It’s been a month since the Brampton Beast confirmed at the ECHL Board of Governors meetings that after six seasons it was ceasing its operations and closing its doors. Given the uncertainty still plaguing professional sports headed into the fall of 2020, the team determined that three seasons of financial impact would be unsupportable.
The Beast were the only third-tier professional hockey team in Canada until the Newfoundland Growlers joined them for the 2018-19 season. At this level, fan support is paramount to a sustainable economic model, and even then it is hard. Despite their championship inaugural season, the Growlers still struggled financially, leaving many wondering how sustainable Canadian ECHL teams are.