The ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers and Trois-Rivières Lions are at risk of folding before the 2023-24 regular season draws to a close, per a report from Matthew Vachon and Paule Vermot-Desroches of Le Nouvelliste. The clubs, which are the second-tier affiliates of the Maple Leafs and the Canadiens, respectively, are majority-owned by Deacon Sports and Entertainment, which is nearing bankruptcy and owes the city of Trois-Rivière more than $600K.
According to Vachon and Vermot-Desroches, the ECHL has set a deadline for DSE to sell the clubs by April 2. However, the sale of both franchises is unexpected to happen in time. The ECHL’s board of governors, led by commissioner Ryan Crelin, will meet Tuesday to decide whether to allow them to play out the season. Regardless, the league will absorb ownership of the two franchises after the April 2 deadline.
Both teams have 10 or fewer games remaining on their regular-season schedule. The Growlers and Lions are both in the league’s North Division and are part of a tight race to claim the final two playoff spots available with Maine, Reading, and Worcester – all five clubs are within five points of each other. As Vachon points out, it’s worth noting that each team will have a representative at the board of governors meeting that will decide the Growlers’ and Lions’ fate, and it’s fair to assume those in the playoff hunt could help swing a vote toward not allowing the clubs to finish the season.
The Growlers have been one of the league’s most successful teams since their inception in 2018-19, winning the Kelly Cup in their inaugural campaign and making it to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2023. The Lions are only in their third year of existence and their lone playoff appearance, coming in their inaugural season, was cut short in the first round at the hands of Newfoundland.
No players under contract with the Canadiens are currently on assignment to Trois-Rivières, but they hold the exclusive signing rights of three players on the squad: forward Jakov Novak, a 2018 seventh-round pick of the Senators whom they acquired last offseason; defenseman Miguël Tourigny, a 2022 seventh-round pick; and goaltender Joe Vrbetic, a 2021 seventh-round pick.
However, two NHL-signed players are on assignment to Newfoundland. Maple Leafs 2021 sixth-round pick Vyacheslav Peksa is the team’s current backup netminder, posting an .890 SV% and a 5-10-1 record in his first season in North America. Panthers defense prospect Nathan Staios was loaned to the club late last month.
Sad to see. I remember when Atlantic Canada was well-represented in the AHL to the point of having their own division, and now pro hockey in the Maritimes is on a thread. Newfoundland’s getting decent attendance, 3700 a game, on par with the rest of the division. Trois-Rivières has the second worst attendance in the league, however, and hasn’t really done better.
Something of a non-sequitur, but I popped over to the team Wikipedia articles to see if there were any other sources, and Trois-Rivières has one of the most awesome sports logos I’ve ever seen. Check it out.
@Nha Trang – That Fleur-de-lis shaped lion’s head in home and away colors does look pretty cool.
@Mac – I’ve got some coin saved up in my piggy bank, wanna go in on buying a team? :D
@Gbear — Boy is that ever tempting! But, I must decline. I have to get some PC stuff to use the old processor that was in this current rig. Plus, how do we know Bettman wouldn’t stick his nose in our business and gum up the works? If this had happened before the President’s Day sale last month, I’d have been able to do it with ease. That CPU was priced historically low, thanks to a 20% discount.
@Mac – After my transmission went in my vehicle back in January (either $5000 to repair it or buy a new vehicle…I bought the new vehicle), my piggy bank is all I have left, lol!
Word is Bettman is considering having both teams play in a public skating rink for 3 years until something can be worked out, so if you start saving now….. :D
If Gary sticks his nose in this, the teams will relocate to New Mexico and Louisiana. Gives you somewhere with nice weather to visit during the hockey season. Maybe he tries to grow the game and moves them to the original Mexico and the Caribbean.
Also playing on public outdoor rinks.
@wreckage — Upgraded/resurrected New Mexico Scorpions and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, eh? The other alternatives scream for synthetic ice, and complimentary Flak jackets for the patrons.
@Gbear — You have my sympathies. Bettman might strong-arm them all to share the vaunted Moolay Mini-Sticks Ice Barn in Tempe. Ok, NHL Schedulers, now do your thing! :)
Newfoundland is in town for three games against Worcester(the first last night). Talk about a tight race and although you want to make the playoffs you don’t want it to be from a team folding. Can’t seem to keep teams north of the boarder anymore. We lost Brampton when covid hit. Newfoundland plays some great hockey and the Lions have some of the prettiest jerseys I’ve ever seen. It’ll be interesting to see where the league goes with this. The owners also owned the Iowa Heartlanders but were able to sell them. Weird times.