Could St. John's be joining the QMJHL in 2017-18?

IceCapsHabs

Registered User
Sep 16, 2012
71
0
St. John's
Article in local paper
So, on that note, we can inform you that Quebec Major Junior Hockey League commissioner Gilles Courteau acknowledges speaking briefly with Glenn Stanford, the current COO of the St. John’s IceCaps, about future hockey for Mile One Centre when the IceCaps are done. We can also report Courteau notes that a) the league has no plans for expansion, and b) there are no current QMJHL teams for sale, or looking to relocate.

This upcoming 2016-17 hockey season may well be the last for the IceCaps, and the American Hockey League for St. John’s.

The IceCaps and the Canadiens have an option for a third year on their minor league partnership, a clause put on place to cover the Canadiens if their new home currently under construction in Laval — Place Bell — isn’t completed for 2017-18.

By all accounts, it will be ready.
Full article here: http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/2016-07-01/article-4576262/No-firm-answers-for-Q-questions/1
 
Last edited by a moderator:

IHaveNoCreativity

Registered User
May 5, 2012
12,733
534
Somewhere in Quebec.
The complexe Branchaud-Briere in Gatineau can serve as a temporary home for the Olympiques, it's brand new and houses their youth teams. It will be small by Q standards (seating wise) but I don't think they leave.
 

bigdirty

Registered User
Mar 11, 2010
3,456
1,036
As is always the case with hockey teams in St. John's, travel costs are a problem. I hope it works out though, the city has great fans, they deserve a team.
 

edguy

Registered User
Feb 5, 2014
8,915
1,455
Charlottetown, PEI
Welp as an Islanders fan i hate saying this but, I have to imagine they are the next team for sale (next team to relocate) thats probably Saint Johns chance. With the low attendence and poor play they cant last much longer.

Although the Q already didnt work in st johns once (fog devils). I can see why another go at it is attractive
 

IceCapsHabs

Registered User
Sep 16, 2012
71
0
St. John's
I think it work this time if it was run better then the Fog Devils and were not called a terrible name like Fog Devil. People support hockey here and it would be shame to not have a team
 

JadedLeaf

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
4,446
2,660
Saskatchewan
I think it work this time if it was run better then the Fog Devils and were not called a terrible name like Fog Devil. People support hockey here and it would be shame to not have a team
If I remember correctly, the problem with the Fog Devils was never attendance. I think you guys actually had pretty good attendance no? It was the travel cost eating up all the revenue they would have normally name through the attendance.

I also remember when the Q left St.John's, people were saying things along of "this is a hockey city but the AHL would work better." For the record, I have no doubt that it's a hockey city but St John's is in a tough situation They're too far away from any NHL team for them to want to put their farm team there and for a Q team, the profits aren't enough to cover the travel costs even with good attendance.
 

McDrailers

Registered User
Apr 13, 2013
5,698
1,542
Newfoundland
If I remember correctly, the problem with the Fog Devils was never attendance. I think you guys actually had pretty good attendance no? It was the travel cost eating up all the revenue they would have normally name through the attendance.

I also remember when the Q left St.John's, people were saying things along of "this is a hockey city but the AHL would work better." For the record, I have no doubt that it's a hockey city but St John's is in a tough situation They're too far away from any NHL team for them to want to put their farm team there and for a Q team, the profits aren't enough to cover the travel costs even with good attendance.

This. Plus how would scheduling work? To have teams fly in for one game would be crazy in terms of cost
 

Canucks21

Registered User
Feb 24, 2015
246
0
Canada
Travel seems to be the only reason why theres not much interest from the Q to return to St. John's a way to fix this would be to have 2 or 3 teams move to NL at the same time is there any other arena and cities that could suport a Q team?

For the teams that are currently available Gatineau will need a place to play but it would be temporarily, Bathurst and at some point either Blainville or Quebec will be sold since theyre both own by the same group and they should fix that asap.
 

edguy

Registered User
Feb 5, 2014
8,915
1,455
Charlottetown, PEI
Travel seems to be the only reason why theres not much interest from the Q to return to St. John's a way to fix this would be to have 2 or 3 teams move to NL at the same time is there any other arena and cities that could suport a Q team?

