New Pro Hockey League including North Bay?

NLPH set to begin play in 2005-2006
Initial Ownership Groups Set to Skate Forward

Kimberton, PA - Dec 15, 2004 Following a very successful first ownership meeting of the Northern League of Professional Hockey(NLPH), three (3) ownership groups have announced their membership in the league to begin play in
October 2005.

Dave MacPherson (Daphne, Alabama), Dr. Anthony
Inverno (Clark, New Jersey), and Steve Pronger
(Windsor, Ontario) represent the first ownership
groups that have announced their intention to own
and operate NLPH franchises this coming fall.

The NLPH intends to begin its first campaign with
eight (8) healthy franchises based out of Southern
Ontario and the North Eastern United States.
Prospective markets include Niagara Falls, St.
Catharines, Welland, Cornwall, North Bay, Brantford,
Roanoke, Utica, Hampton Roads, Huntington, LaSalle
(Ont), Worcester.

There will be a media conference call on
Thursday December 16th at 1:00 pm EST to
announce the ownership, and field questions
regarding the launch of the league.

NLPH officials believe there is an enormous amount of professional hockey talent in Ontario and Northeastern United States that are presently forced to play hockey in Europe or Southern United States. With extremely reasonable franchise fees, the NLPH is determined to attract eight high caliber ownership groups that have the
financial capacity to field a franchise and the
marketing savvy to be successful at the gate and in
the community.

The NLPH is actively seeking prospective franchise
ownership groups, and encourages all interested
parties to contact the league's management
consultants, Cosmos Sports @ (905-564-4660 ext.
233).

An Option for North Bay?

Cathy Seguin, the cities manager of arena's and facilities isn't surprised to hear of the announcement Wednesday morning.

She says the league has approached the city back in the fall.

"They showed us a realistic business plan," Seguin said.

She says all negotiations with the city have only been preliminary and that NLPH officials were hoping to make a presentation to the city at a future date.

Seguin says the city will listen to what this fledgling Class A hockey league has to say.