Trois-Rivières Transfer of Controlling Interest is approved

The ECHL announced on Tuesday that the League’s Board of Governors has approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Trois-Rivières Lions Membership from Deacon Sports and Entertainment to Spire Hockey, LLC.
 
“The arrival of Spire Hockey in Trois-Rivieres will mark a new day for the Lions,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “Their ownership and management team have a proven successful track-record in the League, and we are excited for the players and fans for the future of ECHL hockey in the market.”
 
“Spire Hockey is thrilled to expand our footprint and begin immersing ourselves in the Trois-Riviéres market,” said Spire Hockey co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “We take tremendous pride in being pillars of the communities where our teams call home and are wholly committed to being an organization that everyone in Trois Rivières can be proud of. It’s a new day and Spire Hockey is eager to write a new chapter in the Lions’ history.”
 
Spire Hockey, LLC also owns the Greenville Swamp Rabbit and Rapid City Rush. Spire Holdings, the parent company of Spire Sports + Entertainment, Spire Motorsports, Spire Hockey, and Track Enterprises, specializes in dynamic property ownership and management and is led by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus (T.J.) Puchyr.
 
About the ECHL
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 36th season in 2023-24. There have been 752 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 12 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.