In a move that has been expected for some time the Montreal Canadiens farm team will be relocating to Laval for the 2017-18 season. The team will play in the newly built Place Bell. The AHL team is currently playing as the St. John’s Ice Caps, as the Canadiens signed a two-year deal with the city prior to last summer.
Place Bell in Laval will be the home to the Canadiens’ @TheAHL affiliate as of 2017. https://t.co/fD1kO5KHYu pic.twitter.com/zdGJoLPv7C
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 11, 2016
Montreal Canadiens Farm Team to Move to Laval for 2017-18 Season
The move had been rumored for at least a year. Last summer the Canadiens bought their AHL franchise, the Hamilton Bulldogs and moved the team to St. John’s. That, along with the building of the Place Bell, fuelled the speculation. The Habs will now have their AHL franchise closer to the big club. This continues a trend followed by many NHL teams in recent years. The new Arena in Laval is just a short metro ride from the Canadiens downtown Bell Centre. Having the AHL club close by, will also allow the youngsters to take advantage of the Canadiens practice facility in Brossard.
“The relocation of our AHL affiliate in Laval will be beneficial in several ways, allowing for hockey management to follow the organization’s young prospects and provide players and coaching staff with a great environment, a state-of-the-art hockey venue and a new and enthusiastic fan base,” said Canadiens general manager, Marc Bergevin via the Club’s official website. “Until the team relocates to Laval, the coaching staff under head coach Sylvain Lefebvre will continue their work of developing our young players and getting them prepared for the next level. I take this opportunity to thank all IceCaps fans for their loyal support, and I am convinced that Laval hockey fans will stand behind their new team.”
The name for the new team has not yet been decided. The Canadiens are taking submissions from fans on the new team’s name.
Main Photo via Canadiens.com
