LAVAL – The Montreal Canadiens have announced that the St. John’s IceCaps will be moving to Laval in time for the 2017-18 American Hockey League (AHL) season.
The announcement was made at 11 a.m at the new Place Bell.
“The AHL is an excellent place to develop our players to play professional hockey,” said Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin.
“It’s important, in developing our young players, to bring them to Laval.”
The $120-million, 10,000 seat sports facility is under construction, and reportedly on schedule to be completed in 2017.
It will have a main arena, as well as two smaller ice rinks.
“We’ve been working on this project for a long time,” explained Geoff Molson, Canadiens president.
“For Laval, the economic impact will be significant.”
The organization is inviting people to offer suggestions on what to name the new team.
The IceCaps were originally affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets (2011-15), before being transferred to the Canadiens when the Jets relocated to Manitoba.