HarbourCats and Kelowna Falcons gain another Canadian rival as West Coast League continues to expand.

September 9, 2020

KAMLOOPS, B.C.: Canada’s Tournament Capital just added another sports team to its roster, the Kamloops NorthPaws. The announcement on September 9 was surrounded by much socially distanced fanfare at Norbrock Stadium, the home of the NorthPaws when they begin play. The special event featured ballpark hot dogs, refreshments, great music, prizing for attendees, and a lively atmosphere, something the ownership group will continue when the team takes to the field for its inaugural season in the summer of ‘21.

“Our group is thrilled to bring the West Coast League (WCL) to Kamloops,” said Norm Daley, one of the owners of the Kamloops NorthPaws. “This league is one of the premier collegiate summer leagues in North America and the skill level is incredible. Some of the guys who play in the WCL go on to play in the majors, which means fans are going to experience an elevated level of play at Norbrock next summer.”

The other owners include Neal Perry and Jon Pankuch. Together, the group has been dreaming about bringing a team to the city for years. Now, the dream has become a reality and the group is excited about what this means for baseball and family entertainment in a city they all love.

“The experience of a NorthPaws gameday will start out in the parking lot and continue on into the stadium,” said Pankuch. “Our goal is to create the ultimate entertainment experience and we know that it is all about the fan experience – with baseball attached. NorthPaws gamedays will be one of the hottest tickets because it will be affordable and the games, prizing, music, and activities will keep everyone entertained for hours. We can’t wait for the first gameday and being able to safely play and host fans in the stands.”

Currently, the owners are working on finding a coach and team manager to help them build the team. They anticipate the NorthPaws will be one of the teams many players will want to play for because of the world class reputation of baseball in the community.

“We have our feelers out now to build our roster of NCAA Division 1 and 2 players, and we will have the opportunity for local players to wear the NorthPaws jersey too,” said Daley. “We want to enhance the sport of baseball in our community and let local baseball players know there’s this opportunity potentially in their future.”

Echoing the excitement of the Kamloops franchise owners is WCL Commissioner, Rob Neyer.

“Kamloops has a thriving atmosphere for amateur sport in B.C., so collegiate summer ball is obviously a great fit,” said Neyer from his home in Portland, Oregon. “The WCL’s level of play is outstanding, ranking among baseball’s top summer collegiate leagues, which makes for intense games and a tremendous fan experience. As a new team, the NorthPaws face a stiff challenge, and it will be fun seeing them face off against the established clubs, especially their B.C. brethren. Congratulations to Kamloops, and welcome to the West Coast League!”

Another new team to the WCL is the Nanaimo NightOwls, owned by the same group who have the always competitive Victoria HarbourCats team – the league’s attendance leaders. The owners of the NorthPaws are already making plans to emulate the success of the HarbourCats in terms of attendance and on the field play.

HarbourCats fans will need to wait until the 2021 West Coast League schedule is released later in the fall to learn when the first opportunity to see the NorthPaws in action will be and to “welcome” them to Wilson’s Group Stadium.

Fans wanting to lock in their seats now to enjoy this rivalry can do so by taking advantage of the HarbourCats “101 for 2021” Season Ticket offer that is on now.  10-game flex packs are also for sale, while individual game tickets will go on sale once the 2021 schedule is released.

How to Support the HarbourCats in 2020/2021:

If you are able, or if you know friends and colleagues who are able, please consider any of the following:

2021 Season tickets — the best way to help, one that guarantees you seats to all our games (usually 35 per year or so) plus other season ticket holder perks. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details.

10-Game Flex Packs / Vouchers — Don’t want to commit, or can’t commit to season tickets? Consider 10-game flex packs – anytime vouchers that can be used in any combination…10 tickets at one game, 1 ticket at 10 games or anything in between. Season ticket voucher equivalents are also available.  Flex Packs can be purchased at the office and are also available on-line at:  https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/products/10-game-flex-pack-general-admission

Corporate Partnerships – Want to put your company name or brand in front of our 100,000 fans every season?  Or know someone who does?  Consider joining us as a partner.  From a simple program ad, to the most complex of game day sponsorship, complete with signage and tickets, we will customize any campaign to suit your needs and budget.  And with our new HCATS.TV platform and our ownership group’s expansion of a new team in Nanaimo in 2021, the opportunities are now Island wide! Contact john@harbourcats.com for details.

Fundraising / 50-50 – Have an organization that needs to raise funds now?  A $1000 investment buys you 100 anytime 2021 game vouchers for our Premium Reserved seats that you can then turn around and sell for $20 each, earning you your investment back, plus another $1000 in return. We will then hold a 50-50 date for you in 2021 and you can bring your group to the park to sell that game, taking home 50% of the proceeds. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details.

Merchandise – Consider a HarbourCats merchandise purchase from our store at 1814 Vancouver Street, or from our on-line store, The Cat Shop, at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/ New items, including 2020 game caps and player’s gear are arriving weekly and we need to clear them out!

OFFICE HOURS 

For August and September, we are officially open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm.  We are often in and out of office during off-season, so best to call 778-265-0327 before venturing over to make sure. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.