SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS MAKE A SPLASH INTO THE Q

Saint John, NB, March 25, 2005 – A new era for hockey in Saint John was ushered in today with the introduction of the Saint John Sea Dogs, the latest team to enter the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The name was unveiled at a noon ceremony at Market Square.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Commissioner Gilles Courteau was on hand for the event to officially welcome the Saint John Sea Dogs into the League.

We are very excited about the new name and logo,” said Scott McCain, co-owner of the new franchise. Hockey in Saint John has a new winner to add to its tradition.”

The Saint John Sea Dogs logo is a side view of a seal diving out of the water. The term Sea Dog” is often used to refer to harbour seals that can be found in the waters around Saint John. The colours, a royal blue, grey and black, with a spot of red on the seal’s eye, work together in a dynamic design created by Hawk Communications, a New Brunswick-based Marketing and Advertising agency.

We wanted something that was relevant to Saint John and something that would appeal to the kids,” said Wayne Long, President of Major Sports, one of the owners of the team. We wanted something sleek and fast, something that would skate circles around our competition. We kept coming back to this name, and it was one of the more popular choices from the community.”

Saint John Sea Dogs was suggested by 99 people through the McDonald’s Name The Team contest, and chosen by the ownership group. More than 6,000 entries were received during the month long campaign that was also supported by the Telegraph Journal, Rogers Television and the Country 94/WAVE. A drawing will be held to determine the winner of two free season tickets and two replica team jerseys.

Because of the overwhelming response from the community, the ownership group has decided to offer another drawing of everyone who entered the contest. The winner will receive a merchandise package including the team jersey and hat, as well as dinner for two at East Side Marios.

In addition to announcing the team name and logo, Bob Tipper” LeBlanc, General Manager of the Saint John Sea Dogs unveiled the new jersey colors. The home jersey, white with a grey and royal blue stripe across the shoulder, and a grey bar across the bottom will say Sea Dogs across the front. The away jersey will be royal blue with a white and grey stripe across the shoulder and read Saint John across the grey bar on the front.

The Saint John Sea Dogs also has launched the splash page for the official team website at www.saintjohnseadogs.com. A fully functional website will be unveiled at a later date.