History of AHL Hockey in Hamilton, Ontario – Hockey Writers – New York Islanders

On May 21, the New York Islanders, along with Oak View Group President, American Hockey League (AHL) President Scott Howson, and Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwarth, officially unveiled the Hamilton Hammers in front of a packed crowd at TD Coliseum.

The Hammers are the third AHL franchise to play in a modified venue, dating back to the first AHL game in the mid-90s.

Inspired by this historic day for professional hockey in Hamilton, let’s take a look at the history of AHL hockey in Hamilton.

Hamilton Canucks

The first AHL franchise in Hamilton was the Canucks. An affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, the team played from 1992 to 1994.

Originally managed by former New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs player Pat Hickey, Canadian Football League legend Bernie Faloney, and Dietrick Beer, the team posted mixed results during two years of management.

In their first season, the team had the fourth largest attendance in the AHL, averaging 4,773 fans per game. Led by Stephane Morin (31 goals and 85 points) and Bob Mason (20 wins), the team finished in last place in the South Division with a record of 29-45-6, but four points behind the Baltimore Skipjacks.

The team featured young talents Jiri Slegr, Michael Peca, Tim Taylor, and Garry Valk, as well as veteran Rick Vaive, who scored 50 goals with the Maple Leafs.

After the season, chaos followed on the ice. Faloney and Beer left the group and sold it to a group called “Double Hitch Enterprises”. Hickey stayed on as Owner and President, but was let go at the start of the 1993-94 season. In addition to the turmoil, Double Hitch Enterprises went out of business and went into receivership, leaving the team in the hands of the NHL’s parent club.

Despite the off-ice animosity, the franchise improved significantly from its first year. Led by Morin (109 points), Jay Mazur (40 goals), and the emergence of second-year goaltender Mike Fountain (34-28-6, 3.61 goals against GAA), the Canucks finished second in the South Division with a 36-37-7 record, but lost in the Division Semifinals to the Cornwall Aces.

After the season ended, the AHL Canucks moved to Syracuse for the 1994-95 season, thus ending the Canucks’ era in Hamilton.

The Hamilton Bulldogs

Two seasons after the Canucks moved their first farm team from Hamilton, the Edmonton Oilers moved their AHL affiliate from Cape Breton to Hamilton in May 1996.

In the summer, the AHL club held a public competition to name the team. “Bulldogs” was the winning name, beating out “Havoc”.

In their first season (1996-97), the team finished third in the Canadian Division but had an impressive run. They passed St. John Flames and St. John’s Maple Leafs to win their division, then beat the Albany River Rats in the Northern Conference Final before losing in five games to the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Final. The team featured future NHL players Greg de Vries and Georges Laraque.

In their existence as Edmonton’s top ambassador, the Bulldogs were a competitive team on the ice, but not so much on the ice. The most pressing issue on the ice came to a head in 2000 as the franchise was on the verge of moving to Houston. The “Stay Dogs Stay” campaign was launched and achieved its goal of keeping the group in Hamilton.

The next season, the franchise was in trouble again, this time potentially moving to Toronto. The “Stay Dogs Stay” campaign was revived, successfully convincing the Montreal Canadiens to move their affiliate, the Quebec Citadelles, to Hamilton and receiving major investment from local businessmen, including Michael Andlauer, who took full ownership control in 2004.

Under a one-season partnership agreement between the Oilers and the Canadiens, with Claude Julien and Geoff Ward behind the bench, the Bulldogs posted their best record of 49-19-8-4, finishing first in the AHL regular season. In the playoffs, Hamilton beat Syracuse, Manitoba, and Binghamton but lost in a hard-fought Calder Cup final in seven games to the Houston Aeros.

The Canadiens era spanned from 2003 to 2015, but could not match the consistency of its predecessor under the Montreal organization, qualifying for the playoffs just six times in 13 seasons. Their most notable season was 2006-07, when Don Lever’s team, with future NHL star Carey Price, who joined late in the season, won the Calder Cup by defeating the Hershey Bears.

Despite steady attendance, the organization continued to struggle for stability, prompting the Canadiens to purchase the AHL team in Andlauer in March 2015 and temporarily relocate it to St. John’s for two seasons before settling in Laval in 2017.

Andlauer acquired the Belleville Bulls, moved them to Hamilton, and renamed the team the Bulldogs for the 2015-16 season. Major-level hockey flourished in Hamilton until 2023, when an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team moved to Brantford.

Final thoughts

Hamilton has a rich history in the AHL, with a dedicated fan base regardless of NHL commitments. The Bulldogs have successfully connected with the community during their time in the Iron City, and the Hammers face the challenge of meeting the high expectations of fans who are still affected by the Bulldogs’ move to Brantford three years ago.