By Dan Marshall

Clippers call Monday news conference to announce future of team

Mar 30, 2017 | 11:23 AM

NANAIMO — The Clippers are tight lipped on the details, but a news conference has been scheduled for Monday morning.
 
The announcement is expected to provide a definitive answer on where the team will be playing next season and who its owner will be.
 
Two weeks ago the current owners announced that the club needed new local ownership by the end of the month or the Clippers would likely be on the move to another Vancouver Island city.
 
Coach Mike Vandekamp said Thursday if the team does stay in Nanaimo they will still need to gather more support from the community.
 
“For sure, no matter what we’re going to have to continue to work on this, creating a more stable financial environment for the team,” Vandekamp said. “That’s not necessarily just going to be solved in two weeks time. It’s going to be something that the whole community needs to rally around.”
 
Team President David LeNeveu and Vandekamp have been working around the clock on a plan to keep the Clippers in Nanaimo since the March 16 announcement putting the team’s fate in question.
 
Vandekamp says that during that process they believe a wider interest has been sparked for people wanting to keep the club in the harbour city.
 
“In order for the team to stay in Nanaimo we have to grow the group of supporters. Whether that be through private ownership, or going down a path of a non-profit approach…we need people from Nanaimo to own this team. It needs to become Nanaimo’s team and no matter what that’s what we’ve been trying to create here.”
 
There are still many moving pieces at play if the team is to stay in Nanaimo, according to the coach.
 
Vandekamp said the team is looking forward to providing some clarity to their fans, sponsors, and the rest of the hockey community.
 
He added the team is optimistic everything will come together favourably and will be able to operate in Nanaimo next season.
 
Local junior hockey fans may be on pins and needles over the weekend but come Monday there will be a firm decision on the future of the Nanaimo Clippers.

dan.marshall@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @danmarshall77