News Article: UPDATE POST #58: Growlers Announce Agreement in Principle for a 10-year Lease Extension

[ibejigsaw]

Does it really matter where our D-level players play?

It's actually quite meaningful to those within the community.

 

[ibejigsaw]

Another negotiation Dubas loses

Fiscally Dubas has lost 0 negotiations lol.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

How many teams has St.John's lost now?

 

[Mugzy97]

Send them to Halifax??

 

[janesy12]

How many teams has St.John's lost now?

Leafs, Fog Devils (QMJHL), Ice Caps (Jets farm team), Ice Caps (Habs farm team), now possibly the Growlers (ECHL).

It's not just proximity that hurts us here, it's the fact that the city charges so much to lease the stadium to the teams.

"The St. John's Edge(basketball) and Newfoundland Growlers will take over the stadium for this season on a rental agreement, paying a base fee of $4,500 per game night while sharing food and beverage revenues with the city."

Apparently they're increasing the lease cost quite a bit, although the actual number is debatable depending who you believe:

"St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen has issued a statement to clarify what he calls misinformation in the media.

Breen says St. John’s Sports and Entertainment has made a “fiscally responsible” offer to the teams that does not increase costs by 65 per cent. Growlers owner Dean MacDonald says the offer presented to them would have meant a 65 per cent price increase.

Breen says the offer is very close to the current agreement and the Board is working hard to negotiate a lease that does not increase the taxpayer’s subsidy to SJSE."

 

[jackflash]

I always thought Brampton was the logical choice but I have no idea how one would deal with the Montreal affiliation etc.
If it were to happen, they'd be right up the road, and the team might still be in Brampton beyond a few years from now.

 

[Cor]

I always thought Brampton was the logical choice but I have no idea how one would deal with the Montreal affiliation etc.
If it were to happen, they'd be right up the road, and the team might still be in Brampton beyond a few years from now.

If the Growlers are moving to Quebec as speculated, I wonder if the Leafs and Habs do a swap of ECHL affiliates.

 

[Walshy7]

If the Growlers are moving to Quebec as speculated, I wonder if the Leafs and Habs do a swap of ECHL affiliates.

is there a set number of seats needed for ECHL arenas? If so I cant see it being a prohibitively huge number. They should look into making one of the master card center rinks into home of our ECHL affiliate. Then players move further down the gardiner with each promotion within the organization.

Can also use that ECHL arena for leafs open practices etc

 

[Mugzy97]

I could see AHL teams proximity being important, but not quite sure the ECHL teams proximity is very important

 

[egd27]

is there a set number of seats needed for ECHL arenas? If so I cant see it being a prohibitively huge number. They should look into making one of the master card center rinks into home of our ECHL affiliate. Then players move further down the gardiner with each promotion within the organization.

Can also use that ECHL arena for leafs open practices etc

Doubt they'd sell enough tickets to make it viable in Toronto. City's too big for ECHL.

 

[Walshy7]

I could see AHL teams proximity being important, but not quite sure the ECHL teams proximity is very important

Not important but just yet another thing we could use our financial advantage on, bring all our affiliates into Toronto.

Probably pretty likely MLSE doesn't want ECHL on their plate as well though and let others run it and pay them to do it.

 

[Walshy7]

Doubt they'd sell enough tickets to make it viable in Toronto. City's too big for ECHL.

yeah very fair point.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

It is expensive to keep flying the boys off the rock for games. I like either Halifax or St John's as a better choice than 3 rivers. Gotta deal with the French thing although it is a lot closer to get to more games. Bottom line the owner can't keep losing money year after year. If city can't get him to a break even position on lease then he will move team. Hope they can resolve it.

 

[Slot]

Ever booked yourself a flight to Florida?

How about a flight to Newfoundland? Or anywhere domestic in Canada for that matter?

Yeah..

Toronto to St John's is ~2100km in a straight line
Toronto to Orlando it's ~1700km

it's even worse driving as the route is ~3100km to St John's and 2100km to Orlando.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Toronto to St John's is ~2100km in a straight line
Toronto to Orlando it's ~1700km

it's even worse driving as the route is ~3100km to St John's and 2100km to Orlando.

Hate to say it but the last 5o0-600 clicks from Orlando down to Miami is a killer. You arrived in Florida but you are still a hellva long ways from the rink. Kinda like driving to Hali you get to NB and you think ok I am in east coast but no way you only half way baby.

 

[7even]

Hate to say it but the last 5o0-600 clicks from Orlando down to Miami is a killer. You arrived in Florida but you are still a hellva long ways from the rink. Kinda like driving to Hali you get to NB and you think ok I am in east coast but no way you only half way baby.

