Olithan Sports & Entertainment finalized the purchase of the majority of shares for the
Port Alberni Bombers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League and the Port
Alberni Bulldogs of the BC Hockey League from Keycorp Sports & Entertainment.
The VIJHL approved the sale at their Annual General Meeting in April, while the BCHL
approved the sale May 30.
Along with that, Olithan finalized a 10-year extension of their arena contract with the City
of Port Alberni.
“I’m very excited, because it works for both teams now, as the VIJHL and the BCHL are in
alignment,” says Garry Wong of Olithan. “We have the same ownership and the same
location; this offers vertical integration between the two teams.”
“I’d like to see the Bombers program be a place where we give hope to young players who
want to play at this level and be a platform where they can work towards other
opportunities,” he adds. “It’s exciting to build hope and a future for our players.”
Garry’s son, Jonathan, played Junior B hockey for the North Vancouver Wolf Pack before
spending the past two seasons with the Merritt Centennials in the BCHL.
“I’ve loved hockey all my life, and I still play,” Garry notes, adding he will continue to run
his business in Vancouver while working closely with the Bombers and Bulldogs. “I think
it’s a privilege to own hockey franchises. Not many people have that opportunity in their
lifetimes, so this is a great adventure for me. I’m very thankful”
The minority owners of the Bombers and Bulldogs, Stefanie Weber, Dennis See, Luke
Betts and Ron Coutre, remain in ownership positions with both clubs.
David Michaud has stepped down as the president of the club,
As Michaud’s run with the Bulldogs comes to a close, he is confident that Bulldogs are in
good hands.
“With Joe Martin at the helm, the Bulldogs are poised to continue their run of success on
the ice. Finding a new group that was able to come in and build on the foundation of the
work we had done was really important to me,” notes Michaud. “Jasmine and I are both
grateful for our time in Port Alberni with the Bulldogs and Bombers. We made so many
meaningful connections and will hold many memories close to our hearts. Hockey Valley
will always be a special place”
Michaud joined the Bulldogs in 2018 in an advisory role, and became the club’s president
after Keycorp Sports & Entertainment purchased the club in 2019. The Bulldogs ownership
group would like to recognize David for the effort and energy he put into the team and wish
David continued success in the future.