The Fredericton Red Wings won their final game against the West Kent Steamers 4-2 before their move to Bathurst for the next Maritime Hockey League season.
The team will then be known as the Chaleur Lightning.
After being rumoured, the announcement of the team’s move was made on March 7 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre by Team President Roger Shannon. He explained that the Lighting will include yet-to-be-announced new owners from the area along with the Fredericton-based ones.
“They’re well known and well entrenched in the community and for us, it’s significant because we want local ownership as part of our group,” he said.
Shannon said the reason why the team is leaving Fredericton is because it wasn’t financially stable. He believes the only way a team could thrive in this market is if it is subsidized.
“It’s very difficult to survive, mainly because of the simple fact that we have so much to do in Fredericton,” he said.
Frederictonian and Red Wings left-winger Peyton Sheppard looks forward to the move, even if it means leaving his hometown. He said it will be nice to use the K.C. Irving’s facilities for training, along with getting to know the new fanbase.
When asked what his favourite memory as a Red Wing was, Sheppard said, “Probably tonight, honestly, [it was] a great night with a good win and to off the season on a high note, it’s the perfect night to send us off.”
Shannon says that Lightning games will be family-oriented. From his previous experience with the University of New Brunswick Reds Junior Prospects, getting younger fans and families excited has been key to successful teams.
“As the [Reds Prospects] program grew and grew, so did the attendance at the games, because of how many families went,” he said. “That, to me, is crucial.”
The response from the Bathurst community has been excellent, according to Shannon.
“When you have a media conference, with the world of social media and you actually have the room full of people … I have to say that’s almost unheard of,” he said.
On the other hand, fans in Fredericton have expressed their sadness about the relocation.
“We had a lot of extremely loyal fans and supporters. Unfortunately, the cliche is we had the best fans, just not enough of them,” said Shannon.
Final game attendee Sarah MacArthur is sad to see them leave even though she didn’t regularly come to games.
“My kids are getting to the age where they’re really getting into it,” she said.
Both of her young children have started playing hockey as well, MacArthur thinks it’s unfortunate they may miss potential players to look up to.
Some spectators were becoming annoyed with all of the themed nights according to Shannon. While trying to highlight things like Hockey Fights Cancer, Indigenous Night and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, they alienated fans who wanted to just watch hockey and not ceremonies.
“I don’t 100 per cent agree, but I understand. So you’re kind of in a catch-22, but we had so many special nights where we helped people,” he said.
When asked what his favourite Red Wings memory is, Shannon said, “I think the first game, you know, the official that it’s real now.”
Meanwhile, Bathurst had recently lost their Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team, leaving the market open. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan were sold to new owners in St. John’s, Newfoundland, late last year.
Related: What the return of hockey means to a Newfoundlander
The QMJHL is one level higher than the MHL in Canadian junior hockey.
Titan fan Chuck Johnstone is sad to see the team leave. He has supported them since their inaugural Bathurst season.
“I have had my season tickets for 27 years, since day one,” he said.
Johnstone travelled to Regina to watch the team win the 2018 Memorial Cup. He hopes to support the Lightning from his usual seat when they begin play, despite losing the Titan.
“That’s what we do up here in the winter; that’s how we meet friends,” he said.
