The Corner Brook businessman will take the lead role in a community group committed to keeping the Royals in the Central West Senior Hockey League.
Ross Coates decided to pass the torch after being the president of the team for a number of years, which saw the Royals spend a few seasons playing home games out of the Hodder Memorial Recreation Complex in Deer Lake.
Woodman was around when the Royals organization was a not-for-profit group in the 1970s when his father, Mel Woodman, was heavily involved as an executive member. He’s seen how the team has been an important part of the community for a long time.
Woodman is quick to point out he is one of several people who are on board to get the team on solid footing in the league, but he wants people to know it’s not his team and he isn’t the money man.
It’s not a done deal that the team will be back, but Woodman has been busy getting people to buy into the concept of having a community team that boosts not only the local economy through home games, but also the other centres when the Royals play on the road.
He’ll focus on the hockey side of the operation and has confirmed Darren Colbourne will play a key role as director of hockey operations tasked with bringing in quality players.
Woodman remembers the late 1970s when members of the former hockey association had to pick up the pieces when the team folded, similar to what Coates did when he took over the team because nobody else was willing to take it on.
Woodman’s group will work closely with the Corner Brook Royals Booster Club, led by co-chairs Dennis Waterman and Richard Dennis, to put a quality product on the ice. Members of the booster club who will also lend a helping hand in an effort to keep senior hockey alive on the west coast because they would hate to see a three-team league with no representation from the city.
Coates is also going to help the new group get going, even though he has very little time on his hands because of business commitments outside the city.
Woodman is happy to know he has some great hockey people in his corner so he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get down to business with hopes of the Royals being in the fold for the 2016-2017 Central West Senior Hockey League campaign.
“I didn’t see a bunch of other people clamouring to do it, so if I didn’t step in at this time we’d be right back where we were in the late 70s,” Woodman said.
It’s not signed, sealed and delivered yet, but Woodman felt it was time to let the fans know that there are people who see the value in having a team.
“We want the Corner Brook Royals to be part of the senior hockey league moving forward and that’s where we’re at now,” he said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make that come to fruition.”
Twitter: @WS_SportsDesk
The Corner Brook businessman will take the lead role in a community group committed to keeping the Royals in the Central West Senior Hockey League.
Ross Coates decided to pass the torch after being the president of the team for a number of years, which saw the Royals spend a few seasons playing home games out of the Hodder Memorial Recreation Complex in Deer Lake.
Woodman was around when the Royals organization was a not-for-profit group in the 1970s when his father, Mel Woodman, was heavily involved as an executive member. He’s seen how the team has been an important part of the community for a long time.
Woodman is quick to point out he is one of several people who are on board to get the team on solid footing in the league, but he wants people to know it’s not his team and he isn’t the money man.
It’s not a done deal that the team will be back, but Woodman has been busy getting people to buy into the concept of having a community team that boosts not only the local economy through home games, but also the other centres when the Royals play on the road.
He’ll focus on the hockey side of the operation and has confirmed Darren Colbourne will play a key role as director of hockey operations tasked with bringing in quality players.
Woodman remembers the late 1970s when members of the former hockey association had to pick up the pieces when the team folded, similar to what Coates did when he took over the team because nobody else was willing to take it on.
Woodman’s group will work closely with the Corner Brook Royals Booster Club, led by co-chairs Dennis Waterman and Richard Dennis, to put a quality product on the ice. Members of the booster club who will also lend a helping hand in an effort to keep senior hockey alive on the west coast because they would hate to see a three-team league with no representation from the city.
Coates is also going to help the new group get going, even though he has very little time on his hands because of business commitments outside the city.
Woodman is happy to know he has some great hockey people in his corner so he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get down to business with hopes of the Royals being in the fold for the 2016-2017 Central West Senior Hockey League campaign.
“I didn’t see a bunch of other people clamouring to do it, so if I didn’t step in at this time we’d be right back where we were in the late 70s,” Woodman said.
It’s not signed, sealed and delivered yet, but Woodman felt it was time to let the fans know that there are people who see the value in having a team.
“We want the Corner Brook Royals to be part of the senior hockey league moving forward and that’s where we’re at now,” he said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make that come to fruition.”
Twitter: @WS_SportsDesk
