Howard Darwin

Howard Joseph Darwin (September 10, 1931 – October 22, 2009) was a Canadian businessman and sports team owner. Among his businesses, he owned the Ottawa 67's, London Knights and Ottawa Lynx (minor league baseball) sports franchises.
In 1967, with four partners, Darwin purchased the franchise for the Ottawa 67s hockey team. The club was part of the impetus to build the Ottawa Civic Centre. Darwin managed the team and hired Brian Kilrea in 1974. In 1984, the 67's won the Memorial Cup junior championship. He sold his share of the 67's in 1998 to current owner Jeff Hunt for $2.5 million.
He bought the London Nationals in 1968, renaming them to the London Knights, also buying the London Gardens arena at the same time. He sold his share of the London Knights in 1987 to local businessmen.
In 1993, Darwin brought a triple-A baseball team, the Ottawa Lynx, to Ottawa after having lobbied for the construction of the Lynx Stadium. The club won the International League championship in 1995. Darwin sold the club in 2000 for $7 million to Ray Pecor. He had purchased it in 1993 for $5 million. The team eventually moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2008.
Three years after his death, the Merivale Centennial Arena in Ottawa was renamed the Howard Darwin Centennial Arena.
==References==
Category:1931 births
Category:2009 deaths
Category:Ottawa 67's
Category:London Knights
Category:Sportspeople from Ottawa