QMJHL Returns To Newfoundland With Sale Of Titan

RDS' Stephane Leroux reports that the the QMJHL board of governors have approved the sale of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan franchise to an ownership group based in St. John's, Newfoundland.

The exact sale price is currently unknown, but Leroux believes it sold for just above $5.5 million.

It is unclear whether the team will keep the Titan branding, much like Bathurst did when the Laval Titan moved to New Brunswick, if the team will use the former Fog Devils branding or adopt a new look and name entirely.

However, there's not much time to decide that as the team is expected to be back in Newfoundland for the start of the 2025-26 season. 

The league even figured out the scheduling. 

Leroux mentions that Maritime based teams will fly into Newfoundland twice for double-headers and the Quebec-based teams will fly in once every two seasons. As for St. John's, they'll have eight to 10 long road stretches per season, to minimize travel costs.

The team will be ran by Glenn Stanford, a legend in the Newfoundland hockey space. He has been involved as an executive with the AHL's St. John's Maple Leafs (1991-2005), ECHL's Idaho Steelheads (2005-06), AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs/St. John's IceCaps (2006-2016), ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers (2018-2024), and the ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions (2021-24). Safe to say, he's got plenty of experience.

On the other end of the move is the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

This move comes after years of the QMJHL trying to keep the team in New Brunswick.

The team has fought numerous serious relocation rumours, including one in 2009 to St. John's -- to replace the recently departed St. John's Fog Devils team.

The team was always in financial issues, despite changes in ownership who tried to make the team work. The team was put into dire straits with the COVID-19 pandemic, and hadn't really recovered since. 

In 2021, the Titan were floating the idea of selling the team, but received support.

In January, the league allowed the current owners to sell the Titan, but Commissioner Cecchini mentioned he would veto any sale that would involve the team's relocation.

A few names, Stanford's included, made it known they would be interested in buying the team, however there weren't any serious offers that would see the team remain in Bathurst.

The team leaves behind two QMJHL Championships and a Memorial Cup.