Royals reward Man who moved city’s beloved hockey franchise in U.S. custody
By Greg Kielec
RE/MAX CORNWALL REALTY INC.
It has been 20 years since former Corn- wall alderman William Wise did the un- thinkable and pulled the beloved Cornwall Royals out of the city. But even with a potential 27-year United States prison sentence looming over him for his role in a $129 million ponzi scheme, the animosity harboured toward Wise for spir- iting away the Major Junior A hockey fran- chise still roils the high-flying money manager. “We were trying to save it,” he told Betsy Powell of The Toronto Star in an interview at his lawyer’s office before flying to San Francisco to surrender to U.S. authorities. “I’m remembered as a man who moved the Royals out of Cornwall when in fact I prob- ably should be remembered as the person who kept it there five years,” he said. The storied Royals, who produced National Hockey League stars Dale Hawerchuck, Doug Gilmour and Billy Smith, are but a dis- tant memory to many Cornwall residents and likely a mystery to the younger genera- tion grown up on the Cornwall Colts Tier 2 Junior A hockey franchise. Many of the movers and shakers engaged in the debate at the time are no longer in pol- itics or have passed away, including Ron Martelle, who was mayor at the time of Wise’s brinkmanship over the hockey team. The Royals were losing money and Wise had given fans attendance targets to meet to keep the team in town. But when attendance targets were not met and a deal he had with Martelle for free ice -- a $50,000 a year con- cession -- fell through, Wise made good on his ultimatum and moved the team to New- market where it also floundered before mov- ing to Sarnia. “We would cost them $50,000 a year for 20 years and that would have kept the team. So we were certainly prepared to stay. But peo- ple seem to not want to write about that,” Wise lamented. “Within months they brought the Quebec Aces in which cost them within three years three to five million dollars,” he said with a chuckle. The Royals were successful members of the Central Junior A Hockey League in the 1960s, but are probably most fondly remem- bered for their raucous games at the Si Miller Arena as a member the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Battlin’ Billy Smith be-
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tween the pipes. After an application to join the OHL was re- jected, the franchise became one of the inau- gural teams of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 1969. The Cornwall Roy- als were one of the league's premier teams during its tenure in the QMJHL, winning 3 Memorial Cup titles. For the 1981–82 season, the team transferred into the Ontario Hockey League. The Royals suffered through many tough seasons and poor attendance after moving to the OHL. The switch in leagues alienated many die-hard fans from across the Quebec border. Seeking better fortunes, the franchise moved to Newmarket, Ontario to play as the Newmarket Royals in 1992. In 1994 the team was bought by the Ciccarelli brothers and moved to Sarnia, Ontario as the Sarnia Sting. A federal grand jury in San Francisco re- turned a 23-count indictment charging Wise, formerly of Raleigh, N.C., and Jacquline Hoegel, of American Canyon, Cal.; with conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud on Feb. 21. Wise surrendered to authorities in San Francisco last week. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. With files contributed by Betsy Powell of the Toronto Star. Special photo WilliamWise, a former city alderman and former owner of the Cornwall Royals Major Junior A hockey team has surren- dered to United States authorities in con- nection with a $129-million international Ponzi scheme.
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