He’s waiting to see how the new executive for the provincial major midget hockey league handles the awarding of the western franchise to one of three groups in the mix for operating the Western Kings for the next three years.
McCarthy has been the general manager and governor of the Western Kings for a number of years and hopes the new executive decides that the franchise should stay in Corner Brook under the ownership of the previous group led by him.
Earlier this year, controversy began swirling over the western franchise after the Town of Deer Lake, thanks to a successful bid sent in by recreation director Junior Pinksen, was awarded the franchise when it was up for renewal.
Only a few weeks later, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador’s minor council rescinded the decision and the Kings were put back on the block.
Many of the movers and shakers in major midget hockey circles expected a decision to be made during the annual general meeting of HNL in Gander over the weekend, but it didn’t materialize.
A new three-person league executive, headed by president Glenn Littlejohn, was formed over the weekend and now the trio are expected to make a decision on who gets rights to the team.
McCarthy said he received a telephone call from Littlejohn Tuesday morning. McCarthy said he was told then that the league executive will be addressing the issue at a meeting in St. John’s Wednesday and their decision is expected to be made later in the day.
Whatever Littlejohn and company decide, their recommendation has to be passed on to HNL’s minor council for approval.
From what he’s been told in the past, McCarthy said he expects minor council to rubberstamp the decision of the league executive, but really has no idea what will happen behind closed doors.
“I’m just waiting to see what happens this time,” he said.
