OHL team sold to Oilers forward and his family

Ottawa Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer has sold the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League to current Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family (as per CHCH News). Andlauer repurchased the Bulldogs in 2015 when they were the Belleville Bulls. 

He then moved the club to Hamilton, where it won the OHL Championship in 2018 and 2022. The Bulldogs were then moved to Brantford in 2023 due to the Hamilton arena (First Ontario Centre) undergoing extensive renovations and several disagreements between the city and the Bulldogs.

No official announcement has been made yet, but one is expected on Monday after the OHL Board approves the sale (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). A press conference is expected sometime next week.

Once it is official, it raises many questions about whether the team will stay in the city of Brantford, the Bulldogs home for the past two seasons. Brantford has information on the city’s website outlining plans to build a $140M sports and entertainment center that would presumably house the Bulldogs. 

The website mentions that construction could start this year, with 2027 as the target date to open up a new facility. However, those plans could change with a new ownership group coming in. Hyman’s father, Stuart Hyman, is a developer in the Toronto area and is expected to be part of the ownership group along with his son.