Recently, talks of expansion have floated through the OHL’s social media spaces this season. Although it doesn’t seem plausible at first. Recent developments throughout the season, including the introduction of Commissioner Bryan Crawford, suggest otherwise.
In an interview, while visiting the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, Crawford was asked about expansion. He said, “The idea of expansion is something to explore when the opportunities arise and when the timing makes sense.” This was following a recent development from Jeff Marek that saw the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms and Muskegon Lumberjacks approach the OHL.
OHL Greenlights Expansion Plan
Elliotte Friedman revealed that last Wednesday, the OHL held a board meeting at which they mandated aggressive expansion. This was an expected move. Especially with the recent developments regarding the OHL and player commitments to NCAA schools.
With all this in mind, what markets could the OHL consider?
Greater Toronto Area
Although this seems like a strange idea, considering that Mississauga and Brampton haven’t been very successful in recent years, it could work. The GTHL is a strong league for the OHL. Also, it’s the GTA is a huge market if they look in the right spot.
Vaughan, in particular, is a hotbed for youth hockey, and the Vaughan Kings are a major factor in that. The Kings have produced several NHL talents. That includes Mitch Marner, Jeff O’Neill, Mike Cammalleri, Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Justin Williams, and Cole Perfetti.
With a population just above 330,000, Vaughan could be a top option for an OHL club. They can grab some of the GTA audience that other Junior Hockey clubs haven’t been able to do. The only thing is, an OHL-size arena would have to be constructed.
The OHL could also select Markham, Richmond Hill, or Etobicoke. There are plenty of viable options within this sector.
Toronto
The OHL has tried to make Toronto work for years. Being the largest city not only in Ontario but the entire country, it would make sense to put a junior hockey team downtown. The problem, however, is that the team is up against a lot of competition. The Maple Leafs, Marlies, and the two-year-old Sceptres take up a lot of market share. Even then, it is extremely tough to compete against the Leafs alone.
However, there is a strategy for making junior hockey work in the city, however, and that is building a working relationship with both Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
The Mattamy Athletic Centre, aka the former Maple Leaf Gardens, is the best rink for the new downtown team.
Although it seems crazy, it would be expensive and not worth it for the team to play at Scotiabank. It would also be way too large for the OHL, considering the largest rink in the OHL seats 9,862. The Coca-Cola Coliseum, located on exhibition grounds, could be another option, but it definitely is a hike from the heart of downtown, and the competition from the Marlies and Sceptres is another tough bargain.
The relationship with TMU makes it easy to secure interns to help out with operations, and TMU could benefit from OHL players committing to play in an environment they’re already familiar with. Developing a relationship with students also allows the club to build a fanbase that actually cares about the club, and it could help fight the major concern of minor league teams in Toronto struggling with attendance issues.
Cornwall
The Cornwall Royals had a decade-long stint in the OHL from 1981 to 1992 and spent even longer in the Q. Could they make a return? Probably.
The most recent return to a former market that has done well is the North Bay Battalion, who made the move out of the GTA prior to the 2013-2014 season. With this in mind, another return to a longtime junior hockey market.
Although they could refresh the arena in time for the new team, the Cornwall Civic Complex is ready to go to accommodate the Royals’ return. It is built right on the bank of the St. Lawrence and has all the amenities to perfectly support a junior hockey club once again.
The new and improved Royals complete the East Division and add another close rival for the Frontenacs and 67s.
Belleville
the loss of the Bulls 10 seasons ago i still a soft spot for the community, and the AHL’s senators haven’t pulled at the heartstrings of everybody just yet.
Although it would be another team thrown into the East Division, the market would take another opportunity to get its bulls back in a heartbeat.
The former home of the Bulls, the CAA arena, was renovated in 2017 when the Senators came to town. These renovations overhauled the locker rooms, grandstands, and scoreboard and made other minor improvements.
Although Belleville moved previously, it still is a great venue for junior hockey. It has a recently renovated arena and is on the 401, which makes for easy travel to and from games.
On a side note, the OHL values having a balance between the OHL and education, so spending a lot of time travelling is something that the OHL would rather not do if they can. However, in some cases, especially with more northern teams, more travel is necessary. It is also why a lot of games take place on some weeknights and most weekends.
Thunder Bay
Totally disregarding the previous argument about travel times, Thunder Bay is a market that is often discussed in terms of OHL expansion.
Thunder Bay is a very strong and supportive hockey market. The OUA’s Lakehead University Thunderwolves dominate in terms of attendance, with 2-3000 fans each game. This is in comparison to the rest of the OUA, which only averages 2-3oo.
This type of devotion and support can’t be ignored when it comes to OHL expansion. Tickets are a large part of an OHL team’s revenue, so a routine sellout would add some security to a franchise that would require a lot of its budget to be set aside for travel.
The local arena, Fort William Gardens, is perfectly adequate by OHL standards and should support the team just fine.
Maybe the Thunder Bay Lightning could be a reality…
Hamilton
Although losing both the AHL and OHL is a sting, Hamilton could still be a viable market for a Bulldogs 2.0 in the near future. Maybe Brantford rebrands back to the Alexanders?
After renovations to the FirstOntario Centre forced the Bulldogs out, a new and improved arena would be perfectly viable for another crack at a hockey team.
With the success of the first iteration of the Bulldogs in the AHL and the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, it makes sense to at least consider Hamilton as a possibility.
However, there are talks about the AHL re-entering the market following renovations, so the former Copps Coliseum may be used once again.
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