The search for a new professional hockey team for St. John's began after the departure of the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League. In July 2016, the Montreal Canadiens, who owned the franchise used by the club, confirmed the relocation of the team to the newly constructed Place Bell arena in Laval, Quebec, for the start of the 2017–18 season. Danny Williams, who ran the IceCaps and owned the team's intellectual property, stated his intentions to find another franchise with the AHL or another league. From that point two rival groups formed. The first were the operators of the St. John's Edge basketball team and current occupants of the Mile One Centre, who looked to secure a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise for the arena. The other, led by local businessman Dean MacDonald and including ice hockey executive Glenn Stanford of the former IceCaps, were looking to secure an ECHL team. The ECHL franchise was conditionally approved for the Stanford-led group pending an arena deal but was delayed in late January 2018 after a dispute with the St. John's Edge ownership group over arena rights that led to arbitration. After the lease issue was settled, the ECHL officially approved St. John's for entry into the league on March 13, 2018, to begin with the 2018–19 season, placing them in the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The ECHL ownership group reportedly created a partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which would bring the organization back to St. John's for the first time since the team relocated their American Hockey League affiliate, the St. John's Maple Leafs, to Toronto in 2005. The affiliation would eventually be confirmed on June 14. Among the names considered for the new franchise were Shamrocks, Storm, Regiment, and Newfoundland Growlers. The team announced its name as the Newfoundland Growlers on May 22, the name in reference to the Newfoundland dog, specifically the World War I mascot of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, Sable Chief. Ryane Clowe, a Newfoundland native, previously an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, was named head coach on June 20. John Snowden was added as assistant coach on July 19 after serving in the same capacity for the Maple Leafs' previous ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears. The Growlers played their first game on October 12, 2018, a 3–2 win over the Florida Everblades in front of a sold-out arena. In January 2019, Clowe stepped down due to health concerns and was replaced by assistant coach John Snowden. The Growlers finished the season in first place within their division with 94 points. The Growlers then advanced through the 2019 playoffs to the league finals where they defeated the Toledo Walleye in six games to win the Kelly Cup. The Growlers were the first team since the 1989–90 Greensboro Monarchs to win the ECHL championship in an organization's first season of operations. They are also the first Canadian team to win the Cup.
Mascot
Buddy the Puffin is the mascot of the Growlers. Buddy, a longtime sports mascot in St. John's was previously the mascot of the St. John's Maple Leafs and later the St. John's IceCaps. Buddy's number is 92, which represents 1992, the year that he was introduced as the mascot of the St. John's Maple Leafs. Buddy is also the mascot for the St. John's Edge basketball team.
