The new president of the Owen Sound Attack says he believes the team is “ready to compete this year” and laid out some of his vision for the city’s beloved Ontario Hockey League team to fans.
New Attack president and governor Tyler Nother, Ontario Hockey League Commissioner Bryan Crawford and one of the team’s now former owners Dr. Bob Severs offered comments in front of fans, dignitaries and media Friday morning at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, one day after the league confirmed the transfer of ownership of the Attack to Ecological Dynamic Sports Partners (EDSP).
Nother and Donald McClure are the front-facing duo who are leading the private-equity backed group that now owns the Attack. McClure — managing partner of EDSP — was not in attendance Friday. While Nother shared some of his vision for the team, and expressed excitement about the opportunity to lead the Attack.
“We want to develop hockey players and good people. When I look at the group right now, I think there’s a lot of impact players on the roster. I think the playoff success at the end of the season, wasn’t the way everyone wanted things to end,” Nother says. “But I think in that, the exciting part going forward is the roster. There’s a lot of great players that are coming back and returning.”
“In terms of when is this team ready to compete, we’re ready to compete this year,” the new Attack president continues. “And we’re going to be trying to compete every single year, especially with this group we have right now. There’s impact players we have and we think this group can take a run at an OHL championship.”
Nother, an Orangeville native, also told fans he plans to move to Owen Sound and says he already has familiarity with the area — both from his time as an OHL player with the London Knights and Windsor Spitfires and from visiting family growing up.
He says he has an aunt and and uncle who live in Chatsworth, and also recalls visiting Kincardine and Port Elgin to see his grandparents.
“I’m very excited about Owen Sound and getting to know the fans,” Nother says. “Ultimately, the team is here in Owen Sound. We’re here to stay. And we’re very excited to chase an OHL championship in the near future.”
Attack fans in the Bay Room at the Bayshore Friday morning offered regular applause to what they were hearing.
OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford thanked the outgoing ownership group — Dr. Bob Severs, Peter MacDermid and Paul MacDermid — for their stewardship of the Owen Sound franchise over the past 26 years. Severs and the MacDermids were part of the Super Six ownership group that purchased then the Owen Sound Platers in 2000, to prevent a move to Cornwall proposed at the time.
Why sell the team now?
“We felt there was a need for a recharge, new energy and new input,” Severs says. “We had been approached several times over the last five years about selling the franchise, and in every case it just didn’t feel right until this time.”
“We know that we have a safe group to hand this beautiful thing over too,” he continues. “I know you’re going to be very, very happy.”
Crawford also spoke about the league’s involvement in brokering the sale. He says the outgoing ownership group indicated to the OHL several months ago they were thinking about moving in this direction.
“We were fortunate to be in the position to have over the last two years fostered a list of potential ownership groups that are interested in our league,” Crawford says. “And we had this group that we thought was a perfect fit for this community. They wanted to invest in a small market, that was their goal.”
Severs adds while there were several approaches made about acquiring the Attack over the past few years, it was never a direction ownership was seriously pursuing until the OHL introduced them to EDSP this past winter.
“It’s just taken Paul, Peter and I some time to feel comfortable and confident that our two primary goals, which were the protection of our staff and the maintenance of the team for Grey Bruce were in the forefront of their thinking as well,” Severs says.
Several of the team’s business staff members, and behind-the-scenes employees in hockey operations were present at Friday’s media event, which was moderated by Mark McKelvie.
But there were some notable absences and the team didn’t address the statuses of General Manager Dale DeGray, Head Coach Scott Wray, and assistant coaches Reagan O’Grady and Brandon Shaw. None of them were at the Bayshore on Friday. Nother wasn’t made available for media questions.
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy took to the stage to present Nother with an Attack jersey and formally welcomed him to Owen Sound. Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff and MPP Paul Vickers were also in attendance. Several city councillors were as well.
Boddy calls this a great day to celebrate hockey in Owen Sound.
“It’s great to see new owners coming in, committing long-term to junior hockey in Owen Sound,” Boddy says. “It’s good for the fans. It’s good for the economic impact in the community.”
“I’m looking forward to the next 25 years.”