WOODSTOCK, N.B. – The Woodstock Slammers will take a leave of absence from the Maritime Hockey League for the 2018-19 season.
“Due to a combination of factors, it is no longer in the best interest of our organization to continue operations,” said Slammers president Wes Corey in a statement.
“This absence will allow for the potential sale of the franchise (and or) provide the opportunity for a new individual or group in Woodstock to assume control of team operations.”
The club has been a member of the league since 2003, joining the league one season before the Pictou County Weeks Crushers.
Money is tight across the MHL; the Junior A Crushers recently confirmed they would return for the upcoming season, but could make no guarantees that the franchise would survive beyond next year.
The Slammers have captured three league playoff championships, one Fred Page Cup and, in 2012, a silver medal at the RBC Cup National Junior A championship.
“This is a sad day for the MHL,” league President Brian Whitehead said in a news release issued late Friday.
“The Slammers have been an integral part of the league’s history and we sincerely hope to see the strong tradition of Jr. A hockey in the Woodstock area continued somehow.”
