In March 2019, the MHL was approached by Global Centre Ice Inc. of Fredericton, to make a pitch for the purchase of the St. Stephen franchise. The team had been struggling financially for three years prior to the 2018-19 season, and the owners had made the difficult decision to sell the team.[3] The MHL was impressed by the pitch made by Global Centre Ice Inc., and approved the sale of the team prior to the end of the Aces' playoff run that year.[4] On April 15, the team and the League made the official announcement of the move, and announced that the team, named the Fredericton Red Wings, would begin play in the 2019-2020 season. On the same day, the Red Wings website was launched, along with a press release and the slogan "A Rebirth of a Hockey Tradition".[5]
The Fredericton Red Wings name has a history in the Fredericton junior hockey scene dating back to the 1960s, with a number of Red Wings teams playing in Fredericton. The team which is the inspiration for the name of the current Fredericton Red Wings was the team of the 1970s and 80s, coached at one time by former NHL player and Fredericton native Buster Harvey (for whom, along with Danny Grant, the Grant-Harvey Centre is named).[1][6] That team played in the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League, and captured three consecutive titles from 1976-77 to 1978-79.[7]
