President. He jokes about their unique situation as neither he or Stanford speak french, and that they’ll need someone on the ground there.
MacDonald says there is still a lot of work to be done but was very clear where their hearts lie.
He says right now the odds are of this all coming to life are about 50/50. However, their hearts are in one spot, and that’s with the Growlers.
