WELCOME HOME BULLDOGS
Hundreds of fans attend rally at City Hall for Hamilton’s OHL team
Not long after he’d purchased the Belleville Bulls and announced they’d be moving to Hamilton, the owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs went on a Toronto sports radio station to talk about the move. As he recalls the conversation, it ended with the hosts doubting junior hockey — a multi-time failure in this city — would ever work here.
Standing in front of city hall three years later at a rally to honour his now-championship team, Michael Andlauer offered his view of their prediction.
“So, Bob McCown and Damien Cox, eat my shorts,” he said to a loud cheer.
He was joking. Mostly.
On a perfectly sunny Tuesday afternoon, a nearly perfect season was celebrated by several hundred fans decked out in black and yellow. An Ontario Hockey League championship banner was unfurled, civic trophies were given to each player and coach, and a big silver cup was walked to the city hall steps for the first time since 2007.
That day 11 years ago when it was the Calder Cup being feted, the feeling was congratulatory. This time, it was more emotional. So much so that the owner and the general manager both choked up while addressing the crowd.
Their words helped explain why.
This team isn’t a group of professionals but a group of young men. Several come from Hamilton and got the opportunity to represent their city. The crowd heard about how the players had behaved with dignity and represented this city as ambassadors, earning praise for their attitudes and maturity off the ice.
Then there were the achievements on the ice. Finishing in first place in their conference, winning four playoff series and an Ontario title, and making it to the second-last game of the Memorial Cup was something people around here haven’t seen since 1976.
“As semifinalists, you made Hamilton hometown proud,” Mayor Fred Eisenberger said.
The underdog theme was a recurring one for the team, who faced an uphill climb to success.
Head coach John Gruden jokingly thanked general manager Steve Staios for pulling him out of the ditch on the highway between Michigan and Ontario and giving him a job. The real story isn’t quite that dramatic, but he had indeed been fired twice in the same season by the Flint Firebirds’ unique owner and wasn’t exactly hot property when the job offer came.
Staios recounted a meeting he had with a FirstOntario Centre manager shortly after arriving, at which he was told the person didn’t really care much about the Bulldogs. Which didn’t exactly
tell him he was walking into a sure thing. Yet, he says he always had a vision of a day like this.
“Now it’s come true,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder.”
And captain Justin Lemcke talked about how the success of the team led to bigger and bigger crowds and more and more interest in the team.
“I think we really caught traction throughout the playoffs,” he said.
They did. Crowds of nearly 9,000 for the final two games were evidence of that. A decent turnout for a viewing party in front of city hall further indicated that Lemcke was correct.
Of course, there’s still room to grow. The team hopes that crowds continue to grow when the new season starts in the fall. And while Eisenberger was at the celebration, if any of the city’s 15 councillors — Hamilton’s official representatives — were at the event they did a good job of hiding, which is unfortunate considering the rally was right outside their offices on a day when no meetings were scheduled. Maybe next time. Nobody knows when that will be.
This team appears to be set up for future success with a solid roster coming back and increased fan engagement, but championships are never a sure thing. Just ask the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
So with a platform and a microphone in hand, Andlauer didn’t let the opportunity pass to send a subtle, mischievous message to the mayor.
“I hear there are a lot of building permits in Hamilton being given out,” he said.
The reference, of course, is to the owner’s publicly stated desire for a smaller arena, which he’s vowed to help build by matching city contributions dollar for dollar.
A discussion that hasn’t really gone too far yet, despite his assurances that he’s ready to get started.
He then broke into a big smile. “I’m not going to go there.”