OHL Expansion or Relocation Candidates 

New subscriber!! Man, don't know how I missed this channel but glad I found it. Been a fan of the OHL since my dad brought me to my first Sudbury Wolves game in 1985.

It's not just about the arena. The fans have to be loyal to the team in good seasons and bad. I have been a Windsor Spitfire fan for 49 years. The fan base in Windsor has remained passionate about this team. The WFCU Center seems to have attracted a much younger crowd to the games. This is essential. I have watched teams come and go out of cities in the OHL for most of my life. Modern arenas with all of their amenities are nice, but a fan base that loves the team, knows hockey and remains loyal are the real building blocks of a successful OHL franchise.

While PWHL Toronto sold out the 3,000 seat Mattamy Athletic Centre for the season and the 8,900 seat Coca-Cola Coliseum for 2 playoff games, you need to remember that the novelty factor is still high. You need to remember that GTA OHL teams with the exception of the Generals have never done well. The Majors, Battalion, and Ice Dogs were merely rich owners feeding their egos.

Id like to see more smaller city and towns getting OHL teams like Woodstock, Chatham, Cornwall, Newmarket, Orangeville and St Thomas

For those that suggested Thunder Bay, that’s never going to happen. They are just too far away. If you want another team in the North, Timmins would be a better option. Another southern Ontario city that would be a good location is Milton.

My arena ideas for each market: Toronto: Varsity Arena (4,116) This is an old arena, but good enough for the possible attendance problems. Cornwall: yeah it's gonna be the Civic Complex Burlington: the new arena Pickering: the other new arena (I'll call it Durham Live Centre) Chatham-Kent: Honestly, if they can't get a new arena in time, it'd be the Memorial Arena. W. New York: If there's no luck with Centennial Park, then maybe Binghamton? Their biggest team is in America's FPHL. A market not mentioned could be Detroit.

Duluth, MN would be a good US addition. Great hockey town and the DECC arena could be a potential spot. Belleville or Timmins would be other great additions. For Belleville, Yardmen arena (now known as CAA arena) is still there but might need some updating. Lastly, Timmins would be a great northern addition. McIntyre arena is a little small, 1,300 capacity and would need some updating as well and expansion.

Expansion would be exciting. Interesting to think about redistributing the divisions. A forth US team could see an American Division formed. What about somewhere like Oakville? Too close to Toronto, or maybe they call it the GTA team?

I would love to see Thunder Bay come into the league, but unless there is a newly formed “Far West” division and Minneapolis, Duluth and Fort Frances jump in, it would be very difficult (see any team in Newfoundland in the Q).

I had Cornwall, Chatham and Niagara Falls (or Buffalo but in NY State for sure). Others on my list, with obvious rink building issues were Cambridge - pop over 125 K, natural rivalry with Guelph, Kitchener, potentially Burlington (which I really like), Woodstock - pop 40 K +. Blue Collar town, rivalry with Brantford, Kitchener. Instead of Toronto perhaps they go back to Newmarket ( Home of Connor McDavid. With a pop of 90K +, it’s not Toronto but heavy minor hockey city which the draw will always be lots of kids and families. Great video.

There should be a northern division, Thunder Bay, Timmins, soo, Sudbury, north bay.

So a city of over 100,000 people with no sports didn’t make the list? Like did you forget Thunder Bay exists like everyone else from southern Ontario?

Good video ! Collingwood , Huntsville , Timmons and Thunder Bay could all be perfect for a new division

Belleville and Cornwall. Maybe Buffalo. Toronto has not worked due to big league issues. Overall a good presentation.

I think you may actually see contraction and potentially a CHL-wide league after all the court cases go through. The NCAA south of the border already just went through this and not paying your players due to dated notions of "amateurism" is probably not sustainable.

Cornwall would be a fun rival for the 67s and Frontenacs, and maybe Burlington Ontario can be successful as a franchise with right ownership group and a good OHL sized arena... They should move Brantford Bulldogs and Brampton Steelheads to Western Conference Central Division since a few times the league would schedule a 3 game weekend loop of Saginaw-Flint-Mississauga or Erie-Niagara-Mississauga

Cornwall's arena has had huge upgrades, it only make sense, add Orleans and Belleville and a new division is born

PWHL Toronto also wants a larger venue so I guess that could be an opening.

For the money, Peterborough has needed a new hockey/multi-purpose arena for the last 30 years. Funding for these new teams and arenas should come from largely the private sector, keep public funding off-the-table. At some time in the near future the OHL should consider expansion to 1) Thunder Bay, 2) Timmins, 3) St. Thomas, 4) Brantford and 5) Woodstock. Chatham and Toledo, Ohio should be in the future mix.

I live in Cornwall. *LOVED* the Royals. We won't get OHL. Not soon, anyway. 1) the mayor is a tool. 2) the Cornwall Colts (Tier II Junior team) are cheaper and now have a stronghold on junior hockey here. It STINKS.

