ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Dean MacDonald came into this week knowing he would be paying close attention to the next meeting of City Council.
No, we’re not talking about the regular municipal gathering at New Gower Street in St. John’s.
It’s the Quebec municipality of Trois-Rivières that has the attention of the owner of the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers.
MacDonald has a proposal to put another ECHL team in the Colisée, a new 4,500-seat facility set to open in Trois-Rivières next fall.
He and Growlers chief operating officer Glen Stanford have done a lot of spadework towards establishing what would be a new team affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens in Tros Rivieres, situated on the St. Lawrence River halfway between Montreal and Quebec.
But they struck a rocky patch recently.
The city’s mayor, Jean Lamarche, seems cool to the proposal, recently telling the Trois-Rivières daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste he wants more information, included clarification of MacDonald business plan. The paper also suggested Lamarche favours having the new arena associated with the University du Quebec-Trois-Rivières (UQTR) and its hockey team, the Patriotes.
“He’s leaning that way, at least from what we understand, but it is similar to council here,” said MacDonald. “He’s one vote and we do know from people reaching out to us that there are others on council who seem to be supportive.”
“He’s one vote and we do know from people reaching out to us that there are others on council who seem to be supportive.” — Dean MacDonald
The reaching out works both ways, with MacDonald sending an information packet to all members of council.
“I sent a letter last week because we had been just dealing with the mayor and we weren’t sure whether council really had been informed or at least was clear about our position,” said MacDonald, adding there was also outreach to council from Marc-Andre Bergeron, the Trois-Rivières native, former NHL defenceman, entrepreneur and MacDonald associate on the ECHL proposal.
Council meets tonight, with the Colisée and its potential usage and tenants expected to be on the agenda.
“It’s in the hands of the city at this point. If (tonight’s) meeting leads to what would see as a positive outcome, I think it would lead to a more fulsome discussion about actual details,” said MacDonald,” but we think it’s pretty clear what we are prepared to do.
“The Canadiens have stated publicly they will be the affiliated NHL partner, and we seem to be getting a lot of support in the community from fans and from citizens in general, and we’ve had positive feedback from the business community there.”
As for other parties who might be looking to utilize the new arena, McDonald said he would welcome a collaborative effort.
“We are willing to work with anyone,” he said. “The university hockey team has just 12 to 15 games (a season), so there’s room (on the hockey calendar) for everyone. The more the busier, and the more the merrier, because that will make it more successful.
“We are willing to work with anyone." — MacDonald
“Council doesn’t need to feel that we’re saying, ‘us alone or not’ or that we have adopted a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. We understand there is expressed interest from others and we think that’s wonderful, that it makes sense.”
Trois-Rivières was once home to a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, the Draveurs, but the QMJHL hasn’t been in the city since 1992 and return to major junior seems unlikely with the Q’s Shawinigan Cataractes just 30 minutes down the road.
The Canadiens once had a loose affiliation with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast, but that ended last season and this year, the Habs have their ECHL assignees with a number of teams. However, MacDonald said the Canadiens have indicated they are interested in having an ECHL franchise in Trois-Rivières following the model of the Growlers and Toronto Maple Leafs, who have what is agreed to be the strongest partnership, especially in terms of roster building, in the AA minor hockey circuit.
MacDonald agrees having a Canadiens-associated club in Trois-Rivières would be good for the Growlers in that it would provide a natural rival and would help reduce the Newfoundland team’s travel costs, and not just for away games. Sharing the same ownership would mean the Growlers wouldn’t have to pay a Trois-Rivières team the travel subsidy it provides other visitors to Mile One Centre in St. John’s.
“That’s true, it would be a benefit (to the Growlers), but it’s not the reason we’re doing this,” said aMcDonald.
“It’s because Trois-Rivières a good market and it’s a hockey hotbed, the hometown of Jean Beliveau and other stars. We have a good plan, good partners and we really believe we can make it work.”
Twitter: @telybrendan
