SHREWSBURY, NJ — The ECHL announced on Tuesday the Newfoundland Growlers had ceased operations with just six games remaining in the regular season, resulting from their league membership being terminated effective immediately, as voted by the league's board of governors.
The league cited the franchises failure to fulfill its obligations under the ECHL bylaws.
Newfoundland's ownership group, Deacon Sports and Entertainment, was involved in an arena dispute with the City of St. John's back in 2021 over the teams' use of what was then called the Mile One Centre. While those disputes were resolved, DSE still owes the city of Trois Rivières close to $1 million over their use of the Colisée Vidéotron.
Despite the off-ice issues, the Growlers enjoyed success. The ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, won the North Division in the 2022-23 season and defeated the Adirondack Thunder in the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs last season.
The Growlers had to cancel their final six games of the season — three which were against the Trois-Rivieres Lions. The other three against the Norfolk Admirals. The Growlers will finish the season with a 28-28-10 record.
The ECHL and Professional Hockey Players’ Association agreed that all ECHL-contracted players on Newfoundland's roster would become unrestricted free agents, with a few stipulations.
Such as no ECHL member may sign more than two players from the free agent pool and any free agent who signs and finishes the season with a new ECHL team, will not be eligible to be on that team’s protected list and will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2023-24 season.
"All ECHL Contracted Players on the Newfoundland roster are Unrestricted Free Agents, however no ECHL Member may sign more than two (2) Players from the free agent pool of Newfoundland Players. Any Player from this pool who signs and finishes the Season with a new ECHL Member for the balance of the 2023-24 Season shall be ineligible for that Member's Protected List and shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the conclusion of the 2023-24 Season," the league said in its statement.
Two of the North Division teams effected by Newfoundland's demise, the Adirondack Thunder and Norfolk Admirals, are currently in a tight race for the North Division title.
As a result, there has been changes made to the playoff seeding, due to Norfolk’s final three games against the Growlers being canceled.
The league will use points percentage to determine the place finishes of the remaining six teams in the North Division. They will also apply the rule fin regards to home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference finals and the Kelly Cup Finals.
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