Before the end of the season, the ECHL Board of Governors announced today that the league has terminated the membership of the Newfoundland Growlers. The league announced that the action would be effective immediately, and that it was due to Newfoundland’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the ECHL bylaws.
For the players, the league announced that any player currently on an ECHL contract will become unrestricted free agents, but no other team on the league may sign more than two former members of the Growlers roster. Furthermore, if there are any players are on AHL/NHL contracts, they will report to that team or have their 2023-24 season concluded.
The downfall of the Growlers began less than a week ago, as reports suggested that Deacon Sports and Entertainment, the majority owner of Newfoundland and the Trois-Rivières Lions, is nearing bankruptcy and owed close to $1MM. The ECHL reportedly gave the ownership group a deadline of April 2nd to sell the two franchises, with only the Lions being saved.
Founded in 2018 as the ECHL affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, the Growlers experienced a great deal of success in the organizations short lifespan. Winning the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season, Newfoundland made it to two straight Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season’s, losing to the Florida Everblades in each appearance.
It will mark the fourth time since 2005 that Newfoundland has seen a semi-professional organization either fold or relocate, as the city of St. John’s has fielded three separate AHL clubs over the last two decades. Now, without the Growlers, Newfoundland is back to square one in generating a sustained organization in the Province.
Yet another sad day in a long series of sad days for hockey on the rock.
Toronto Maple Leafs would not become involved????? Seems this should interest them. They must have a plan B.
How do you fail to make money in a market of 125,000 people? Closer to 200,000 in the greater metro area. The Sarnia Sting exist in a city of 73,000 people, and they frequently sell out games. In a fairly small arena, sure, but the point stands. Owen Sound Attack, in a city of 15,000 people (if that) stays pretty stable. These are OHL teams, but is the ECHL really that much bigger a draw?
They made money in Newfoundland. But they lost money in Trois Rivières. Yet somehow that’s the franchise that gets saved. *shrug*
Travel costs Dude.
Sounds like a beer from Unibroue!
It could come down to the idea that in the Canadian Juniors you are watching future NHLers and in the ECHL not as many players with a high ceiling.
This genuinely sucks. The Growlers had pretty good attendance, and I’m frankly surprised that the Lions survived — they were drawing less than half as many fans.
Who’s next? New York of the PWHL?
All the PWHL
When you’re named after 64oz of beer it’s hard to imagine failing in hockey
Might have made a great promo! ♂️
Thought the team was named after what Najeh Davenport left for his cheating ex girlfriend back in College at the U.
Hahaha, miss the ‘dump-truck’
They didn’t fail at hockey, they failed at business.
Hope all the players can hook up with new teams soon. Lousy situation for them.
I’ve got an idea. They could move the Arizona Coyotes to New Foun………..uh…….um……no, forget it.
Why not? They’d be playing in an arena with a larger capacity than Mullett. (grins)