The Newfoundland Growlers return to the Mary Brown’s Centre to open the 2023-24 ECHL season on Friday, Oct. 20, as they host the Reading Royals. The club recently signed a number of players and are hoping to once again hoist the Kelly Cup.

After finishing with 98 points during the regular season last year, the club came just one goal away from forcing a Game 7 in the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs in May. They would lose in six games in the Eastern Conference final against the Florida Everblades.

The Newfoundland Growlers are the primary ‘AA’ affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Since 2018, 53 players have appeared in regular season games for both the AHL Marlies and ECHL Growlers. To date, five players have dressed for the Maple Leafs since first appearing with the Growlers: Timothy Liljegren, Kristians Rubins, Keith Petruzzelli, Bobby McMann and Mac Hollowell.