Details coming on possible semi-pro hockey team

Cornwall businessman Paul St-Onge and hockey team champion Rodney Rivette listen to Cornwall city council on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 discuss a rental agreement for a semi-pro hockey team. Rivette plans to release more details Tuesday if the deal goes through. St-Onge happened to be at the meeting for another issue. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – A semi-pro hockey team may be coming to Cornwall.

City council passed a new business motion Monday to enter into an agreement to rent the Cornwall Civic Complex to a semi-pro hockey team.

Couns. David Murphy and Andre Rivette sat out from the vote due to conflicts of interest.

While the proponents are unnamed, Rodney Rivette – who championed a cause to save the Cornwall River Kings – is behind the push in some capacity.

“I’m going to go meet with some people and just talk some things over. Obviously, there are little things we have to do. We’ll have lots of say tomorrow,” Rivette told reporters after the council meeting.

Rivette was asked if it had anything to do with a possible Federal Hockey League franchise. “Maybe…that’s all you’re getting today,” he laughed coyly.

“But once the decision had come down (for the River Kings) we weren’t done yet. We were just looking around to see what the options were,” Rivette told Cornwall Newswatch.

Rivette said he wants to make sure “the processes are respected.”

The issue was somewhat rushed as the terms of the agreement have to be finalized by Tuesday (Sep. 13) and city council would have to hold a special meeting Wednesday (Sep. 14) to allow the clerk and mayor to sign a formal agreement.

This is a rental agreement for the Cornwall Civic Complex, similar to the arrangement the city had with the Cornwall River Kings.

The mayor stressed that the city is not getting into the hockey business.