Newfoundland Growlers

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Newfoundland Growlers
2021–22 ECHL season
Newfoundland Growlers logo.svg
CitySt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
LeagueECHL
ConferenceEastern
DivisionNorth
Founded2018
Home arenaMary Brown's Centre
ColoursGold, black
   
Owner(s)Deacon Investments LTD
Head coachEric Wellwood
MediaCJYQ
Rogers TV
AffiliatesToronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Toronto Marlies (AHL)
Websitenlgrowlers.com
Franchise history
2018–presentNewfoundland Growlers
Championships
Division Championships1 (2018–19)
Conference Championships1 (2018–19)
Kelly Cups1 (2018–19)

The Newfoundland Growlers are a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The team began play in the 2018–19 ECHL season and have home games at Mary Brown's Centre. They are members in the North Division of the Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.[1]

In 2021, the ownership of the team has been in an arena operating and lease dispute with the city and was temporarily barred from playing Mile One Centre (later renamed Mary Brown's Centre during the dispute) during the beginning of the 2021–22 season.

History[]

The search for a new professional hockey team for St. John's began after the departure of the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League. In July 2016, the Montreal Canadiens, who owned the franchise used by the club, confirmed the relocation of the team to the newly constructed Place Bell arena in Laval, Quebec, for the start of the 2017–18 season. Danny Williams, who ran the IceCaps and owned the team's intellectual property, stated his intentions to find another franchise with the AHL or another league.[2][3]

From that point two rival groups formed. The first were the operators of the St. John's Edge basketball team and current occupants of the Mile One Centre, who looked to secure a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise for the arena. The other, led by local businessman Dean MacDonald and including ice hockey executive Glenn Stanford of the former IceCaps, were looking to secure an ECHL team.[4][5]

The ECHL franchise was conditionally approved for the Stanford-led group pending an arena deal but was delayed in late January 2018 after a dispute with the St. John's Edge ownership group over arena rights that led to arbitration.[6] After the lease issue was settled, the ECHL officially approved St. John's for entry into the league on March 13, 2018, to begin with the 2018–19 season, placing them in the North Division of the Eastern Conference.[7] The ECHL ownership group reportedly created a partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which would bring the organization back to St. John's for the first time since the team relocated their American Hockey League affiliate, the St. John's Maple Leafs, to Toronto in 2005.[8] The affiliation would eventually be confirmed on June 14.[1] Among the names considered for the new franchise were Shamrocks, Storm, Regiment, and Newfoundland Growlers.[9] The team announced its name as the Newfoundland Growlers on May 22, the name in reference to the Newfoundland dog, specifically the World War I mascot of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, Sable Chief. Ryane Clowe, a Newfoundland native, previously an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, was named head coach on June 20.[10] John Snowden was added as assistant coach on July 19 after serving in the same capacity for the Maple Leafs' previous ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears.[11]

The Growlers played their first game on October 12, 2018, a 3–2 win over the Florida Everblades in front of a sold-out arena.[12] In January 2019, Clowe stepped down due to health concerns and was replaced by assistant coach John Snowden.[13] The Growlers finished the season in first place within their division with 94 points. The Growlers then advanced through the 2019 playoffs to the league finals where they defeated the Toledo Walleye in six games to win the Kelly Cup. The Growlers were the first team since the 1989–90 Greensboro Monarchs to win the ECHL championship in an organization's first season of operations.[14][15] They are also the first Canadian team to win the Cup.

They did not get to defend their title in 2020 as the playoffs were cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Growlers then voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 ECHL season as the pandemic still had ongoing travel restrictions.[16] In the 2021 offseason, head coach Snowden was hired by the Growlers' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, as an assistant coach[17] and the Growlers brought in Eric Wellwood as the next head coach.[18] During the 2021–22 season, the Growlers hired Danielle Goyette as a temporary assistant coach when Wellwood was unavailable to coach due to COVID-19 protocols in February 2022, making Goyette the first woman to coach for an ECHL team.[19]

2021 arena dispute[]

In July 2021, co-tenant of Mile One Centre, the St. John's Edge basketball team, were not given the option to renew their lease despite being in negotiations with the Growlers ownership, Deacon Sports and Entertainment (DSE), to purchase the Edge.[20][21][22] This led to a dispute between DSE and the City of St. John's as the Growlers still needed to renew their lease agreement as well, ultimately signing a three-year agreement in August 2021.[23] However, the operations of the arena was continued to be criticized by DSE and tickets were not being sold a week before their first scheduled home game of the 2021–22 season.[24]

On October 27, 2021, the city voted to evict the team citing workplace harassment of arena employees with DSE planning to fight the eviction with a lawsuit.[25] A third-party investigation is underway and the Growlers initially scheduled their first six home games to be at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, the home of their AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies, in case they could not secure a more local arena.[26][27] They came to an agreement with the nearby city of Conception Bay South to play in their local arena for their first six games.[28] On November 18, DSE and the city came to an agreement to play the rest of the season at the Mile One Centre, which had been renamed Mary Brown's Centre in early November.[29]

Mascot[]

Buddy the Puffin is the mascot of the Growlers. Buddy, a longtime sports mascot in St. John's was previously the mascot of the St. John's Maple Leafs and later the St. John's IceCaps. Buddy's number is 92, which represents 1992, the year that he was introduced as the mascot of the St. John's Maple Leafs. Buddy was also the mascot for the St. John's Edge basketball team.[30]

Season-by-season records[]

