New logo, new look and new dressing room as London Nationals owners rebrand junior hockey team

Owners of the junior hocky team upgraded the logo and dressing room at Western Fair Sports Centre. CTV's Brent Lale has more.

When Dean and Brenda Pomerleau bought the London Nationals hockey team, they set their sights on a complete rebranding.

“We wanted change and we want to honour the people that worked for the Canadian National Railway,” said Dean Pomerleau.

“In 1961, they were the actual sponsor and that’s how it became the Nationals. We wanted a new look and a new start with new ownership.”

The couple – who own restaurants in Woodstock and Brantford – had been looking to purchase a junior hockey team.

Their son Austen is a key piece on the ice, as was having Brandon Prust as head coach. He was among Dean’s favourite players on the Montreal Canadiens.

After losing out in the second round of last year’s playoffs, they immediately got to work on the reconstruction of the team’s dressing room and coaches room at Western Fair Sports Centre.

They spent tens of thousands of dollars on the upgrades.

“We tried to use as many local people as possible with cabinetry, staining and painting,” said Pomerleau.

“We went to a point of putting embroidery on every seat just to give it a little classier look. We went with a darker stain than it used to be. New carpet and you can see all the name plates up top. We put the player and what country they’re from and their hometown. The Tron in the middle of the room is four sided. It’s controlled by the coaches’ room so they can draw up plans, go over video and the players can see everything on the Tron from their stalls and over the PA system.”

Prust tested it out during practice Tuesday ahead of the opener and loves that he can communicate with his players via video while they can stay in their stalls during intermission.

The back of the dressing room is just as classy.

“We’ve tried to create a very professional environment,” said Brenda, showing off the amenities.

“We feel that by doing that, we create a professional team on and off the ice as well. We have a trophy wall, and to my right there’s a therapy room. We have a full-fledged kitchen for meal preparation and to eat after the game. We also have a red-light therapy sauna as well as showers.”

The Nationals are a perfect 2-0 on the season, playing both games on the road. They are ready to showcase the new changes to their fans during the home opener.

“We’re really excited as some players haven’t seen the room yet,” says Dean.

“None of them have seen the jerseys yet, so we’re very excited to share this moment with them. I think we’re going have a great season. Just like our new slogan, ‘We’re back on track.’”