As the Niagara IceDogs are in the midst of a bounce back season in the Ontario Hockey League, Darren and Michele DeDobbelaer want to make sure that everything off the ice is as good as everything on the ice – if not better.
When the DeDobbelaers bought the IceDogs in 2022, they were walking into a less-than-ideal situation. Between league investigations off the ice, and a team underperforming on the ice, Michele and Darren quickly went to work on balancing the books and adding points to the standings throughout the season.
Fast forward to the 2024-2025 campaign, and that has happened. The team has seen a resurgence this season in the standings, on pace to pass their point total from the last two seasons combined, while fans are coming to games in the thousands as the Dogs fight for home ice advantage in the playoffs.
While the sport aspect of it is fun, the community aspect is arguably what’s most important to Michele and Darren. Michele notes that without the community in Niagara to start, there’s no IceDogs ever, which is why they make it a point to fundraise for different Niagara-based communities throughout the season, while mixing in themed games for fan experience and enjoyment.
To hear more from Michele and Darren DeDobbelaer, listen to the podcast below.
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