Nationals Move to Hamilton
Published on February 12, 2011 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Hamilton Nationals News Release
By now most of you would have heard the that the Nationals have relocated from Toronto to Hamilton. If you have not heard then I do want to personally inform you that the relocation is official and the former Toronto Nationals have moved to Hamilton for the 2011 MLL season and the team will be known as the Hamilton Nationals. We will be playing our games on the McMaster University campus at Ron Joyce Stadium. There will be more details forthcoming in the near future providing you with the information you need to re-new your season tickets, information on the new venue and the ticket prices for the Hamilton Nationals.
I would like to thank Stuart Brown and his staff for the hard work and dedication they put into the Nationals for the past two seasons. Stu is staying on and will be a key part of the revamped front office in Hamilton. We know that our season ticket holders are the backbone of our team (same as all professional sports teams) in terms of revenue and support, but more importantly in spreading the good word and getting more people to come and watch the Nationals in person. Like many business decisions, our decision to re-locate the team from Toronto to Hamilton was not an easy one to make. Also like many business decisions the ability to notify everyone (including you - our season ticket holders) about the re-location before we officially announce the move is impossible. You should not feel that you were ignored in the process as our concern for your continued support in Hamilton was always a key point in our discussions.
We have made significant changes both on and off the field. Arrows Express Sports has taken majority ownership of the new Hamilton Nationals team. We have named Jody Gage our new General Manager. Jody has many years of experience both in the NLL and MLL having built and led both the Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) and Rochester Rattlers (MLL) to championships in their respective leagues. Regy Thorpe, Gary Gait and Jason Johnson have been named to the coaching staff. All three of these gentlemen have experience and credentials that stack up well against any other professional lacrosse coaching staff that you will find. We are excited to have them all on board and I can assure you that they have already been working hard to get the Hamilton Nationals back on track to where they were two years ago as MLL champs!
Our front office includes myself along with Stuart Brown and Tracy Johnson. I have spent my last three years as President of the Rochester Americans of the AHL and the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL. Stu Brown and Tracy Johnson have been integral parts of the Nationals front office since our inception in 2009 and they are continuing to work hard on your behalf again this year. We are also excited to announce that we have formed a partnership with HECFI (Hamilton Entertainment and Conventions Facilities Inc) who will have primary responsibilities for handling Hamilton Nationals ticket sales and corporate sponsorship/partnership activities.
So lets get ready for 2011 and we look forward to seeing all of you in Hamilton on May 19th @ 7:30 PM for our home opener. Stay tuned, early next week we will be releasing our ticket info and pricing for 2011.
Sincerely,
Lewis Staats - President
Major League Lacrosse Stories from February 12, 2011
- Nationals Move to Hamilton - Hamilton Nationals
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
