Middlesex Centre Wellness and Recreation Complex in Komoka. (Photo courtesy of http://middlesexcentre.on.ca)Middlesex Centre Wellness and Recreation Complex in Komoka. (Photo courtesy of http://middlesexcentre.on.ca)
London

Predators Move To Komoka Made Official

It is official, for the first time in a long time there will no longer be a battle of Lambton County in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

At its meeting Wednesday night, Middlesex Centre Council unanimously approved the move of the Lambton Shores Predators to Komoka for next season.

The team will be known as the Komoka Kings, and will play its home games out of the Middlesex Centre Wellness and Recreation Complex.

Owner Roop Chanderdat says the new location will make it easier to recruit players.

"Forest was a bit out of the way for university and college kids in London, there are a lot of great hockey players in the area," says Chanderdat.

He says it was unfortunate things didn't go according to plan in Lambton Shores.

"We had some great volunteers, they were phenomenal. We didn't always have the fans that we wanted, but we had some of the best people helping with our team," says Chanderdat.

The Predators had been playing out of the Shores Recreation Centre in Forest since the team moved from Petrolia in 2008.

The Komoka facility that opened in September 2011, is home to the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs ‘AAA’ program. Mairs says with two NHL-sized ice surfaces, the Predators move will not have any impact on the minor sports groups currently playing at the complex.

Read More Local Stories