Hamilton Bulldogs
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- Jan 11, 2022
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Brantford Bulldogs 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part One)
- Thread starter nelli27
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Rounder8
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- Sep 28, 2018
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A lot of that probably has to do with the lack of seats available. Harder for London fans to get tickets.
Also, I had season tickets the last 4 years and while London definitely travels well, there were more Bulldogs fans than Knights fans at FOC.
sbpointer
Registered User
I was at the game last night. What a great atmosphere. The gameday staff were all great, the fans were loud overall Brantford put on a great show!
Only small negative even my 12 year old found the music too loud ( and I enjoy loud music )
The video board promos were cool being able to tweet to them and stuff.
Looking forward to checking out the team this year in Brantford. Curious if the concession lines are a disaster during games? Didn't look like much space there.
sbpointer
Registered User
We had no issue with waits at the concession pre game. Didn't try during intermission.
The areas are tight though for sure...
Rounder8
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Another good game from Testa. He looks much more confident with the puck this year.
Nice to see Masen Wray put up some points. I see potential in him.
I'm not sure how I felt about Egorovs game. I can't deny the results, but he seems to be out of position a lot. Tough to argue with success though. I hope that it continues.
Nice to see Masen Wray put up some points. I see potential in him.
I'm not sure how I felt about Egorovs game. I can't deny the results, but he seems to be out of position a lot. Tough to argue with success though. I hope that it continues.
DCruickshank
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- Jan 8, 2022
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Great OT win tonight against North Bay...as an outsider watching on TV I can not help but wonder about all the empty seats...any thoughts?
Rounder8
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I agree. I keep hearing about sellouts, but there's A LOT of empty seats. Maybe sold and not used?
Our young forwards are really starting to come into their own.
If this team wants to compete next year they need to upgrade their D big time.
I would look at a guy like Chromiak in Sudbury with them being over the limit for imports. Maybe put together a package with Donovan that helps them this year?
I'm horrible at putting trades together, but an import Dman would definitely help.
Canadian Game
Registered User
My guess is they have a lot of corporate season tickets sold. Really common that tickets don’t get used, especially if businesses give them to employees or whoever, meanwhile the business gets to write them off as a business expense. Whereas if individuals buy season tickets, they are more likely to be dedicated fans.
I have feeling Jakub Chromiak will be traded for a very low price A 3rd round draft pick at best and maybe as low as a 4th or 5th. Sudbury has to trade him by Wednesday after that they have to release him. It is over week since they signed Dalibor Dvorsky and for whatever reason have not been able to trade Chromiak. I am not sure why but the longer it goes the lesser the return for the Wolves. I don’t think the Bulldogs would have to trade Jorian Donovan in a package for Chromiak. A single draft pick may be all it takes.
Hamilton Bulldogs
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Rounder8
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That would be great and much needed.
I do think that Donovan will be traded this year though. If they truly looking to compete the next few years, their defence needs to be much better.
For sure. For 2 years at FOC the seats in front of me were empty. Literally never got used once.
I guess it's just more noticeable in a smaller arena.
Luca Testa again. What a pleasant surprise!
As much as the game looked too fast for Jake O'Brien the first few weeks of the season, it didn't take him long to figure it out. Very impressive.
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Rounder8
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Bulldogs up 4-0 and completely dominating.
Rebelo wins a fight and Guelph gets the extra 2 mins for instigating and things should be looking good.
Instead, once again Okitundu takes an absolutely stupid unsportsmanlike penalty and Guelph scores twice.
He really needs to just be quiet and play hockey. This happens way to often to him.
Rebelo wins a fight and Guelph gets the extra 2 mins for instigating and things should be looking good.
Instead, once again Okitundu takes an absolutely stupid unsportsmanlike penalty and Guelph scores twice.
He really needs to just be quiet and play hockey. This happens way to often to him.
