Past meets present this weekend as the PEI Rocket — which moved to Price Edwards Island after failing to click in Montreal — travels to Montreal’s Verdun Arene to take on the Montreal Junior Canadiens.Past meets present this weekend as the PEI Rocket — which moved to Price Edwards Island after failing to click in Montreal — travels to Montreal’s Verdun Arene to take on the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The PEI Rocket began life in 1999 as an expansion Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise, but after seasons of small crowds at Maurice Richard Arena and Bell Centre the franchise was moved to PEI in 2003.
Meanwhile, Montreal businessman Farrel Miller purchased the St. John’s Fog Devils and moved that struggling franchise to 3,780-seat Verdun Auditorium, where the team has been a solid draw this season. The Montreal Junior Canadians are drawing around 3,200 fans per game despite sporting the highest ticket prices in the league, ranting from $45 for VIP seats to $15 for the cheapest seats.
Verdun Auditorium is one of the most historic venues in Canadian hockey, opening in 1938 and hosting several junior teams over the decades.
