Top 10 Moments Of 2021-22 — #10: A Season Start Like No Other

The Newfoundland Growlers put an end to the longest offseason in franchise history in October 2021 and started a new chapter as they kicked off the third season of Growlers hockey. 

Despite falling to the eventual champs, the Florida Everblades, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the 2021-22 season was dotted with some of the greatest moments and accomplishments in the Growlers’ short, rich history in the ECHL.

With that, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest and most significant moments of the season. 

10) A Season Start Like No Other

With a fresh-faced new squad assembled and ready to work, the Growlers headed to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec to open the 2021-22 campaign and help introduce the Trois-Rivieres Lions to the ECHL in their inaugural season.

It’s never easy to predict how long it may take a team to gel to begin a season, but lucky for the Growlers, that didn’t take very long at all. New Growler Gordie Green found the back of the net just 15 seconds into the team’s first game and the Growlers never looked back, winning an emotional opening contest, and first game in 590 days, 6-3 over the Lions. 

The momentum continued to roll throughout their season-opening road trip, as the Growlers collected a 4-0-0-0 record against both Trois-Rivieres and the Adirondack Thunder, and headed home, eagerly anticipating their first home games of the season. 

However, home-opening weekend didn’t start quite as planned as the team was forced to shift its first two home series away from the newly-renamed Mary Brown’s Centre to Conception Bay South Arena. 

While the late change caused no shortage of hiccups, the team persevered both on and off the ice and were quickly embraced by their new home community. The Growlers’ temporary home was indeed a little smaller than they were used to, but thanks to the Growlers’ loyal fans and the wonderful hockey community in Conception Bay South, it was as loud as could be. 

The players overcame the veritable mountain of obstacles and gave their fans plenty to cheer about as the club won four of its six games in Conception Bay South, helping pave the way for a memorable season to come.