The former Liverpool Privateers have a new name to go with their move to Bridgewater.
Team owner Jim Bottomley made the announcement at a public event in the Junior B hockey team’s new home at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre.
They will take to the ice as the South Shore Junior B Lumberjacks, adopting the moniker used by the Maritime Hockey League team that played at the LCLC until this year.
Bottomley says he is working to ensure the Lumberjacks will be adopted as the entire South Shore’s team. He recognizes Liverpool fans were disappointed with the transition from Liverpool to Bridgewater but says he has heard from many who wish to continue to support their team.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive stuff from them,” said Jim Bottomley. “A couple of them have said a few things but most of them are calling up and saying we still want to volunteer and we’re still going to come to your games, and things like that.”
Bottomley says one of the reasons for making the move from Liverpool was to bring the team closer to Halifax where many of the players are attending post-secondary education.
“Here, our guys, we’re going to be practicing in Halifax a lot. So, the players can go to school, come to the Metro Centre, go on the ice for practice and get right back home. Then we’ll just bus down here on Saturday night,” said Bottomley. “It’s important that, they’ve got to get their education. Play three or four years of junior and got nothing out of it at the end, is terrible.”
South Shore Junior B Lumberjacks players display new uniform design. Photo Ed Halverson
Team President John Patterson says they have a lot of work ahead to get ready for the September 15 start of the season.
Much of that has been held up as the team was finalizing the move from Liverpool.
Patterson says they will now focus on building the team’s identity, marketing, and awareness ahead of the fall launch.“We’re really hamstrung a little bit on name and finalizing because all these decisions have been made just in the last couple of weeks, so, you know, we’re hitting the ground running.”
Patterson says people can expect to see a new website up in the next couple of weeks where they’ll post information about tickets, schedules and upcoming events.
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