For the teams that are currently available Gatineau will need a place to play but it would be temporarily, Bathurst and at some point either Blainville or Quebec will be sold since theyre both own by the same group and they should fix that asap.

Lets just give them 6 or 7 teams then they can have their own division.
 

JadedLeaf

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
4,446
2,660
Saskatchewan
Travel seems to be the only reason why theres not much interest from the Q to return to St. John's a way to fix this would be to have 2 or 3 teams move to NL at the same time is there any other arena and cities that could suport a Q team?

For the teams that are currently available Gatineau will need a place to play but it would be temporarily, Bathurst and at some point either Blainville or Quebec will be sold since theyre both own by the same group and they should fix that asap.

Bathurst is actually owned by a pretty large group of local investors with some former players that are in the NHL. While attendance is poor, it's a more stable ownership than LGM was.
 

JadedLeaf

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
4,446
2,660
Saskatchewan
This. Plus how would scheduling work? To have teams fly in for one game would be crazy in terms of cost

If I'm remembering things correctly, I think the agreement was that a team travelling to St.John's had half their travel expenses paid by the Fog Devils. I could be wrong too. It also changed the playoff format a little because instead of the 2-2-1-1-1 format, they went to a 2-3-2 format to lessen the travelling.
 

McDrailers

Registered User
Apr 13, 2013
5,698
1,542
Newfoundland
If I'm remembering things correctly, I think the agreement was that a team travelling to St.John's had half their travel expenses paid by the Fog Devils. I could be wrong too. It also changed the playoff format a little because instead of the 2-2-1-1-1 format, they went to a 2-3-2 format to lessen the travelling.

If its anything like the Ice Caps. Both the visiting team/themselves/refs all fly in together on one plane. My source for this is the play by play guy mentioning it on air.
 

Canucks21

Registered User
Feb 24, 2015
246
0
Canada
If I'm remembering things correctly, I think the agreement was that a team travelling to St.John's had half their travel expenses paid by the Fog Devils. I could be wrong too. It also changed the playoff format a little because instead of the 2-2-1-1-1 format, they went to a 2-3-2 format to lessen the travelling.

With the current playoffs format almost all series in the 2 first rounds are 2-3-2 so it wouldnt change anything for that. The problem could be if a st. john's team made the 3rd round or even the final the rule is no matter how far both teams are from each other its all series are 2-2-1-1-1. When Halifax came into the league the Q was paying a part of the travel expanses. maybe a st. john's team could try to work something like that atlease until they can had more team in NL.
 

Canucks21

Registered User
Feb 24, 2015
246
0
Canada
Bathurst is actually owned by a pretty large group of local investors with some former players that are in the NHL. While attendance is poor, it's a more stable ownership than LGM was.

Every owner as a point in which they cant afford to lose anymore money and will give up on trying to keep a team alive. for Bathurst its not a matter of if they will move, its a matter of when and where they will move
 

McDrailers

Registered User
Apr 13, 2013
5,698
1,542
Newfoundland
The only other NL city who could even think about sporting a Q team is Corner Brook. Which I don't even see as an option. They barely support local hockey.
 

Hockeydad67

Registered User
May 3, 2014
53
0
The only other NL city who could even think about sporting a Q team is Corner Brook. Which I don't even see as an option. They barely support local hockey.

Grand Falls Windsor could possibly support a team as well where they could draw from Corner Brook westwards to Clarenville and every community in between. Week day games would be a struggle but weekend matinee games would do ok. Central NL is very supportive of local hockey but that could also be its downfall as well because of the senior Cataracts and Caribous who have represented the Province at the Allen Cup the last 4 or 5 years straight.
 

chsb

Registered User
Jun 14, 2003
2,336
0
Visit site
Every owner as a point in which they cant afford to lose anymore money and will give up on trying to keep a team alive. for Bathurst its not a matter of if they will move, its a matter of when and where they will move

I have to disgress from this.

We should see a nice change next season as season tickets sales are already exceeding last season's and we are in mid summer.
It is way too early to dismiss a return to profitability for the new ownership.

As it stands, we can sense a new excitement for a team on the rise.

Besides St-John.'s were declined 5 years ago and the Mile One Center snobbed the Q before.
 