Regular season Playoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA Standing Year 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Kelly Cup
2018–19 72 43 21 4 4 94 258 207 1st, North 2019 W, 4–2, BRM W, 4–2, MAN W, 4–1, FLA W, 4–2, TOL
2019–20 60 42 17 0 1 85 240 177 1st, North 2020 Season cancelled
2020–21 Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Did not participate

Players[]

Current roster[]

As of November 6, 2021.[31]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
4 United States D R 26 2021 Parrish, Florida Growlers
29 Canada LW L 21 2021 Marwayne, Alberta Growlers
34 Canada G L 24 2021 Bowmanville, Ontario Growlers
19 United States RW R 24 2021 Ann Arbor, Michigan Marlies
20 United States RW R 23 2021 Andover, Minnesota Moose
3 Canada D L 26 2021 Winnipeg, Manitoba Growlers
26 United States RW R 25 2021 Cranford, New Jersey Growlers
5 United States Brennan Kapcheck D D 25 2021 Mount Prospect, Illinois Marlies
27 Canada D L 21 2021 St. Catharines, Ontario Marlies
43 Canada  (C) D R 28 2018 Goulds, Newfoundland Growlers
16 Canada C R 24 2021 St. John's, Newfoundland Growlers
10 Canada Zach O'Brien RW R 29 2021 St. John's, Newfoundland Marlies
17 United States F L 24 2021 Madison, Wisconsin Marlies
35 United States G L 22 2021 Wilbraham, Massachusetts Marlies
7 Canada D L 23 2021 Boise, Idaho Marlies
11 Canada C L 27 2021 Nepean, Ontario Growlers
18 Canada D L 25 2021 Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec Moose
9 Canada C L 28 2021 St. John's, Newfoundland Marlies
15 Canada C L 29 2018 Thunder Bay, Ontario Growlers
14 United States F L 26 2021 South Dennis, Massachusetts Growlers

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Newfoundland Growlers Announce Affiliation with Toronto Maple Leafs & Toronto Marlies". The Newfoundland Herald. June 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "IceCaps Seek New Hockey Partner". OurSports Central. July 11, 2016.
  3. ^ "Canadiens moving AHL affiliate to Laval in 17-18". AHL. July 11, 2016.
  4. ^ "A brand new hockey game at Mile One in St. John's?". The Telegram. December 7, 2017.
  5. ^ "Faceoff over Mile One: Local group seeks ECHL franchise for St. John's". The Telegram. December 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "Securing Of ECHL Team On Hold During Arbitration: MacDonald". VOCM-FM. January 30, 2018.
  7. ^ "BOARD OF GOVERNORS APPROVES CHANGES FOR 2018-19 SEASON". ECHL. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  8. ^ "St. John's ECHL bid strikes partnership with Toronto Maple Leafs: sources". The Aurora. January 19, 2018.
  9. ^ "Newfoundland Growlers looks to be the name choice for new ECHL team". The Telegram. April 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "Ryane Clowe Named Head Coach of Newfoundland Growlers". OurSportsCentral.com. June 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "John Snowden Hired as Newfoundland Growlers' Assistant Coach". TheTelegram.com. July 19, 2018.
  12. ^ "Growlers Win Inaugural Game". OurSportsCentral.com. October 12, 2018.
  13. ^ "Ryane Clowe steps down as Newfoundland Growlers coach 'due to medical reasons'". CBC. January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  14. ^ "NEWFOUNDLAND WINS 2019 KELLY CUP TITLE". ECHL. June 4, 2019.
  15. ^ "Newfoundland Growlers cap inaugural season with Kelly Cup title". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  16. ^ "NORTH DIVISION ELECTS SUSPENSION OF PLAY FOR 2020-21 SEASON". ECHL. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  17. ^ "Toronto Marlies Name John Snowden Assistant Coach". OurSports Central. July 18, 2021.
  18. ^ "ERIC WELLWOOD NAMED HEAD COACH". Newfoundland Growlers. August 20, 2021.
  19. ^ "N.L. Growlers' Danielle Goyette becomes first woman in ECHL history to coach". Sportsnet. February 4, 2022.
  20. ^ "Tentative Deal Reached for New St. John's Basketball Franchise". VOCM (AM). July 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "FAST FACTS ON THE NEW BASKETBALL DEAL". Newfoundland Growlers. July 16, 2021.
  22. ^ "City 'Edges Out' Dean MacDonald with New Tentative Basketball Deal". VOCM. July 15, 2021.
  23. ^ "City of St. John's, Newfoundland Growlers reach lease agreement for Mile One Centre". CBC.ca. August 25, 2021.
  24. ^ "GROWLERS STATEMENT REGARDING TICKETING". Growlers. October 25, 2021.
  25. ^ "Deacon Sports says Growlers "Kicked Out" of Mile One". vocm.com. October 27, 2021.
  26. ^ "Newfoundland Growlers to play next homestand in Toronto; after that is anyone's guess". saltwire.com. October 27, 2021.
  27. ^ "UPDATE: Newfoundland Growlers to play at Coca-Cola Coliseum after getting barred from their arena pending investigation". SBNation. October 7, 2021.
  28. ^ "GROWLERS TO PLAY FIRST SIX GAMES OF THE SEASON AT CBS ARENA". Newfoundland Growlers. October 30, 2021.
  29. ^ "DSE and SJSEL Issue Joint Statement". OurSports Central. November 23, 2021.
  30. ^ "Buddy the Puffin coming out of retirement". NTV. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  31. ^ "Newfoundland Growlers Elite Prospects". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.

External links[]

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