The new hockey team’s name sounds familiar

Meet the new team, same as the old team.

Today we learned that the professional hockey team slated to take the ice in Portland in 2018 will be named the Maine Mariners. Sound familiar? Of course, that’s the name used by a pair of American Hockey League franchises that played here from 1977 through 1992.

Local hockey fans were feeling nostalgic during an online vote to decide the name of the new team, apparently, and the Mariners beat out four other finalists, including the Watchmen and the Lumberjacks.

During an unveiling ceremony today, team officials said they may use the old Mariners logo for a short time in promotional materials, but that they’ll get a new logo and uniforms in time for their first season here next fall.

See the video of the unveiling ceremony embedded here.

What we’re talking about

The Secretary of the Navy visited Bath Iron Works today, marking the first time such a high-ranking Navy official has visited the shipyard since 2014. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told reporters he expects Maine shipbuilders to play a key role in equipping the Navy as military conflicts ramp up around the world. Sure enough, the visit came just hours after the Navy announced deals with BIW to build two more destroyers.

A man was shot twice in the neck at a Biddeford convenience store early this morning, the Journal Tribune is reporting. Somehow, the 25-year-old victim is expected to survive, according to the latest reports. Police are interviewing witnesses and hope to get surveillance camera footage to help their investigation.

There have been more fatal motorcycle crashes this year in Maine so far than in all of last year. There were 18 in 2016, and there have been 20 through the first nine months of 2017 — including nine in the last month.

If you’re following the tragic quadruple murder case allegedly involving 22-year-old Rockport native Orion Krause, the BDN’s Alex Acquisto is reporting that psychiatrists need more time to determine whether he’s mentally competent to stand trial. Krause is accused of killing his mother, grandparents and a home health aide with a baseball bat on Sept. 8. Doctors asked the court to postpone their deadline for releasing their competency report from today until Oct. 20.

Tweet of the day

From Mike Salisbury, one of the many Portland area commuters likely thrown off course by a five-vehicle crash on the Casco Bay Bridge this afternoon:

The Big Idea

Thomas the Tank Engine lives in an oppressive, authoritarian world. This is the thesis behind an increasingly loud conversation online, a place where people feel compelled to suck the fun out of everything. Jia Tolentino writes in this piece for The New Yorker that Thomas’ creator was a World War II-era Anglican minister who “disliked change, venerated order, and craved the administration of punishment.” In stories from the children’s show over the years, animated trains and buses are severely and permanently punished for acts of disobedience.

Hat tip to BDN Senior Editor Robert Long for the Big Idea find.

Correction: In last night’s newsletter, I incorrectly described the location and size of Maine Medical Center’s proposed new parking garage, part of the facility’s $512 million renovation and expansion plan. The accurate description is that proposed parking garage would be on St. John Street and have 2,000-plus parking spaces.

Got any interesting story ideas, suggestions or links to share? Email us at jbleiberg@bangordailynews.com or skoenig@bangordailynews.com or tweet @JZBleiberg or @SethKoenig

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