Brantford Bulldogs | |
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City | Brantford, Ontario |
League | Ontario Hockey League |
Conference | Eastern Conference |
Division | East |
Founded | 1981 |
Operated | 2015–present |
Home arena | Brantford Civic Centre |
Colours | Black, gold, white |
General manager | Matt Turek |
Head coach | Jay McKee |
Affiliate | Hamilton Kilty B's |
Franchise history | |
1981–2015 | Belleville Bulls |
2015–2023 | Hamilton Bulldogs |
2023–present | Brantford Bulldogs |
Championships | |
Division titles | (2018, 2022) |
Robertson Cups | (2018, 2022) |
The Brantford Bulldogs, formerly the Hamilton Bulldogs, are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at Brantford Civic 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 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 OHL season. The Civic Centre will also be undergoing over $9 million in renovations, funded by both the Bulldogs and the City of Brantford.[1]