The Bulldogs have been purchased by Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family. Photo Credit: Brantford Bulldogs/Facebook.
Hamilton hockey fans who were holding out hope that the Bulldogs would return to the city once the Hamilton Arena Project is complete were disappointed last week when it was announced that the team signed an agreement to stay in Brantford for up to 40 years.
The hockey team, which plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), was also sold by outgoing owner Michael Andlauer to an ownership group led by National Hockey League (NHL) player Zach Hyman and family.
The ownership group includes Zach Hyman, his father Stuart Hyman, and his brother Spencer Hyman.
Zach Hyman, 32, currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers but played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2016 to 2021.
Born in Toronto, Hyman played Junior “A” hockey for the Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2008 to 2011.
The OHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Bulldogs on Jan. 13.
Just two days later, on Jan. 15, City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis announced in a press conference with the Hymans that an agreement had been signed between the Bulldogs and the City of Brantford for a 15-year lease with five separate five-year extension options.
The agreement, which includes plans for a new sports and entertainment centre in Brantford, means that the team could stay in the city for at least 40 years.
While the newly announced plans were exciting for Brantford hockey fans, the agreement means that the Bulldogs are officially leaving the City of Hamilton on a permanent basis.
The Bulldogs left Hamilton for Brantford in September 2023 after their home arena, the FirstOntario Centre, was closed for a $280-million venue renovation plan.
But Hamilton hockey fans had hoped that the team would eventually return since the Brantford agreement was only for three years.
However, the temporary move away from Hamilton to Brantford came with controversy with Hamilton sports team owners originally expecting that they would be able to keep playing at the FirstOntario Centre during renovations.
But with the Hamilton Arena Project expanding from a $50-million project to a $280-million project in July 2022, the Hamilton Bulldogs, Hamilton Honey Badgers (basketball), and the Rock (lacrosse), were all told that they would have to leave the FirstOntario Centre during renovations.
At the time, Andlauer told The Hamilton Spectator that he was “pissed off.”
Likewise, Mike Morreale, commissioner of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) said he was “angry” and that the “communication breakdown has just been incredible.”
In the end, the Honey Badgers left permanently for Brampton and now the Bulldogs have left permanently for Brantford.
The Rock, which still calls itself the Toronto Rock despite playing in Hamilton, is the only team that will be staying.
The Rock moved their home games temporarily to Mississauga but plan to come back to Hamilton when the arena renovations are complete.
In his outgoing remarks as Bulldogs owner, Andlauer went so far as to take aim at Hamilton politicians: “Hamilton was my adopted city. A lot of these memories were made in Hamilton – a city that’s synonymous with grit, hard work, character. It’s just too bad that the local politicians in Hamilton don’t have the same pedigree.”
“After 20 years of service to the city I was kicked out and left homeless and couldn’t play in Hamilton. That’s where Brantford, led by Mayor Davis, gave me another great memorable moment,” said an emotional Andlauer.
Despite the controversy, commentators have noted that it is certainly fitting for the Bulldogs to be moving to Brantford on a permanent basis since the city is famously the hometown of former NHLer Wayne Gretzky and has a strong hockey community.
Indeed, OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford says, “The strength of the OHL is its communities and Brantford has proven to be an outstanding destination for OHL hockey. I’m excited to welcome the Hyman family to the league and look forward to seeing the OHL continue to thrive in Brantford for years to come.”
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
