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New page: '''Mario Forgione''' is majority owner of '''Henley Sports, Inc.''', which owns the Pensacola Ice Pilots hockey team. A native of Canada who already owned a team in the Ontario Hockey ...
'''Mario Forgione''' is majority owner of '''Henley Sports, Inc.''', which owns the [[Pensacola Ice Pilots]] hockey team. A native of Canada who already owned a team in the Ontario Hockey League, he purchased the ECHL team from [[Tim Kerr]] on [[August 18]], [[2005]], after his wife Michele expressed a desire to move back to her native Florida.<ref name="passionate">"Ice Pilots' new owner passionate about making a difference." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 2, 2005.</ref>
{{cquote|One of the things that hurts us is the perception that the franchise is not stable. We need to erase that. … The key to our success is going to be a long-term plan. We've got to recognize the fans and appreciate them. I want to give the fans what they want. I've had phone calls with people literally crying on the phone, begging us not to move this team. They want a championship team; I've heard that loud and clear. We're going to give them the best hockey we can provide them.<ref name="passionate"/>}}
In June [[2008]], Forgione indicated to the ECHL that he would not field a team for the 2008-09 season. This was cited by the league as "grounds for termination," according to commissioner Brian McKenna, and the Ice Pilots were stripped of their league membership on [[June 23]].<ref>"Hockey comes to a halt in Pensacola." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 24, 2004.</ref>
{{bio-stub}}
[[Category:Pensacola Ice Pilots|Forgione, Mario]] [[Category:Sports team owners|Forgione, Mario]]
{{cquote|One of the things that hurts us is the perception that the franchise is not stable. We need to erase that. … The key to our success is going to be a long-term plan. We've got to recognize the fans and appreciate them. I want to give the fans what they want. I've had phone calls with people literally crying on the phone, begging us not to move this team. They want a championship team; I've heard that loud and clear. We're going to give them the best hockey we can provide them.<ref name="passionate"/>}}
In June [[2008]], Forgione indicated to the ECHL that he would not field a team for the 2008-09 season. This was cited by the league as "grounds for termination," according to commissioner Brian McKenna, and the Ice Pilots were stripped of their league membership on [[June 23]].<ref>"Hockey comes to a halt in Pensacola." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 24, 2004.</ref>
{{bio-stub}}
[[Category:Pensacola Ice Pilots|Forgione, Mario]] [[Category:Sports team owners|Forgione, Mario]]