Jeff Marek reports that the league's board of governors is expected to approve the sale and relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to St. John's.
At the QMJHL BOG meeting this week expect a vote to pass on the sale and relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a group in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) December 8, 2024
This has been rumoured for a few months but it's been quiet in recent weeks. But it's believed to have been quiet because it's been a done deal for a while. Officials in St. John's have been saying all the right things without really saying much of anything.
The QMJHL left St. John's in 2008 after three seasons of the Fog Devils. Ironically, 15 years ago, the Titan were nearly bought and relocated to St. John's. 15 year later it looks like that is actually going to happen.
The St. John's squad will face the same logistical and financial issues that the Fog Devils, AHL and ECHL teams all faced. But, this time around, there seems to be a recognition that this is it. Ownership, government, sponsors and fans know that it's either make the QMJHL work or have no high level hockey playing at Mary Brown's Centre.
This will, obviously, have an impact on the QMJHL's schedule. The Saint John Sea Dogs, for example, aren't going to be able to make a mid-week day trip to St. John's like they do to Bathurst currently. In the Fog Devils days, teams would fly over and play two or three games before returning home. The Fog Devils would typically play three to six road games during a trek to the mainland.
While it's a happy time for hockey fans in Newfoundland, it's s sad moment for fans in northern New Brunswick. Unfortunately, this move has felt inevitable for awhile. The Titan have been for sale for nearly a year, and nobody can say the QMJHL hasn't given the market a chance over the last decade.
Bathurst is currently averaging a league low 1,550 fans per game.
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