Nine years ago, Ken and Bill Eansor, car-selling brothers, purchased the London Nationals. They changed nearly everything about the team, changing its look and boosting attendance while developing a winning culture.
After buying his brother bill out of the team a few years ago, the Nationals have continued on their paths of success in player development, winning, and community involvement.
Six weeks before training camp, Ken Eansor has now hung a For Sale sign on the London Nationals.
Eansor said he doesn’t have enough time to oversee the sale of the club and he has hired the Davis Martindale accounting firm, with vice-president of corporate finance Kevin Switzer managing the sale. Sources are reporting there are no shortage of inquires into the successful and storied franchise.
The Nationals captured their first Sutherland Cup provincial junior B title in 2013. Under Eansor’s watch, the club made five trips to the conference final, winning twice. An organization any potential owner would be proud to become a part of.
The status of GM Mike Borrows, head coach and former Knight Kelly Thomson, and the hockey operations staff will eventually be in the hands of new ownership. Eansor has recommended they stay on board for the coming season.
Eansor has said publicly that the Ontario Hockey Association’s decision rejecting GOJHL’s bid to acquire junior A status has nothing to do with his decision to sell.
Time was the deciding factor. Not having enough time to devote to the day to day operations and needs of the team is the one thing Eansor has run short of. Will Eansor walk away from the game completely? That’s not likely, time too has a way of bringing people full circle in this game and no one would be surprised if after a break Eansor found his way into an ownership box somewhere.
