Moncton Miracles president says viability of team in question
CBC News | Posted: January 11, 2016 5:22 PM | Last Updated: January 11, 2016
New president Steve Trueman says two local investors are on board but more interest needed
The new president of the Moncton Miracles says his number one objective is to secure local ownership.
Steve Trueman says the lack of local ownership has raised questions about the viability of the team in the minds of fans and of the National Basketball League of Canada.
"I think people who would be considering making an investment in seasons tickets, they're wondering … and the league is wondering, if the team is really viable."
Trueman says two local investors have committed to the team and league commissioner David Magley is in Moncton for the next two weeks to meet with potential investors.
"We have to meet with them and assure them, convince them, that there's viability here that they may not be aware of at this point," Trueman said.
Magley also visited Moncton in September and pushed the local ownership model.
Second season with no owner
The Miracles, who have never been owned locally, are into their second season without an owner. Kim Blanco left the team after the third season and returned to her home in New Jersey.
Trueman says he has to prove that Moncton isn't just a hockey city, and find ways to get more fans in the seats at the Moncton Coliseum.
"There's room in this city for a professional basketball franchise. If you recall the second season when the team made a run deep into the playoffs we had a lot of people and the place was rocking — we can do that again."
However he says the recent experience of the team is "probably causing some hesitation" for investors with fewer fans coming out in the last couple of years.
"At the end of the second year … there was a sense that we were looking forward to the next season," he said. "We lost that momentum over the past couple of years for a lot of reasons … so I think the momentum is something we need to recapture."
National Basketball League teams in Saint John and Halifax have been successful in finding local investors for their franchises.
Magley has said Moncton is critical to the league because of its location and size and that it is committed to keeping the franchise going.