The ECHL announced on Tuesday that the League’s Board of Governors has voted to terminate the membership of the Newfoundland Growlers, effective immediately, for failure to fulfill its obligations under the ECHL Bylaws.

“We are saddened to lose ECHL hockey in the Newfoundland market,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “We’d like to thank the Growlers fans and partners for their support of the team throughout their existence, and are hopeful that hockey can return to the region for their dedicated and passionate fanbase.”

The ECHL and Professional Hockey Players’ Association have agreed that as per the ECHL/PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, all ECHL Contracted Players on the Newfoundland roster are Unrestricted Free Agents, however no ECHL Member may sign more than two (2) Players from the free agent pool of Newfoundland Players. Any Player from this pool who signs and finishes the Season with a new ECHL Member for the balance of the 2023-24 Season shall be ineligible for that Member's Protected List and shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the conclusion of the 2023-24 Season. The only exception to this rule applies to Serron Noel, whose ECHL rights will revert to the Allen Americans at the end of the Season as part of the completion of a Future Consideration trade owed by Newfoundland.

Any Player on an AHL/NHL contract who was on Newfoundland’s roster after 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 20 (AHL/NHL Recall Reassignment Deadline) is ineligible to play in the ECHL for the remainder of the Season.

The following games on the 2023-24 ECHL regular-season schedule have been canceled:

• ECHL Game #943 – Trois-Rivières at Newfoundland (Friday, April 5)
• ECHL Game #954 – Trois-Rivières at Newfoundland (Saturday, April 6)
• ECHL Game #965 – Trois-Rivières at Newfoundland (Sunday, April 7)
• ECHL Game #974 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Thursday, April 11)
• ECHL Game #995 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Saturday, April 13)
• ECHL Game #1,007 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Sunday, April 14)

The playoff seeding for the remaining six teams in the North Division will be determined by points percentage, as will home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Kelly Cup Finals, in the event a North Division team advances to that round.