Niverville lands MJHL franchise

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This article was published 04/06/2021 (1967 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Friday’s announcement that the MJHL was bringing Niverville into the fold with an expansion franchise was a long time coming. The concept was first hatched by Clarence Braun and his local group in 2007.

At the time, the realtor and lifelong resident of the town had discussions with then league commissioner Kim Davis about purchasing a team.

Fourteen years later, the league’s board of governors approved an expansion club for Niverville to begin play in 2022-23. The yet-unnamed team will pay a franchise fee of $150,000, bringing the MJHL to 13 teams.

“We saw Niverville growing, we saw opportunities,” Braun told the Free Press Friday afternoon. “So we reached out to (Davis) and we’ve had many conversations over the years. We are all going to be equal in terms of our investment. We don’t have a primary shareholder. We’re going to be a not-for-profit community venture. We’ll follow the Steinbach (Pistons) business model. We think that fits for us.”

Braun said his group has assembled a group of almost 30 shareholders, all of whom have put down deposits on their $10,000 investments. He expects the ownership group reach a total of 45 investors.

Making the bid possible was the recently constructed Niverville Community Resource and Recreation Centre. The 120,000 square-foot facility, which is expected to open July 15, includes a 1,167-seat arena with an additional 35,000 square-foot multi-purpose area.

“I’ve lived here all my life, I was the mayor from ’95 to 2003, and see that there’s a momentum building here for something,” said Braun, adding the club will start a naming contest in local schools Sept. 1. “When 2017 came with the announcement of the new building, then we moved ahead seriously.”

The $20-million contruction involved $10 million of federal funding, $5 million from the town and another $3.5 million raised locally.

“It’s very professional building, exactly what you’d want,” said MJHL commissioner Kevin Saurette. “I think it’ll be a perfect junior A facility. And for us to add another facility like that in our league is obviously a very positive thing.”

Niverville, a 30-minute drive from south Winnipeg, is a booming community with more than 6,000 residents. Its population has more than tripled since 1995.

Braun said the nearby Steinbach Pistons were enthusiastic supporters of expansion, adding he consulted frequently with Pistons president Grant Lazaruk and former Winnipeg Blues owner Tom Kleysen when his group formulated their bid.

Braun declined comment when asked if the his group had attempted to acquire an existing franchise. There had been speculation the OCN Blizzard might be for sale.

The new team will be looking to hire a coach and general manager by November and should be able to start recruiting and building a roster by Jan. 1.

Braun was not concerned about the supply of high-calibre players.

“I’m far removed from playing so I’m not fully aware of all the dynamics of that, but I do know that the opportunity we have is North America wide,” said Braun.

“There are players, from what I understand, playing in the U.S. that are looking for opportunities in Canada and our proximity to Winnipeg the fact that we’re in a brand-new building is really interesting. I’ve already had two people reach out to me in the first 10 minutes — potential scouts and coaches.”

Saurette was not immediately concerned about the talent pool being spread too thin.

“It’s definitely something that’s on our minds going forward (but) I think bringing in a 13th team for the ’22-23 season that won’t be an issue,” said Saurette. “There’s a lot of talent in this province and and throughout North America for that matter and really it provides further opportunities for, No. 1, Manitoba players to have a place to play to play elite junior A hockey.”

Last summer, the league hastily announced plans for the Winnipeg Freeze to begin play only weeks before the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Could further expansion be in the plans?

“We’re going to take this season and do a real review of where we’re at with the league, potential for expansion and what that looks like, and what the pros and cons of that are,” said Saurette.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14