The Newfoundland Embassy pub owner Niall Hickey in his establishment across from the Mary Brown Centre, home of Newfoundland Growlers hockey team, on April 3.The sudden end of the Newfoundland Growlers has left sports fans crushed and business owners anxious in a capital city spurned before by professional hockey teams.
Riche has watched three other hockey franchises come and go in St. John's, N.L., and he says there was a lot of hope the Growlers would be different since they were owned by a local company. Hickey says the community at large will also take a hit, since the Growlers players and management were always happy to participate in charity events.