The Victoria Grizzlies have new majority ownership as Jim Hartshorne has taken over the team. Through Keycorp Hockey Holdings, Hartshorne now owns the Grizzlies and the Western Lacrosse Association’s Victoria Shamrocks. Also joining the Grizzlies is 46-year-old David Michaud as team president.
Related: Examining Victoria Grizzlies’ new majority owner Jim Hartshorne
Previously, Keycorp Hockey Holdings was the majority owner of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Additionally, Michaud served as the Bulldogs’ president for five seasons, and before taking over in Alberni Valley, he worked with the Penticton Vees.
This article is about Michaud, but before that, a look at the changes taking place with the Bulldogs.
Changes at the Dawg Pound
Before becoming the majority owner of the Grizzlies, Keycorp Hockey Holdings had a majority stake in the Bulldogs. To be able to buy into Victoria, Keycorp sold its majority stake in Alberni Valley to Olithan Sports and Entertainment.
The BCHL Board of Governors approved the sale on May 31. All other minority owners of the Bulldogs remain in place despite Olithan Sports and Entertainment taking over the majority. Included in the sale is the Port Alberni Bombers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
The new majority ownership has also finalized a 10-year lease extension with the City of Port Alberni to keep the Bulldogs in Port Alberni until the 2033-34 season. There is no word yet on who will replace Michaud as Bulldogs president.
Starting in the Okanagan
Michaud got his start in B.C. in 2010 as the general manager of the Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA team in the British Columbia Elite Hockey League. Over the next five years, he also spent time as a scout for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks and working with Creative Artists Agency, which is a talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles, California.
In 2013, Michaud led the Rockets to a U18 AAA championship title with the Okanagan Rockets. The Sudbury, Ontario product left the Rockets in 2015 to join the Penticton Vees as director of corporate partnerships and player development. He was with the Vees until 2018, including part of their 2017 Fred Page Cup championship.
In 2018, Michaud moved from the South Okanagan to Vancouver Island to become president of the Bulldogs.
Transforming Port Alberni into “Hockey Valley”
For five seasons, Michaud was president of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and during that time, the team became a perennial contender in the BCHL. The Bulldogs were also financially successful off the ice.
In the 2023 Fred Page Cup playoffs, Alberni Valley made it to the BCHL championship final for the first time. It was the first time the Bulldogs had ever made it past the third round. Off the ice, the fans have responded in a big way as the Bulldogs sold out every home game this past season.
The team played at more than 100 percent capacity all season, which is pretty much unheard of for most BCHL arenas. Under Michaud, the Bulldogs emphasized free attendance for kids under 12. Parents ended up buying a ticket to take their children to the games.
The challenge in Victoria
Michaud doesn’t believe there’s a pecking order for hockey teams in Victoria. In a Times Colonist article written by sports writer Cleve Dheensaw about Michaud’s hiring, he is quoted as saying there is “more than enough pie to go around.”. The excellent article covers several topics related to the Grizzlies, including the atmosphere at The Q Centre.
Michaud admits work needs to be done to get people back to the arena in Victoria. At most, the Grizzlies average half of The Q Centre’s capacity. For last season’s home opener, the listed attendance was 1,875, which was their highest-attended regular season game.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ highest-attended playoff game was their April 12 win against the Nanaimo Clippers. The attendance for that game was listed at 1,570. During their final playoff game against Surrey, the total attendance was 1,386. The total capacity for The Q Centre is 2,300 — or 2,700 including standing room.
Michaud has his work cut out for him in Victoria but has also been successful everywhere he’s been in hockey. It’ll be fun to see increased attendance at Grizzlies games.