Mill Rats bring their "game" to Saint Jo
07/28/2010 11:07 AM
Name and logo unveiled for Saint John’s new Premier Basketball League team
Saint John, NB, July 27, 2010 –The Saint John Mill Rats will be hitting the hardwood at Harbour Station this season and representing the Port City in the Premier Basketball League (PBL).
Team management and community members were joined by Saint John Member of Parliament Rodney Weston and Mayor Ivan Court to officially unveil the new team name and logo.\\
The logo features a ‘Mill Rat’ that symbolizes the city’s industrial history, and the hard work and dedication that team management will devote to the franchise and that players will devote to the game.
“I’m proud to introduce a brand that reflects the spirit of hard work and dedication that is evident in Saint John,” said Ian McCarthy, president of the newly named Saint John Mill Rats. “Now that we’ve got an identity, we will move forward and focus on our goal of bringing a PBL championship to Saint John.”
A number three featured in the logo pays homage to local basketball legend Norman “Rip” Seely, an inductee into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame as an individual and as a member of the Saint John Basketball Club. “Rip” played on eight Maritime Championship teams between 1938 and 1951, and was the leading scorer on all the teams that he played.
“We plan on reigniting Saint John’s long history of basketball success when we hit the court with Rip’s number three on the chests of all our players,” said McCarthy.
The team and title sponsor Rogers Communications held a “Got Name?” contest from July 15-22 for the community to vote on or suggest naming options for the team.\\Chris Smith, a contest participant, was randomly selected as the winner of a Roger Prize Package and a pair of season tickets to the Mill Rats first season.
“Community support is vital to the success of our team and the PBL. We are delighted to see the number of Saint Johners who have shown so much interest in our team so far and we look forward to seeing a great turnout for the upcoming season,” said McCarthy.
The Saint John Mill Rats will begin pre-season play in December 2010. For more information please visit Saint John Mill Rats Facebook page.
For more information please contact:
Ian McCarthy
President,
Saint John Premier Basketball League Team
508-246-0907
millrats@gmail.com
Claire Ryan
MT&L Public Relations
506-672-1860 ext. 1 (office)
506-645-0615 (mobile)
cryan@mtlpr.ca
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