DAN CEARNS, The Standard
SCUGOG: Port Perry’s Junior C hockey team will be heading into next season with a new name and a new look.
At a press conference, at the Scugog Community Recreation Centre, on Thursday, April 28th, Murray Parliament announced the Port Perry MoJacks will become the Port Perry Lumberjacks. This name change follows a change in sponsorship, with Lake Scugog Lumber becoming the team’s new sponsor.
At the conference, Mr. Parliament explained the team had to search for a new corporate sponsor after the Jackson family, who previously owned Mother Jackson’s in Port Perry, decided they could no longer be the team’s sponsor.
“Life as we know it has changes. Changes we can’t control sometimes, changes [which] are necessary, changes [which] are just part of our life. A year ago, Dave [Jackson] talked to me and told us they were going to discontinue the family sponsorship, and we should look for a new sponsor to take over from the 50-year contribution they made to the community of Port Perry, to our hockey club, [and] to our executive,” he said.
The MoJacks name was short for Mother Jacksons.
“We knew eventually [the Jackson family sponsorship] would come to an end and we would have to start again,” Mr. Parliament said.
But in just a short conversation with members of the Griffen family, who own Lake Scugog Lumber, the team knew they had found their next sponsor.
“It was probably a two or three minute conversation, and it was obvious in my conversation with this gentleman they were really interested in taking over the corporate sponsorship. So, the next day after that conversation, we set up a meeting which took place in our dressing room. A meeting [which] maybe lasted 20/25 minutes. During that conversation, it was obvious to me the 90 year-old business had a tremendous amount of respect for the Jackson family,” Mr. Parliament explained. “That gives you a good feeling you’re heading in the right direction.”
Ian Griffen explained to The Standard, the most important part of this transaction was keeping the tradition of junior hockey going in Port Perry.
“That was huge for us. When our business has been around for 90 years and the MoJacks for 50, it was an easy decision,” he said. “It means a lot for the community and the community means a lot to me.”
Playing an audio clip of a chainsaw starting up, the team then announced they would be called the Lumberjacks, and a new logo and jersey design were unveiled, still maintaining the same colour scheme though.
“He liked the team colours and he felt it was important we retain those colours,” Mr. Parliament said. “One of the things he did emphasize though is we’ve got to get back on the winning track.”
Mr. Griffen explained the thought process behind the name change.
“I thought if we could carry on the ‘Jacks’ name and change it to Lumberjacks, it would flow well and it would still remember the Jackson family for 50 years of contributions and it would work for my scheme as well.”
MoJacks general manager Tom Parish told The Standard, he is excited about the new brand.
“It’s a new beginning, new sponsorship, new excitement, and I got a pretty hefty task to try to make a winner. As you can tell from the new sponsor, they really want to win. Hard work has already begun, and it’s going to keep going until we put a contender on the ice,” he said.
However, the work could get a little bit easier for the team following this rebranding.
“Everything will be brand new, the kids are excited, the community is excited. It will be like injecting new life into the franchise,” Mr. Parish stated. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]