New hockey team to boost L-A economy
Lewiston will soon become the home of a junior hockey team once again, and it’s estimated to have a $1 million annual economic impact on the area.
The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that local business leaders welcomed Monday’s announcement that the New Hampshire Fighting Spirit, a North American 3 Eastern Hockey League team, will relocate to Lewiston as part of a five-year agreement. The team, which will soon become the L-A Fighting Spirit, will play at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
Lewiston has been without a junior hockey team since 2011, when the Lewiston Maineiacs folded as a result of being sold to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Jim Cain, the owner of Firland Management, which operates the Colisee, said he estimates that a 25-game season could have a $1 million annual economic impact for the Lewiston-Auburn area. He added that it also helps with the Colisee’s finances.
Lucien Gosselin, former president of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, welcomed the news, saying, "If they expect support from the business community, the business community needs to know this is not just another flash in the pan or a one-season affair or two-season affair.”
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