Dennis Waterman confirmed Friday morning that the Corner Brook Royals will not participate in the 2016-2017 Central West Senior Hockey League season.
Waterman is co-chair of the Corner Brook Royals Booster Club, a group that had been given the mandate to review and organize the Royals organization and to assess the feasibility of the team returning to the fold for another season.
“After a thorough overview of all of the factors returning to the league this winter is not a reasonable option,” Waterman said in a short press release, which he hand-delivered to The Western Star on Friday.
The rising cost of operating a senior hockey league team and loss of some key sponsorship agreements were just some of the financial issues Waterman and company saw as major hurdles in keeping the team on the ice.
Waterman said the team is folding for this season, but efforts will be made to find ways to make the team work in Corner Brook a year from now.
The loss of the Royals means the league will have to forge ahead with three teams. It’s a safe bet there will be some kind of a dispersal draft for the players who will no longer be property of the Royals this coming season.
Twitter: @WS_SportsDesk
