Clarenville fans weigh in on Caribous` brush with closure

news2016-10-22
Locals happy team will play, others think things could be done differently Earlier this month, it wasn't clear if the Clarenville Caribous would even be suiting up to play in the Central West Senior Hockey League (CWSHL) this season. @ Packet file photo The Clarenville Caribous playing the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts last season. The team will play this year after announcing they were in serious danger of closing due to poor ticket sales. Now, it's business as usual as the 'Bous say they will carry on for another year - despite the low season ticket sales. Many local people are pleased to see the Caribous back on the ice, if not for the entertainment it provides for hockey fans, but also for what it does for the community. Dave Warren of Clarenville says he's not the biggest Caribous fan, but he's glad to see the hockey team continue operating. "It's really good for the town," Warren told The Packet. "I'm quite happy with it for businesses and everyone else involved." He says if there were no Caribous, many of the businesses in town would hurt from the loss. And he says, while he's not the most avid of spectators, there's another reason it's good to have the Caribous around. "My wife is particularly happy because she's a die-hard hockey fan." There are also individuals in town that think this could be an indication they should run the team differently. Ed Adams, from Shoal Harbour, says he used to be a much bigger fan of the Caribous back when there were more local players. "I'm still a fan of theirs, but I don't follow them all that close anymore," said Adams. He says he has no problem with them playing this season, but wonders where the financial losses will be made up. If it were up to him, Adams says the team would be using all local players who the fans know. As a result, the team would also be much cheaper to run. "Who's going to pay for the players to come in? That's where the problem lies as far as I'm concerned. "(The team is) paying players to come in here for a weekend - then they're gone." The Caribous open their season at home on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Eastlink Events Centre against the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts.