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OHL’s Bulldogs officially sold, look to stay in Brantford for at least 15 years

The Brantford Bulldogs could stay in The Telephone City for the next four decades under the new ownership of Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family.
Many were questioning whether the Ontario Hockey League team would stay in Brantford following Monday’s approval of the transfer of ownership from Ottawa Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer to a group including Hyman, his brother Spencer and father Stuart.
At a press conference Wednesday, Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis and the Hyman family signed a memorandum of understanding to keep the Bulldogs in the city for 40 years.
“We do have a memorandum of understanding with the Bulldogs organization negotiated originally with Michael and finally with the Hyman’s that secure the Brantford Bulldogs future here in Brantford as the anchor tenant in our proposed sports and entertainment centre with an initial term of 15 years plus five five-year renewal terms,” Davis said.
A memorandum of understanding is not necessarily legally binding, meaning the Bulldogs staying in Brantford is not finalized until an official lease agreement is signed.
The OHL team currently plays at the Brantford and District Civic Centre, which has a capacity of 2,952 spectators.
Davis said the agreement between the group and the city includes plans for a new arena.
Renovations at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre forced the Bulldogs to move to Brantford for at least three seasons beginning with the 2023-24 campaign. It was the first time Brantford had been home to an OHL team since the Alexanders moved to Hamilton in 1984.
Andlauer, who also owns the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators, purchased the OHL’s Belleville Bulls in 2015 and moved them to Hamilton, where they were rebranded as the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs won OHL titles in 2018 and 2022 under Andlauer. The team entered Monday in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-15-4 record.
– With files from The Canadian Press