Lmao true. I did my undergrad around Savannah, Georgia. My girlfriend surprised me with tickets to a Tampa v. Toronto game (RIP Thrashers, bless up) and I was like awh hell yeah, it's just the next state over, how bad could it be?

9 hours in the car later

 

[Charlie McDonald]

If the Growlers are moving to Quebec as speculated, I wonder if the Leafs and Habs do a swap of ECHL affiliates.

The Beast are now Ottawa's Echl affiliate. Ya who knew

 

[The Masters]

This is fake lol

No lease would last only 1 season. Too much time and effort to do all of this for one season. unless someone is breaking the lease which is highly doubtful

 

[diceman934]

Not important but just yet another thing we could use our financial advantage on, bring all our affiliates into Toronto.

Probably pretty likely MLSE doesn't want ECHL on their plate as well though and let others run it and pay them to do it.

ECHL. East Coast Hockey League. Toronto area would not be approved.

 

[Loosie]

ECHL. East Coast Hockey League. Toronto area would not be approved.

You mean that same East Coast Hockey League that had teams in Alaska, Abbostford. And currently has teams in Idaho, Utah and South Dakota?

You understand that even though its history is 'East Coast Hockey League' it broke away from being truly 'East Coast' when it took in teams from the folded West Coast Hockey League.

 

[diceman934]

You mean that same East Coast Hockey League that had teams in Alaska, Abbostford. And currently has teams in Idaho, Utah and South Dakota?

You understand that even though its history is 'East Coast Hockey League' it broke away from being truly 'East Coast' when it took in teams from the folded West Coast Hockey League.

Thanks. Was not aware.

 

[Ciao]

Leafs, Fog Devils (QMJHL), Ice Caps (Jets farm team), Ice Caps (Habs farm team), now possibly the Growlers (ECHL).

It's not just proximity that hurts us here, it's the fact that the city charges so much to lease the stadium to the teams.

"The St. John's Edge(basketball) and Newfoundland Growlers will take over the stadium for this season on a rental agreement, paying a base fee of $4,500 per game night while sharing food and beverage revenues with the city."

Apparently they're increasing the lease cost quite a bit, although the actual number is debatable depending who you believe:

"St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen has issued a statement to clarify what he calls misinformation in the media.

Breen says St. John’s Sports and Entertainment has made a “fiscally responsible” offer to the teams that does not increase costs by 65 per cent. Growlers owner Dean MacDonald says the offer presented to them would have meant a 65 per cent price increase.

Breen says the offer is very close to the current agreement and the Board is working hard to negotiate a lease that does not increase the taxpayer’s subsidy to SJSE."

I'm interested in the opinions of Newfs like yourself.

The "news article" is not actually a news article in any sense of the word, but a manifesto drawn by the owner for maximum theatrical effect with the Leafs in town for training camp and the Sens coming for a pre-season game on the same day as the press conference. Maximum torque on this one.

All that sheds no light on the substance of the lease dispute, but I'm pretty sure the locals already have a good grasp of how things lie, and I would very much appreciate their thoughts on that.

I do find the cost of travel to Newfoubland astonishing. I've visited North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where my wife's family lives, dozens of time but have never gone to Newfoundland for want of time. This time we enquired about the cost of the ferry -- it was in excess of $500 return for four passengers with an automobile from North Sydney to Port-aux-Basques. More than double that to Argentia. I see there is a seasonal discount, but I was astonished and asked if Newfoundlanders would at least get a discounted fare and the answer is no. I found it all very steep and wondered how Newfoundlanders could afford such travel.

This would surely be an issue for a lower-level minor-league pro team that isn't made of money where bus travel is the norm.

 

[Ciao]

It is expensive to keep flying the boys off the rock for games. I like either Halifax or St John's as a better choice than 3 rivers. Gotta deal with the French thing although it is a lot closer to get to more games. Bottom line the owner can't keep losing money year after year. If city can't get him to a break even position on lease then he will move team. Hope they can resolve it.

Would they fly or bus? It beats me, but I've never heard of teams at this level do too much flying.

 

[Ciao]

I could see AHL teams proximity being important, but not quite sure the ECHL teams proximity is very important

I agree.

Players on NHL contracts can't be assigned to the ECHL without the player's consent. I can't think of any recent callups directly from the ECHL by the Leafs, and I don't think proximity to the Leafs is an issue.

I could see proximity to the Marlies being important, but I don't have any sense of how important that might be.

All things being equal, I think there's much value in having a team in Newfoundland with its sense of community and away from the glare and the media in the GTA. It should be a good incubator for young pros.

 

[TML Dynasty]

Send them to Halifax??

lol I wish!!! no chance with the Moosehead love here