CFN – I spoke with Rick Lapierre of the Cornwall River Kings this morning prior to the press conference about what’s happening with the team.
Mr. Lapierre was upset at Seaway News coverage which he termed inaccurate. He stated that he has nothing against Mayor Bob Kilger, but the terms and conditions at the Civic Complex were killing the team.
He cited the rink boards and advertising situation strangling the club and that Colts Owner Ian MacInnis jacking up fees from approximately $100K per season to $139K
His frustration was clearly audible during the phone chat expressing that while many of the public have been fingering him as a villain all the team wanted was fairness as it’s the City and taxpayers that own the rink; not the Colts.
More to follow at the team press conference this morning.
What do you think Cornwall? You can vote in our Poll and post your comments below.
It will be a shame to see the River Kings leave if that is how this ends up. But they have nobody to blame except themselves. Hockey people need to run hockey teams, getting rid of Wagar (whether he was forced out, or his demands weren’t met I don’t know) was the death knell for them if you ask me.
Side note: 4 of the 5 options on the poll make sense but what does Dave Murphy have to do with this situation??
Terms and conditions is killing the team???? OH OK!
Selling sporting equipment doesn’t make someone an expert on managing a team nor should they be part of decision making.
Mr. Villeneuve……open your eyes
Mr Stella
quit blaming the “Milk Mans” hired hand
Owning a computer doesn’t make you an expert either!!!~!
There’s no one else to blame here but ownership and management not the colts or the city. Open your eyes lapierre and have a look in the mirror. Bernie should do the same.
Hope you learned your lesson. Keeping hockey minds like Wager and Rooster I’m sure I would be enjoying some great riverkings hockey this winter instead it’s just another dark moment for professional hockey in Cornwall.
I don’t understand how a team has to pay another team for the use of an arena that is owned by the city. If anything, the Colts should be paying the River Kings because thousands of people a week are seeing their ads.
If I rent the ice in the evening at the Complex to play shinny, how much do the Colts get?
I guess I don’t know much about the business side of hockey, but to have a contract like that where one team has to pay another to play on a publicly owned ice surface seems wrong. For the paltry number of fans the Colts draw in comparison, move them to the Benson Centre.
The New York Jets and New York Giants share a stadium, no problem, This should not be a problem. As for Bernie, he a pretty good guy.
It is sad to see such a great team possibly moving out of town. Although this would be a great loss to the city, I really don’t believe that city hall is to blame on this one. When Mr Villeneuve entered into a contract and purchased the team, he also entered into a contract for the ice rental with the city. He knew that the Colts had all rights to the advertising revenue. Although I may not agree with the Colts owning this revenue, it was very clear right from the beginning.
I hope that all involved parties work things out and that this great asset remains in Cornwall. Best of luck to all!