Our coach set the tone by shaking up the top 6 unnecessarily to start the game. Stupid move. His line up before the last whistle of the 2nd is the real top line: Namestnikov/Luchanko/Bowman. We are outcoached this game... lets see what the 3rd brings.
nelli27
Moderator
Keep an eye on this prospect. I've only seen him play once, small sample size, but he was a standout, recorded a hattrick. Put the game out of mind until I saw this article on B. Long...
www.baytoday.ca
Local OHL prospect lighting it up in the GOJHL
'It is an honour to win this award but individual awards in this game are also team awards'
www.baytoday.ca
Helvigster
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- Jan 8, 2019
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Spending $280 million on a Hamilton arena is all about looking to the future
Seems like Tim Leiweke and OVG sees FirstOntario Centre as an alternative/addition for Toronto-area major concerts first, and sports second. Or maybe he sees them both equally and I read through this a bit pessimistically with potential concerts being listed before sports. There's an interesting piece of information later in the article that goes as follows:
As for sports, he says he'll soon be sitting down with Bulldogs' owner Michael Andlauer to discuss the team's future in the building. The new boss of the Ottawa Senators has been clear over the years that he hasn't been happy with the way he's been treated by those running the place.
Whether his franchise returns or not, Leiweke vowed to find a team for the rink.
"We will be devoted and dedicated to bring a hockey team back to Hamilton, whether that be the Ontario Hockey League, junior hockey or an American Hockey League team," he says. "And we are prepared to put our money where our mouth is."
It seems like Leiweke is willing to work with Andlauer here, while also having a backup plan incase Andlauer is content with Brantford. I just don't know who would be a frontrunner in the OHL right now to potentially be swayed to move into the newly-renovated arena, should that happen. I also don't know what NHL team would be willing to move their AHL affiliate here, again if that happens. I think @Hammer9001 or somebody else mentioned before that maybe the Marlies would move here, but I don't know about that. I also think you have to wonder if having a newly-renovated arena is going to help its tenants increase their average attendances across the board consistently, or if there's only going to be a positive spike in the first few years before dropping back down, or if it won't solve anything.
Anyway I just thought I'd link this here and maybe provoke a discussion. I understand this thread is titled as "Brantford" now so I don't want to potentially derail conversations related to what's happening on the ice into the dreaded arena situation, but I thought I'd send it nonetheless.
Seems like Tim Leiweke and OVG sees FirstOntario Centre as an alternative/addition for Toronto-area major concerts first, and sports second. Or maybe he sees them both equally and I read through this a bit pessimistically with potential concerts being listed before sports. There's an interesting piece of information later in the article that goes as follows:
As for sports, he says he'll soon be sitting down with Bulldogs' owner Michael Andlauer to discuss the team's future in the building. The new boss of the Ottawa Senators has been clear over the years that he hasn't been happy with the way he's been treated by those running the place.
Whether his franchise returns or not, Leiweke vowed to find a team for the rink.
"We will be devoted and dedicated to bring a hockey team back to Hamilton, whether that be the Ontario Hockey League, junior hockey or an American Hockey League team," he says. "And we are prepared to put our money where our mouth is."
It seems like Leiweke is willing to work with Andlauer here, while also having a backup plan incase Andlauer is content with Brantford. I just don't know who would be a frontrunner in the OHL right now to potentially be swayed to move into the newly-renovated arena, should that happen. I also don't know what NHL team would be willing to move their AHL affiliate here, again if that happens. I think @Hammer9001 or somebody else mentioned before that maybe the Marlies would move here, but I don't know about that. I also think you have to wonder if having a newly-renovated arena is going to help its tenants increase their average attendances across the board consistently, or if there's only going to be a positive spike in the first few years before dropping back down, or if it won't solve anything.
Anyway I just thought I'd link this here and maybe provoke a discussion. I understand this thread is titled as "Brantford" now so I don't want to potentially derail conversations related to what's happening on the ice into the dreaded arena situation, but I thought I'd send it nonetheless.
DraftEligibleOHL
Pest
DraftEligibleOHL
Pest
1st period thoughts..
