After appealing to the wisdom of the crowd, Portland’s new minor league hockey team finally has a name.
“The Mariners was the popular pick. It wasn’t that the other names were bad, it’s just that the highest demand was for the Mariners,” says Adam Goldberg, vice president of business operations for the new East Coast Hockey League team.
The next highest demand was for the Wild Blueberries, which Goldberg says drew some passionate support. But he says with hockey returning to Portland after a more than a year hockey-free, it’s an exciting time — whatever you want to call the team.
“I think first and foremost that we need to remind people of that, and that even if their favorite name wasn’t chosen, the glass is full — and not even half full,” he says.
Other names that could have been include the Watchmen, the Puffins and the Lumberjacks. Next, the team must design a logo, pick colors and audition mascots. They’re also planning some open town meetings to hear from fans.
The first puck for the Maine Mariners will drop in Oct. 2018.
