Ice Dogs heading to Niagara Falls?

The Niagara Falls review is reporting that Eugene Melnyk might be interested in moving the Ice Dogs franchise to Niagara Falls, according to a letter from the team’s owner. Executives from Capital Sports; the property company owned by Melnyk; are on the agenda for a special council meeting Monday. It would be the second proposal Niagara Falls has heard in the last year aimed at bringing Ontario Hockey League play back to Niagara Falls.

To this point the only public bid for the franchise has come from Rochester Americans assistant coach Moe Mantha Jr., who confirmed in early December that he has an ownership group in place that made a formal bid to purchase the team from billionaire Eugene Melnyk and move it to North Bay for the fall of 2007.

The franchise was put up for sale this summer. Melynk, the well known Ottawa Senators and St. Michael's Majors owner, purchased the Ice Dogs with the intention of moving the St. Mike's Majors to the Hershey Centre for the fall of 2007.

Other rumoured destinations include Western New York which would potentially be spearheaded by Ottawa Senators G.M. John Muckler or the possibility of both the Majors and Ice Dogs playing out of the Hershey Centre next season.