Effort to keep Clippers in Nanaimo reaches ‘do or die time’
NANAIMO — Comeback efforts are something Clippers head coach Mike Vandekamp has seen many times over his long career — but much like the bid to keep the team in Nanaimo, someone has to step up and be the hero.
Vandekamp told NanaimoNewsNOW there have been discussions with “10 or 12 different people” since the current ownership group set a deadline of the end of the month to find local investors or the team would likely move. While the process is “moving in the right direction,” Vandekamp said they are not at a point where they have a concrete offer to take to majority owner Ken Wagner.
“There’s definitely been a list of people,” Vandekamp said. “(They) are kicking tires but we need commitment at this point. It’s do or die time here for the Clippers in Nanaimo. We need to make sure the tire kicking becomes something solid, so the next few days are really important.”
He said there has been a diverse range of people showing interest, including business owners looking for cross exposure, people in the local hockey community and alumni or people with a connection to the program.