The Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the B.C. Hockey League have begun a search for new owners.
The Bulldogs franchise relocated to Port Alberni from Burnaby in 2002 and has been one of the better followed teams in the Junior A league with a season-ticket base reported to be around 700 fans. The team was sold in 2012 to the Port Alberni Junior Hockey Society, which has owned and operated the team for the past seven seasons.
“The Bulldogs have been run by a committed group of local individuals who were determined to keep BCHL hockey in the Alberni Valley,” said PAJHS director Darren Deluca, in a statement.
“The reality is that Junior A hockey is a business and we feel the time is right to find an ownership partner who shares our interest in the success of the team and the significant role it plays in our community.”
Deluca pointed to the season ticket base, sponsorships and municipal support.
“We have tremendous fans and sponsors that really set the Bulldogs organization apart,” says Deluca. “The relationship with local government is strong. And anyone who has been inside the Alberni Valley Multiplex for a big game knows this is a great hockey town.”
That will again be displayed when the Bulldogs play Kazakhstan in the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Dec. 19 in an exhibition game ahead of the 2019 IIHF world junior championship tournament in Victoria and Vancouver.
Deluca added he is optimistic about the long-term viability of the Bulldogs franchise in the Alberni Valley: “We’re very confident that potential partners will see all the reasons why the Bulldogs can thrive on and off the ice over the long term in Port Alberni.”
The newly-elected mayor of Port Alberni, Sharie Minions, described the Bulldogs as an “essential part of our local community.”
“We look forward to working with anyone whose goal is to ensure the long-term strength and stability of the Bulldogs organization in the Alberni Valley,” Minions added.
The Bulldogs are fourth in the Island Division at 9-16-1 and host the Victoria Grizzlies on Friday.
