Hamilton Bulldogs
| Hamilton Bulldogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Hamilton, Ontario |
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Division | East |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Operated | 2015–present |
| Home arena | FirstOntario Centre |
| Colours |
Black, gold, white |
| General manager | Steve Staios |
| Head coach | Dave Matsos |
| Franchise history | |
| 1981–2015 | Belleville Bulls |
| 2015–present | Hamilton Bulldogs |
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the Bulldogs play their home games at the FirstOntario Centre. They were purchased by owner Michael Andlauer in March 2015 and re-located to Hamilton after a 34-year run in Belleville, where they were known as the Bulls.
The Bulldogs replaced the American Hockey League team of the same name, also formerly owned by Andlauer. That 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.
History
On March 12, 2015, Michael Andlauer announced that he had acquired the Belleville Bulls and that they would move to Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre for the 2015–16 season as the Hamilton Bulldogs. The former AHL Hamilton Bulldogs had been sold to the Montreal Canadiens and moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, for the 2015–16 season as the St. John's IceCaps (the True North Sports and Entertainment-owned IceCaps, which were affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets, moved back to Winnipeg).[1]
Coaches
- 2015–16, George Burnett
- 2016–18, John Gruden
- 2018–present, Dave Matsos
Season-by-season results
Regular season
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SL | Points | Pct % | Goals For | Goals Against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | 68 | 25 | 35 | 8 | 0 | 58 | .426 | 197 | 260 | 5th East |
| 2016–17 | 68 | 33 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 74 | .544 | 238 | 225 | 4th East |
| 2017–18 | 68 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 93 | .684 | 252 | 207 | 1st East |
Playoffs
- 2015–16: Did not qualify.
- 2016–17: Lost to Kingston Frontenacs 4-games-to-3 in conference quarter-finals.
- 2017–18: Defeated Ottawa 67's 4-games-to-1 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Niagara IceDogs 4-games-to-1 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4-games-to-1 in conference finals.
Won championship vs Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-games-to-2.
Third-place finish in 2018 Memorial Cup.
See also
References
- ↑ "Hamilton Bulldogs sell AHL franchise, buy the OHL Belleville Bulls". CBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
External links
- Hamilton Bulldogs Official web site
- Ontario Hockey League Official web site
- Canadian Hockey League Official web site