Im irritate im just finding this channel, your gem bud

In my opinion, it chould be Kingston Senators in the ahl (instead of Belleville Senators), and Belleville Bulls in the ohl, and maybe adding Cornwall, Newmarket and Chatham to the OHL

I think the new commissioner needs to address issues like officiating before discussing expansions, the officiating been so horrible and piss-poor for the last 2 years that it seems some games are fixed by the refs, especially when referees like Blake Beer, Sean Reid or Drew Jackson are listed as the referees, I been to all Ottawa 67s game last year (except the school day game) and I seen penalties not called by referees

need another u s/michigan team. port huron, mi. just over the border from sarnia. rival sarnia, windsor, saginaw, flint. mcmoran place arena, 3500 capacity. fhl has hosted ihl, col, uhl, fhl teams.

as a Kingston fan imo you can not take Oshawa out of Oshawa imo the fan are amazing and support you get is to big

If Rocco Tulio (Oshawa Generals owner) moves the Gens to Pickering , The Steelheads would move to Oshawa in a heartbeat

I think once the Hamilton arena renovations are completed. They’ll get a team back. Either the AHL sens or the Bulldogs return or an expansion OHL team. If the AHL sens move to Hamilton then Belleville will get a team back. I’d love to see more growth in the US. Toledo would be a great market but there’s an ECHL team there currently. Buffalo would be good as well.

Chatham will never happen as the city won't build anything that isn't a bingo hall or casino.

ThunderBay?

Still hold out for Belleville and Cornwall as soon as they are finished with that AHL crap

What would be your thoughts on a new league in Atlantic Canada!? Teams in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & the NewEngland states ? The American hockey league was there in the 1980's did pretty well

Andlauer owns the Ottawa Senators and Belleville Senators. If Ottawa gets a new arena my thought is he will move the AHL Senators to Kanata to have the AHL Senators closer to Ottawa. That opens up Belleville for a OHL team which I much prefer over an AHL team. I have no interest in the AHL and haven’t been to a game since they came here!

Traverse City , Michigan

Thunder Bay should get a OHL Team

Michigan mullets lets get it! # first dibs

Petes are going no where Bro.

Cambridge would be an excellent location for an ohl team in the growing waterloo region, but they need to revamp the garden or build an arena.

Thunder Bay could be a good option

Put a team in Travis Citu, Michigan.😊

There’s no reason why an OHL team can’t share with the PWHL team. It works well in Ottawa.

Cambridge would be a great expansion team, but until they get an adequate arena, I don't see it happening. Imagine the rival between cambridge and kitchener, guelph and london.

Burlington, Belleville

Never understand why the marlies play in the ahl they should play in the ohl

Toronto is not a good market for Junior Hockey. If it is not Leafs Toronto fans don't want anything to do with it.

Markham in the GTA is big

Lansing Michigan has the population but Michigan State is right in the area. Maybe could support both. Also upstate NY to help in the East and some decent sized cities but full of ahl teams already

U need to expand by 2 or throw the schedule off!

St. Catherine’s, Collingwood, Thunder Bay.

Pickering is NOT too close to Oshawa....people from Pickering don't go to gens games

Stop talking about any place in the GTA or anywhere around it. It's not OHL friendly, I hate to say it but as a London Knights hater they draw almost 10,000 per game. So how is this going to be feasible to put a team where they attract 1,500 or maybe 2,000.

nhl stopped us !!!

An interesting video -- with lots of holes. About the cities mentioned. 1. Toronto -- Only supports the Leafs. Even the Marlies have a tough time sometimes. You were right a junior hockey team would go bust there. 2. Cornwall -- The city is financially broke. Not going to happen. 3. Burlington -- I could see this happening. It will probably be a relocation though. 4. Brantford -- The city is financially broke. They will lose the Bulldogs. 5. Pickering -- I could see this happening. Again another relocation. 6. Chatham -- The city is VERY financially broke. I'm surprised it still exists. 7, North Bay -- They better figure out how to build a new arena soon or the Battalion is gone. 9 Niagara Falls, NY -- Have you ever been there? This is the capital city of the rust belt. This city makes Chatham, Ontario look like a paradise. This city isn't just broke, it is in debt. But the falls viewing experience is better there than on the Canadian side. Conclusion -- I can't see the OHL expanding anytime soon. The same holds true for the Quebec and Western leagues. In fact I can see a time in which all three leagues have fewer teams and the USHL becomes the fourth league vying for the Memorial Cup. Major Junior hockey is an expensive proposition and only the London Knights makes any REAL money.

Cornwall is an absolutely terrible choice....

Yes a other U.S. team.

Traverse City , Michigan

Put a team in Travis Citu, Michigan.😊

Traverse City , Michigan