We have a name for the new independent Can-Am League team playing out of Ottawa Stadium next season: the Ottawa Champions.
Cheeky name, really, considering the team has yet to play a game. But that’s OK: most insiders didn’t give the Can-Am League much of a shot in landing the Ottawa Stadium lease, but the league came out looking like champions in procuring a deal over the likes of the Eastern League, Mandalay Baseball Properties and Nolan Ryan.
The team will initially be owned by the league, but there’s already one minority investor on board — David Gourlay, who headed the Champions for Ottawa Baseball committee — and the search is on for more. From the Ottawa Citizen:
“We want to be a champion in this community,” says Gourlay. “We want to be able to get out there and support community organizations and charitable organizations, whoever, so they understand we’re a full participating member of this community.”
Gourlay refused to divulge what his minority stake in the franchise is, but the search is on more partners. The Can-Am league is the majority owner….
“We need to get season ticket holders, we need to get groups and sponsors,” said Can-Am Commissioner Miles Wolff. “Back in 2008, we started in January after the Lynx failed and at that point, there was a bad taste. This is a more positive thing in so many ways.”
The addition of Welland and Ottawa for 2015 will bring the league back up to six teams.
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