Glace Bay Junior Miners moving to Membertou rink

Last year's Nova Scotia Junior B Hockey League champions will soon be packing up and leaving their home rink in Glace Bay for a brand new building in Membertou.

The Glace Bay Junior Miners have played out of the BAYplex for the past five years. Team owner Sonny MacDougall said facility has been a good home, but has definite limitations compared to the new rink in Membertou.  

For one, the Miners were not the anchor tenant at the BAYplex (the Glace Minor Hockey Association holds that position) so the team had to fit its playoff games around the association's schedule.

When the Miners begin a new hockey season next fall, the team will be the prime tenant at the Membertou rink, and management there has agreed the organization will take home most of what spectators pay at the door to watch league games.

Don't have to haul gear home

MacDougall also said the Glace Bay rink was not a central location, especially since players come from around the municipality. Eight of them are from the North Sydney area, which meant a fairly long drive to practices and home games.

The location of the Membertou Sports and Wellness Centre will make the commute convenient for all the players, he said.

Another big attraction is the pro-style dressing room. Unlike the situation at BAYplex, players will be able to leave their equipment there instead of having to "haul the gear home and dry it out every night."

The move is not without risk, MacDougall said. He's a little worried about losing the younger crowd from the Glace Bay area who used to be dropped off and picked up after games by their parents. But he hopes the new location will inspire hockey fans of all ages to come out.

MacDougall said the team name will need to change — replacing Glace Bay with, perhaps, Cape Breton — but the Miners moniker will remain.