The ECHL officially announced St. John's, NL as its newest expansion team Tuesday.
The yet-to-be named team will begin play next season in the North Division, joining the Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Manchester Monarchs, Reading Royals and Worcester Railers.
“We are pleased to welcome St. John’s to the ECHL,” said league commissioner Brian McKenna. “The city has a long and proud hockey history and, along with the Maine Mariners, will be strong additions to our North Division.”
The team will be owned by Deacon Sports and Entertainment, an entity controlled by St. John's businessman Dean MacDonald. Glenn Stanford, the long-time president of the city’s American Hockey League St. John's Maple Leafs and St. John's IceCaps franchises, will oversee operations.
“Both Glenn and I are ecstatic that professional hockey is coming back to St. John’s," MacDonald said. "We believe that hockey fans in our city will welcome this great product.
“We look forward to working with St. John’s Edge owners Irwin Simon and Rob Sabbagh, along with the city, to bring two amazing sports entities together. This strong partnership will elevate professional sports in Newfoundland and provide many nights of action-packed entertainment for the community.”
The new St. John's team will be affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
MORE TO COME
