Maine Mariners Hockey Team Sold to Man From New Hampshire

Portland has had its ups and downs with professional hockey. Luckily, this news is very good for the future of the Maine Mariners.

How It All Started

The original Maine Mariners played at what was then the Cumberland County Civic Center between two franchises in the AHL from 1977 to 1992, when the Mariners moved to Utica. But a new team came to Portland using the Mariners' name.

Then came the Portland Pirates, who played at the Civic Center from 1993 to 2016, when they moved to Springfield. Then in 2018 came the Maine Mariners of today. We've been lucky to have professional hockey here in Portland almost continuously since 1977.

When the Maine Mariners went up for sale, things looked like they could take a turn for the worse after seeing former teams packing up for other cities over the years. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

New Local Ownership

On July 23, the Maine Mariners announced that the team had been sold to Dexter Paine, the Chairman at Paine Schwartz Partners, born and raised in North Conway, New Hampshire. A local is now the owner of the Mariners, which is very exciting. Just look at the success the Portland Sea Dogs have had since.

Here's a statement from Paine, which was posted to the Maine Mariners Facebook page:

The city of Portland and the great State of Maine have a rich and proud tradition of hockey. I could not be more excited about the next phase for this team and its outstanding fans. Portland holds a special place in my heart and some of my earliest hockey memories involve attending Mariners games. I am thrilled to be able to realize this life-long dream with a city and team that mean so much to me. I know first-hand the enthusiasm our fans have for the Mariners and am committed to doing everything I can to deliver for them and the team. I look forward to supporting our dedicated hockey operations staff and players as they work to create a sustainable winner with a style of play that our fans are proud and eager to support.

Sounds like the team is in very good hands.

2024-2025 Mariners Season

The new season will kick off before you know it on Friday, October 18, at 7:15 PM, against the Wheeling Nailers at the Cross Insurance Arena.

This past season was a very emotional one with the mass shooting in Lewiston and the passing of Switchboard, the biggest hockey fan in Maine. Check out this great video with some highlights and tributes from the 2023-2024 season.