St. John's IceCaps in action at the Pepsi Centre in Cornerbrook, October 4, 2012.Paul Tizzard/The Globe and Mail
The Winnipeg Jets Hockey are keeping their American Hockey League farm team in St. John's, Nfld., at least to the end of the 2015-'16 season.
In January, the Jets said they were exploring a move of the St. John's IceCaps to Thunder Bay, Ont., after a deal was announced to build a new $106-million event centre in the Lake Superior community.
But on Wednesday, the NHL team announced it had extended its AHL affiliation with the IceCaps for one more year through the 2015-'16 season.
The IceCaps are entering their fourth season as the Jets main farm team. The franchise is also coming off its most successful campaign ever, losing in the Calder Cup final.
Jets governor Mark Chipman warned at the time the move to Thunder Bay was broached that it was in the very preliminary stages and there was no guarantee it would happen.
Travel issues to Newfoundland are the main reason the Jets were looking for another home for the team.