Public practice open house event for Brantford Bulldogs hockey

BRANTFORD — The newly rebranded Brantford Bulldogs will be hosting a public practice at the Civic Centre.

The event will feature a public open practice at the Brantford Civic Centre on Thursday, February 23 to showcase and officially welcome the Bulldogs into Brantford.

The OHL team, previously the Hamilton Bulldogs, was relocated to Brantford in a three year agreement to house the team at the Brantford Civic Centre. The relocation allows the Bulldogs to remain in play while their home base, the Hamilton FirstOntario Centre, undergoes a long-term closure and renovation. The expected return date for the Bulldogs to Hamilton is so far unknown, however the current agreement with Brantford sees the Bulldogs calling it home for at least until 2026.

Brantford Bulldogs from Hamilton Bulldogs on Vimeo.

As per the terms of the agreement, the Brantford Civic Centre will also receive substantial upgrade to meet fan, player and OHL standards. The total estimated cost of the upgrades to the Civic Centre necessary to reach these standards is approximately $7.5 million. While the Bulldogs organization will fund the upgrades, the City will provide the team with a leasehold improvement allowance of up to $3 million for necessary capital improvements. In addition to the City’s contribution toward upgrades, installation of an HVAC system estimated at $1.625 million will also be funded by the City. The City’s total capital investment will be funded from the Casino Legacy Reserve.

“I am very excited about bringing an OHL team to Brantford and thrilled that Council has unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed this partnership. Based on the community’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to this news so far, I’m very confident that the Bulldogs fanbase will grow substantially in Brantford. On behalf of a grateful community, I want to thank the Bulldogs organization for having faith and confidence in Brantford as well as all the City staff who worked tirelessly to make this a reality for our deserving community,” said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis.

The Bulldogs welcoming event starts at 5:00 p.m. on February 23 at the Brantford Civic Centre, 79 Market Street South, and will feature live music and a team practice with merchandise and memberships available for sale.

To place a deposit on season memberships to secure tickets visit www.bulldogsseasons.com. Pricing for tickets and memberships will be announced soon.

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