BRAMPTON, Ont. — News the Brampton Beast are ceasing operations may affect the Newfoundland Growlers more than just the loss of what was one of their most frequent ECHL opponents.
It could also lead to a change in the Growlers’ travel pattern whenever they resume play.
The demise of the Brampton, Ont,, franchise was revealed in a Thursday update from the ECHL’s midseason board of governors meetings. In a separate release, Beast president and general manager Cary Kaplan said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic had proved too much for the club, which is one of 12 ECHL teams (the Growlers are another) to have opted out of the 2020-21 ECHL season, this after the entire league had shut down — again, because of the pandemic — midway through the previous campaign.
An update from us: https://t.co/whxG71Bn45
— Brampton Beast (@BramptonBeast) February 18, 2021
Brampton joined the ECHL in 2014, coming over as part of an influx of teams from the defunct Central Hockey League, and was first affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens, then the Ottawa Senators.
As the only other Canadian team in the ECHL and a fellow member of the North Division, Brampton had a schedule full of matchups against Newfoundland. For example, the teams faced each other no less than 12 times in 2018-19, the Growlers’ inaugural season.
That frequency suited Newfoundland’s travel plans, since almost all the team’s road trips saw it pass through Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, just minutes from Brampton. As such, games against the Beast became the norm at the start and/or ending of Growlers’ road swings.
Tough day in the ECHL today. I spent 3 seasons with the Beast before coming home to work with the Growlers. They gave me my first PBP opportunity. I have many great memories from my time spent in Brampton on both sides of the press box. They will be missed. ❤️ https://t.co/DpIGzaxtGo
— Chris Ballard (@GrowlersBallard) February 18, 2021
However, should the Newfoundland team be able to return to action this fall, it may have other travel options. That’s because the 2021-22 season is set to see the debut of a team in Trois Rivieres. Que., a new ECHL affiliate of the Canadiens.
Given the fact Trois Rivieres and Newfoundland will undoubtedly be facing each other a lot, it is reasonable to assume the Growlers could be looking at more road trips with flights to=, from and through Montreal, which is less than two hours away from Trois Rivieres.
Thursday’s announcement concerning Brampton leaves the ECHL with 26 franchises, including the 11 still on a pandemic-related temporary shutdown. That number is due to rise to 28 in the fall with the arrival of the new team in Trois Rivieres and another in Coralville, Iowa. Both are owned by Deacon Sports and Entertainment, which belongs to Dean MacDonald, the Growlers’ majority owner.
The league has also approved an expansion franchise for Savannah, Ga., beginning in 2022.
@Tely_Brendan
