Hockey returns to St. John’s with the Newfoundland Regiment Hockey Club
By Dillon Collins
The wind-beaten, rugged coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador has long been fertile ground for hockey fandom. Whether bleu blanc et rouge, bud or bruin, passion for the game runs deep for those who call this place home.
From the St. John’s Maple Leafs to the Fog Devils, two sets of IceCaps and the Growlers, our capital has played host to professional and junior hockey across the decades, and will do so once more with the arrival of the Newfoundland Regiment Hockey Club as the newest addition to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Glenn Stanford has been involved in the game since the early 90s, serving at the helm of every major franchise to touch down on the island. As President of the Regiment, Stanford will once more oversee the development and growth of a hockey club in St. John’s.
“I really believe that the time is right now for the QMJHL. There are more kids playing hockey than ever before, and they know all the players that are from Newfoundland who are playing, not just with our team, but the other teams as well,” Glenn says of the return of the QMJHL to Newfoundland for the first time since 2008.
“The players stay with the team for a four-year cycle, so the fans get to know and grow up with the players, so not much of a turnover from year to year, until after the cycle starts again. There is a real buzz in the community on this league that we haven’t seen in a few years, and I believe that with all the other leagues that have been here and moved on, the community is aware that this might be the last opportunity to support and keep a team here.”
The franchise will honour the lineage and legacy of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in name and all facets of branding moving forward. From the team colours to its emblem and credo, the history of the province’s military has informed the trajectory of the club from day one, sharing its branding: “The Newfoundland Regiment hockey team embodies the core values of unity, community, and resilience upheld by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Through hockey, we strive not only to remember and honour this legacy but also to carry it forward, inspiring future generations to connect with the enduring spirit of Newfoundland.”
Having that connection is crucial, says the team’s President.
“Whenever you start a new team, you obviously go through a list of potential names, how the name fits into the community, and more importantly, how you are able to brand that name. As we went through the final list of potential names, it became obvious to us that the Newfoundland Regiment was the clear winner. It just had so much potential to tie back into the community,” Glenn says, explaining that it was critical to ensure that the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was involved in the process.
“From the name to the colours, to the logo to the branding, they were kept up to date every step of the way to ensure that they were comfortable with how this was going to be rolled out,” he explains, adding that “there were numerous opportunities to incorporate (the Royal Newfoundland Regiment) into our branding, and it was just a matter of where and when we wanted to do it. You will see this connection in our dressing room, at our games and throughout the year in many ways.”
The QMJHL is part of three leagues and 61 teams that make up the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, which features players between the ages of 16 to 20, and is largely considered the world’s top junior hockey league for developing professional players for the National Hockey League and beyond.
The Newfoundland Regiment set the wheels in motion for constructing a competitive club within the ‘Q’ by drafting two homegrown talents in the first round of this year’s draft: highly touted forward and St. John’s native Ben Veitch, and ace defender and Conception Bay South’s own Quinn Norman.
“Both Ben and Quinn were legit top ten potential picks in the recent draft, and our coaching staff had an eye on them the entire year,” Glenn says. “They will be legit players and of course hometown favourites.”
As for what fans can expect from Regiment hockey:
“Like all of our teams in the past, fans expect their teams to be hard-working, and I believe you will see that with this team as well,” he says. “Judging from the pre-season games, it is an exciting, intense brand of hockey that I believe our fans will embrace.”
For tickets and all things concerning the Newfoundland Regiment Hockey Club, visit https://chl.ca/lhjmq-regiment/
