Monday morning provided a bit of a shock for many in North Bay, as Jr. “A” Trappers owner Dave Beauchamp announced the team would leave the city at the end of this NOJHL season.
In the release, the owner said the city told them “late last week that they no longer have the ice time or the room for the NOJHL North Bay Junior Trappers.”
Beauchamp added that during a meeting with the city and NOJHL Commissioner Robert Mazzuca, it was made clear that due to “city shortfalls in many areas of the community budget this past year, including other projects that have gone over budget,” the 3-year lease would not be renewed at the end of the season.
Chair of Community Services Dave Mendicino says that is not the case.
“At no time did we relate their situation to any other budget operations at the Gardens or anything like that,” he said, “At no time did we do that.”
Mendicino says the meeting was to arrange a “payment plan for outstanding monies owing and planned to remain current for the remainder of this year.”
He adds the Trappers have a long history in North Bay, one that dates back to 1919.
The team has struggled this year financially, which Mendicino says he understands and wants to work with Beauchamp through this year and is more than willing to talk about future years.
“When we did see the media release yesterday, our CAO Jerry Knox contacted the commissioner and the commissioner indicated that he was happy with last week’s meeting,” he said, “And quite frankly, he found some of the owner’s comments concerning.”
He adds that he’s not sure where the comments are coming from, possibly frustration but reiterated that at no point during the meeting they cited other budget issues or that they wouldn’t welcome the team back.
Former Trappers forward Adam Marceau (right) poses with former Jr. Trappers Associate GM Randy Blake in the summer of 2011. Marceau gave his #9 jersey up to former Trapper great Bill Barber who had his jersey retired by the team in 2010.
BayToday reached out to former Trapper players as well.
North Bay native Adam Marceau was with the team from the 2009-10 campaign to November 2011. He says it obviously sucks to lose the team.
“With the history I have with the team, I really enjoyed playing for them and stuff,” he said, “So it’s kind of hard to read.”
This year, he says he’s been to a handful of games and this year’s edition has some pretty big boys on the roster.
“I think their affiliation with the Battalion has helped with that,” he said, “I seen a few games that I enjoyed and it’s pretty entertaining hockey overall.”
Marceau adds his best memories are the friends he met and all the community support the team had while he was on the roster.
