The Saint John Sea Dogs are here to stay, at least for the next five years. This all comes after Common Council voted to approve funding up to $112,000 to help support the team.
Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie tells our newsroom the club was not actively looking for a new location but did have some offers, but this will help them stay at Harbour Station.
“The Sea Dogs have been here for 14 seasons with aspirations of hosting a Memorial Cup the next time it swings around to the Q-League in 2022 so this is very exciting for us to have this five-year extension,” stated Georgie.
The money council agreed to give the hockey club over five years is contingent on the five-year license extension the team recently signed with the Harbour Station Commission and the securing of a naming rights partner.
According to the agreement, the hockey club would not agree to the extension without a more “favourable financial arrangement” — one the commission was unable to offer.
Speaking Monday, Councillor Ray Strowbridge said council was asked to help after the commission and the club were unable to come to an agreement.
“Basically what it was told to us, and what I heard, is if we can’t reach an agreement, the Saint John Sea Dogs are leaving town,” said Strowbridge at Monday’s meeting. “They even gave us the name of another city where they were going.”
The team is in a rebuilding phase and Georgie admits fan support has been good, but added getting more fans out to the games would be a big help.
“Is it where we would like it to be, right now? – no, as the team improves on the ice and as the team matures and hits its peak with the next cycle I’m sure it will improve, but we could always use more support, that is for sure,” stated Georgie.
