Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
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| Hamilton Bulldogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Hamilton, Ontario |
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Division | East |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Operated | 2015–2023 |
| Home arena | FirstOntario Centre |
| Colours | Black, gold, white |
| Franchise history | |
| 1981–2015 | Belleville Bulls |
| 2015–2023 | Hamilton Bulldogs |
| 2023–present | Brantford Bulldogs |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | (2018, 2022) |
| Robertson Cups | (2018, 2022) |
The Hamilton Bulldogs were a Canadian major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the Bulldogs played home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purchased by owner Michael Andlauer in March 2015 and relocated to Hamilton after 34 years in Belleville, Ontario, where they were known as the Bulls. The Bulldogs won OHL championships in 2018 and 2022.
The Bulldogs replaced the American Hockey League team of the same name, also formerly owned by Andlauer. The original team played in Hamilton from 1996 to 2015, after which they moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, to become the second incarnation of the St. John's IceCaps.
In March 2015, Michael Andlauer acquired the Belleville Bulls and that they would move into the FirstOntario Centre for the 2015–16 season as the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Hamilton Bulldogs franchise which played in the American Hockey League had been sold to the Montreal Canadiens and moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, for the 2015–16 season.[1]
In February 2023, due to upcoming renovations to the FirstOntario Centre, the Bulldogs announced they would be temporarily relocating to the Brantford Civic Centre and renaming as the Brantford Bulldogs for at least three seasons, beginning in the 2023–24 season. The Civic Centre will also be undergoing over $9 million in renovations, funded by both the Bulldogs and the City of Brantford.[2]
In January 2025, National Hockey League player Zach Hyman and his family purchased the Bulldogs from Michael Andlauer,[3] and signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Brantford for the Bulldogs to play at a proposed sports complex in Brantford for 15 years, despite $290 million renovations to FirstOntario Centre.[4]
Coaches
- 2015–2016, George Burnett
- 2016–2018, John Gruden
- 2018–2019, Dave Matsos
- 2019–2020, Vince Laise[5][6]
- 2020, Steve Staios (interim)
- 2021–2023, Jay McKee[7]
General managers
- 2015–2016, George Burnett
- 2016–2022, Steve Staios (6)
- 2022–2023, Matt Turek
Players
Team captains
- Justin Lemcke (2015–2018)
- MacKenzie Entwistle (2018–2019)
- Matthew Strome (2018–2019 )
- Isaac Nurse (2019–2020)
- Colton Kammerer (2021–2022)
- Logan Morrison (2022–2023)
Notable players
List of notable players:[8]
NHL first-round draft picks
- 2017: Robert Thomas, 20th overall, St. Louis Blues
- 2019: Connor McMichael, 25th overall, Washington Capitals
- 2021: Mason McTavish, 3rd overall, Anaheim Ducks