Testa looked good as the net front, slot player on the PP. Battling for position and the puck, had a good shot and a nice pass to Lardis that Simpson robbed with his glove. Also had a tip from the high slot on the same PP. Liked his motion in the OZ on a later shift with a pass that just bounced over his stick. Not a good look with the headshot penalty towards the end of the period.
Vanacker with a weak shot and a bit of physicality on the forecheck early in the period and again later in the period which led to the "fight". I'm not sure how he got the instigator, I originally thought it went the other way..
17 shots for London in the 1st period, need to tighten up a bit out there and create some sustained zone time.
Testa looked good as the net front, slot player on the PP. Battling for position and the puck, had a good shot and a nice pass to Lardis that Simpson robbed with his glove. Also had a tip from the high slot on the same PP. Liked his motion in the OZ on a later shift with a pass that just bounced over his stick. Not a good look with the headshot penalty towards the end of the period.
Vanacker with a weak shot and a bit of physicality on the forecheck early in the period and again later in the period which led to the "fight". I'm not sure how he got the instigator, I originally thought it went the other way..
17 shots for London in the 1st period, need to tighten up a bit out there and create some sustained zone time.
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DraftEligibleOHL
Pest
2nd period thoughts..
Great period from Testa. The best Bulldog forward that period by far. A shift where he had a strong skate through the NZ, zone entry, tried to do a little too much with the puck and lost it.. stayed out there and had a great pass at the Knights blueline to get the zone entry for the Bulldogs and went straight to the net, found the open area and received the pass for an easy goal. Good forecheck and backcheck through the NZ picking up loose pucks.
Relatively quiet period from Vanacker as he was serving the remainder of his penalty for some of the 2nd but he did have a good scoring chance towards the end of the period with some speed to get open down the wing.
Cheynowski and Roberts sandwiching Cowan like they're the bash brothers.
Drobac standing on his head stopping 33 of 34 shots, with a little help from his goalposts.
Great period from Testa. The best Bulldog forward that period by far. A shift where he had a strong skate through the NZ, zone entry, tried to do a little too much with the puck and lost it.. stayed out there and had a great pass at the Knights blueline to get the zone entry for the Bulldogs and went straight to the net, found the open area and received the pass for an easy goal. Good forecheck and backcheck through the NZ picking up loose pucks.
Relatively quiet period from Vanacker as he was serving the remainder of his penalty for some of the 2nd but he did have a good scoring chance towards the end of the period with some speed to get open down the wing.
Cheynowski and Roberts sandwiching Cowan like they're the bash brothers.
Drobac standing on his head stopping 33 of 34 shots, with a little help from his goalposts.
DraftEligibleOHL
Pest
Matteo Drobac stood on his head but Bulldogs still fall in OT. Hell of a performance by him with 52 saves and the 1st star.
Liked a shift I saw from Mason Wray where he got in on the forecheck with some intensity although he was probably lucky not to take a penalty for the slash. Good size at 6'1, hope to see him used further up the lineup as trades occur and more of the season progresses.
Testa backchecking taking sticks away, a blocked shot but a quieter 3rd period for him.
Vanacker quieter 3rd period and OT but still able to produce a couple of good scoring chances incl one in the extra frame. I liked his shift in the last minute of the 3rd period with a couple of flips through the NZ to ensure the team at least got to OT.
Roberts good D to D passing and an OZ keep at the blueline. Cheynowski good low shot that just missed far side.
Liked a shift I saw from Mason Wray where he got in on the forecheck with some intensity although he was probably lucky not to take a penalty for the slash. Good size at 6'1, hope to see him used further up the lineup as trades occur and more of the season progresses.
Testa backchecking taking sticks away, a blocked shot but a quieter 3rd period for him.
Vanacker quieter 3rd period and OT but still able to produce a couple of good scoring chances incl one in the extra frame. I liked his shift in the last minute of the 3rd period with a couple of flips through the NZ to ensure the team at least got to OT.
Roberts good D to D passing and an OZ keep at the blueline. Cheynowski good low shot that just missed far side.
bobber
Registered User
Got good one in that trade for sure. Loved the way the kid was playing here and surprised he asked for a trade.
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