By Associated Press - Thursday, March 9, 2017

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The Trustees of Cross Insurance Arena are engaging in negotiations with two groups to potentially bring a minor league professional hockey team back to downtown Portland, Maine.

The Portland Press Herald reports (https://bit.ly/2mmZ3T7 ) the chair of the arena’s board of trustees said Wednesday that the board’s Strategic Development Committee hopes to have a tentative lease agreement in place with one of the groups within the next two months.

The timetable is important because the ECHL’s board of governors meets in June. The ECHL, an affiliate of the NHL, requires potential franchises to have a tentative lease agreement along with a suitable arena in order to be considered.

ECHL officials say having a lease in place by June does not guarantee that Portland would be granted a franchise.

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This story has been corrected to show the name of the league is the ECHL, not the East Coast Hockey League.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com

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