The Newfoundland Growlers are without home ice just one week before their season home opener, and that’s already having an impact on the local business community.

Brendan Hickey, the co-owner of the Newfoundland Embassy, a pub located immediately across the road from Mile One Centre, is shocked.

Hickey and his brother took over the business in late 2019 and have faced a number of obstacles since then.

He says they’ve put a lot of effort into preparing for a resumption of professional hockey in the capital city. “This was…some light at the end of the tunnel,” says Hickey who has developed a relationship with the Growlers. “We had a lot of things planned for this season.”

Hickey says small businesses throughout the downtown will be affected. He says while they aren’t privy to everything that has been going on, he was critical of the city for not supporting local small business.