Establishing NBL Canada team in St. John’s might involve full-court press
League president suggests Mile One lease deal for newly approved franchise needs to happen in less than two weeks
The president of the National Basketball League of Canada says he’s “hopeful” a lease agreement can be reached in less than two weeks to allow an expansion team to play out of St. John’s this fall.
“We would like to have a lease deal done in St. John’s by the end of the month if that’s possible,” said Vito Frijia, who is also the owner of the defending NBL Canada champion London Lightning.
“’I’m hopeful that can happen.”
Late Friday, the league announced it had approved an application for an expansion franchise in St. John’s, but the team’s true birth is contingent on achievement of a deal to play out of Mile One Centre.
On Monday, the ownership group behind the application was revealed to be one headed up by Glace Bay, N.S., native Irwin Simon, the CEO and president of Hain Celestial, a New York-based company specializing in health food and personal care items.
On Tuesday, Frijia said he had contacted St. John’s Sports and Entertainment, the city entity that runs Mile One Centre, offering to assist in reaching a deal with the Irwin group, whose frontman is Toronto promoter John Graham.
“I’ve already reached out to the city telling them if they need me to help, I’d be happy to do so in any way,” said
Frijia. “I’m the league president, so I have access to all the leases of all the teams.”
SJSE is on record as saying a lease deal would simply have to fall in line with one it had reached with St. John’s businessman Tony Kenny, who had also explored operating a pro hoops team out of Mile One.
Frijia said the reason the league did not consider Kenny’s bid for a team is that no application for a franchise was formally made.
“We did have a letter of interest, but he never actually submitted his application, even though I personally asked him in three separate emails to complete it.
“If you don’t send me the application, I can’t review it.”
Still, Frijia sees Kenny’s interest as an indication an NBL team can work in St. John’s.
“We’ve never had a market where we have had two potential owners show such strong interest at the same time,” he said.
As for the application that was approved, Frijia said it was easily passed by the NBL’S board of governors.
“If you Google Mr. Simon, you’ll see why. “said Frijia. “His business reputation, his acumen … you can see he’d be a great addition to the board.”
Frijia is a busy man these days. Besides his work as president of a construction/development company and of the league, and what’s required of him as the owner of the Lightning, he is also basically filling the role that had been held by David Magley, who stepped aside as NBLC commissioner late last month after two years on the job.
There’s also the matter of an expansion team that has been awarded to Sudbury, Ont.; questions about whether the Charlottetown, P.e.i.-based Island Storm would be back in the league next season; the folding of the Moncton Miracles and the establishment of a new team in the New Brunswick city as the Magic; the search for a new commissioner; and the league’s decision to move up the start of the 2017-18 season nearly six weeks, to Nov. 18 from Boxing Day
The latter has also impacted what Frijia sees as the need to expeditiously establish a team in St. John’s
“It’s definitely a factor. Everyone wants to get the schedule work done,” he said. “We’ve given everybody a little more time, because we’d love to have St. John’s in the NBL this year.”
As for P.E.I., Frijia said the Storm, which would play in the same division as any St. John’s entry, will be back that season and that all teams will once again play a 40-game schedule.
“That would be 20 to 25 dates (at Mile One) depending on the playoffs, so I would have to think that’s something the city would want.
“But we think it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”