Meet Newfoundland's new pro basketball team, the … Growlers? Yep, the Growlers
CBC
The owners of the Newfoundland Growlers are expanding from the hockey rink to the basketball court in 2022, launching a new team in Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The league, along with team ownership group Deacon Sports and Entertainment, announced Friday that the Newfoundland Growlers Basketball Club would be the leagues' 10th franchise, and will play at Memorial University's Field House in St. John's starting in May.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League began play in 2019, and has become the largest professional sports league based entirely in Canada.
"I think you're going to see an amazing brand of basketball. This league is so exciting," Growlers owner Dean MacDonald said Friday.
MacDonald said the basketball team will use the same name and logo as the hockey team because Deacon has built a strong Growlers brand, and the decision will allow the organization to expand team programs and charity organizations to basketball.
"When you come into a league and you have to talk to the principals of the league about what your logo is going to be and what your brands going to be, it was about a two-minute conversation, I think," he said.
MacDonald said the team is not affiliated with the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada, which is on hiatus after being unable to find a home to play in this year. MacDonald had tried to purchase the team, but the deal fell through.
Meanwhile, the Newfoundland Rogues, St. John's other fledgling basketball team, will begin their season at home in the Mary Brown's Centre on Saturday.
League commissioner Mike Morreale said the league is thrilled to come to Newfoundland, making the league a true coast to coast experience.
"We couldn't be more excited," he said. "The players that will come grace this floor, starting in May, will be some of the best players this country has produced, with some of the best import players available to us."
He said the venue also makes the experience special due to the league's connection to the national USports program. CEBL teams are mandated to include roster spots for university players, and one Growler spot will be reserved for a graduate of MUN's basketball program.
As part of the deal to play in the field house, Deacon will pay the university's athletics department $75,000 annually to fund scholarships and athletic awards. The contract also shares revenue from food and beverage sales, according to MacDonald.
The field house will also be upgraded to improve the basketball atmosphere, said MacDonald, who expects the team to draw around 2,500 fans per game. The use of the court will not affect the schedule of the Memorial Sea-Hawks, as the league plays in the spring and summer.
The team has a three-year contract with the university.
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after an officer involved shooting at Danforth Go station early Saturday morning, said Toronto police.
Montreal officials will hold a ceremony to mark the 36th anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre today.
The City of Regina's proposal to build a roadway through the McKell Wascana Conservation Park should be discarded, local conservationists say.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.