Canucks21

Registered User
Feb 24, 2015
246
0
Canada
I have to disgress from this.

We should see a nice change next season as season tickets sales are already exceeding last season's and we are in mid summer.
It is way too early to dismiss a return to profitability for the new ownership.

As it stands, we can sense a new excitement for a team on the rise.

Besides St-John.'s were declined 5 years ago and the Mile One Center snobbed the Q before.

If this is true good if people gain interest in the team again but the team has still alot of work to do if they want the new people to stay and to gain more fans they have to start being good people out dont want to see a team that doesnt make the playoffs or loses in 4 or 5 games in the 1st round every year
 

IceCapsHabs

Registered User
Sep 16, 2012
71
0
St. John's
QMJHL, Part Deux?

So come September, mark the 2016-17 hockey season as the final one for the American league in St. John’s for a very, very long time… if ever.

My guess it’s the latter.

Undaunted, however, the current IceCaps’ organization says it remains committed to providing elite hockey for Mile One Centre.

Just what this hockey is remains a secret, but I have a sneaking suspicion.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Part Deux.

I have no concrete evidence to suggest a second go-round of the QMJHL in St. John’s is assured, but let’s just say when the league commissioner says he’s been speaking with the IceCaps — in this case, Glenn Stanford — it’s a good indicator something’s cooking.

Granted, Gilles Courteau also said expansion is not imminent, and there are no teams for sale, but it is a known fact there are a couple or six teams in the QMJHL whose attendance is nothing short of alarming.

That, and the fact our spies tell us — seriously, not the spies part, though —St. John’s is being mentioned more frequently in QMJHL rinks as a future league destination.

The QMJHL, of course, isn’t new to St. John’s. For three seasons — from 2005-06 until 2007-08 — the St. John’s Fog Devils played out of Mile One. The Fog Devils made the playoffs each year, but failed to get past the first round.

Then the junior team was suddenly sold by owner Derm Dobbin in 2008, following the death of his brother, and the money behind the franchise, Craig Dobbin.

To say the Fog Devils were a hit would be a fabrication. In truth, they were just there, with rare moments when the team really grabbed the attention of the local hockey fan.

So who’s to say major junior hockey will work once again? Fair question, and the truth is no one really knows.
SOURCE: http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/2016-07-17/article-4590739/QMJHL,-Part-Deux?/1
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Jack Bauer

Registered User
May 30, 2007
6,154
743
Cape Breton
Every owner as a point in which they cant afford to lose anymore money and will give up on trying to keep a team alive. for Bathurst its not a matter of if they will move, its a matter of when and where they will move

Bathurst is on a clock that's going to strike midnight if they can't drastically increase interest and revenues.

chsb is a cheerleader who I can prove has been talking about them turning corners for a decade to the point that they've turned so many corners that they're always no further ahead.

They are barely surviving based on all metrics most would use to measure such a thing. Possibly the weakest market in the entire CHL.
 

edguy

Registered User
Feb 5, 2014
8,915
1,455
Charlottetown, PEI
Bathurst is on a clock that's going to strike midnight if they can't drastically increase interest and revenues.

chsb is a cheerleader who I can prove has been talking about them turning corners for a decade to the point that they've turned so many corners that they're always no further ahead.

They are barely surviving based on all metrics most would use to measure such a thing. Possibly the weakest market in the entire CHL.

Just remember 4 corners in the same direction gets you back to where you started. Thats AB's modo i think
 

chsb

Registered User
Jun 14, 2003
2,336
0
Visit site
Bathurst is on a clock that's going to strike midnight if they can't drastically increase interest and revenues.

chsb is a cheerleader who I can prove has been talking about them turning corners for a decade to the point that they've turned so many corners that they're always no further ahead.

They are barely surviving based on all metrics most would use to measure such a thing. Possibly the weakest market in the entire CHL.

And for the last 10 years, on all forums you have advocated their funeral and they are still there.
Isn't that the definition of resiliency?
 

Jack Bauer

Registered User
May 30, 2007
6,154
743
Cape Breton
And for the last 10 years, on all forums you have advocated their funeral and they are still there.
Isn't that the definition of resiliency?

No. There has been no improvement. They're merely treading water waiting for a miracle.

Eventually local owners will be sick of losing money.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->