Leafs, Canadiens minor league affiliates might not finish season due to debt: report
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs could have new ECHL affiliate clubs next season.
According to a new report from Matthew Vachon of Le Nouvelliste, the Trois-Rivières Lions (Canadiens affiliate) and Newfoundland Growlers (Leafs affiliate) are both facing bankruptcy, forcing the ECHL to take ownership of the teams.
“At this time, it will be the ECHL which will take over the Trois-Rivières organization, as well as that of the Newfoundland Growlers,” Vachon wrote in a Tuesday article.
La semaine prochaine pourrait marquer la fin de l'existence des Lions, et ce, avant même la fin du calendrier régulier. Ce sont les gouverneurs de la #echl qui vont déterminer le sort de la concession trifluvienne et celle des Growlers.https://t.co/qjJEDhvkCd
— Matthew Vachon (@MatthewVachon_) March 26, 2024
The destiny of the franchises, which operate as second affiliates to the NHL (and one league below the AHL), will reportedly be decided at a board of governors meeting next week.
“The fate of the Lions will be decided at a meeting of ECHL governors on April 2. What needs to be understood is that there will be no sale concluded by Deacon Sports & Entertainment (DSE),” Vachon wrote, citing an anonymous source. “Additionally, the Newfoundland company will not have repaid its debt by the deadline.”
Fairly new to the league, the Lions began play in the 2021-22 season, with home games held at Colisée Vidéotron in Quebec City. Financial trouble has been brewing for a while, though. Back in May of 2023, the city of Trois-Rivières officially warned the team and its parent company, DSE, that their outstanding debt to the city must be paid.
With plenty of games left on their schedule, the Lions are currently fighting for a playoff spot in the North division.
The Growlers, meanwhile, joined the league back in 2018, just one season after the Canadiens moved their AHL franchise from St. John’s to Laval. Joining forces with the Leafs, the Newfoundland team finished their inaugural season first in their division with 94 points.
They ended up defeating the Toledo Walleye in six games to win the Kelly Cup.
The Growlers and Lions are expected to play one another three times in April. But depending on which way the upcoming vote goes, there is a possibility that neither team finishes their respective seasons.
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