A long-standing dispute between the City of St. John’s and Deacon Sports and Entertainment has boiled over with the result being a breakup. Now the Newfoundland Growlers’ hockey season in limbo.

The city informed the ECHL team this morning that they have been suspended from Mile One, just a week before the team was to have its home opener. Whether that’s temporary or permanent is unclear. They have already played four road games.

An emergency meeting of St. John’s City Council was held yesterday, and Deacon President and CEO Dean MacDonald says there will be a lawsuit. In his words, they will be bringing more than a pea shooter to the fight.

St. John’s Sports and Entertainment and Deacon recently signed a three-year lease but has been told that the employees find the workplace situation with the Growlers difficult. The city says there will be a workplace investigation by a third-party investigator. Mayor Danny Breen says employees have brought forward allegations of disrespectful workplace conduct directed towards staff at SJSEL. No other details will be provided.

Tickets were to go on sale a few days ago but Mile One had trouble making that happen, something which left MacDonald baffled as selling tickets is what they do.

That wasn’t their only concern.

He sent a list of concerns to the city including a lack of pricing on food. They sent the city a long list of concerns as “very little had been done to prepare for the upcoming season. He says the employees may be being used as a scapegoat.

That suggestion of a scapegoat riled up Mayor Danny Breen. He says the complaints centre around the Growlers’ organization.

He says there is a respectful workplace agreement in the lease which has to be abided by. They felt it was in the best interest for the protection of their employees to take the action they did.

MacDonald doesn’t know what’s in store for the team as it’s late to come up with a new venue. He says it may be difficult to find a venue in the province at this stage.