OHL is returning to Brantford

The city of Brantford has been without an Ontario Hockey League team since the Alexanders left in 1984 after a six year existence. But the OHL has confirmed that, due to impending renovations and the long-term closure of FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, the Bulldogs will at least temporarily relocate to Brantford effective the 2023-2024 season.

Brantford City Council recently put its full support behind the move with a unanimous 11-0 vote in approving a three-year term that will see the Bulldogs play out of the remodelled Brantford Civic Centre through the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season. Notably, there is an option to extend the agreement for three additional one-year terms.

Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer was ecstatic in confirming the move from Hamilton to Brantford.

“We are so thankful for the enthusiastic and immediate response from Mayor (Kevin) Davis, Brantford Council and city staff,” said Andlauer. “Together, we have been able to make a home for the Bulldogs in rather quick fashion.”

BRANTFORD ALEXANDERS

They were here for a good time, not a long time.

To be sure, their history is one of modest length yet the Brantford Alexanders remain an iconic OHL franchise mainly because of the number of high performance players who wore their red-white-and-black jersey from 1978 to 1984.

Initially the Hamilton Red Wings, then the Hamilton Fincups and St. Catharines Fincups, the franchise moved to Brantford in 1978 only to return to Hamilton in 1984 to become the Steelhawks. From there it became the Niagara Falls Thunder before another relocation of the franchise resulted in what are now the Erie Otters.

Meanwhile, even though the OHL was never a big hit in Brantford in its first go round, where the Alexanders drew average crowds in the 1,500 range, alumni representing the erstwhile the A’s reads like a virtual who’s who.

Consider the lengthy list of Alexanders alumni who made an impact in the OHL and then went on to play in the National Hockey League — goalies Allan Bester, Rick Wamsley and Chris Pusey, defensemen Mike Lalor, Randy Ladouceur, Ric Nattress, Bruce Bell, Mark Botell and Tony Curtale and forwards Mike Bullard, Shayne Corson, Dave Gagner, Dave Hannan, Mark Hunter, Bob Probert, Greg Terrion, Perry Anderson, Kevin LaVallee, Jason Lafreniere, Jeff Jackson, Len Hachborn, Paul Marshall, Darryl Evans, Mike Hoffman, Mike Millar et al.

And the list of high end players who skated in Brantford who may not have become NHLers but do have a history as memorable Alexanders is just as impressive — goalies Darren Cossar and Rick Pikul, defensemen Grant Anderson, Tom Searle, Tom Della Maestra, Dave Robson, John Meulenbroeks, Rob Moffat and Tyler Verhaeghe and forwards Todd Francis, Rick Goodfellow, Chris Kurysh, Ron Leef, Terry Maki, Rick Pickersgill, Arthur Rutland, Scott Vanderburgh et al.

Notably, from a Sault Ste. Marie standpoint, the Alexanders have a strong link to the Soo via a number of the above mentioned players.

Of those, Terry Maki is a Soo boy while Dave Hannan, Bob Probert, Bruce Bell, Dave Robson and Arthur Rutland (who hails from Wawa) all played for the Greyhounds before or after they suited up for Brantford. 

The Alexanders never won an OHL championship — nor did they ever make it to the league finals — but they had some success under coach-general manager Dave Draper.

Three times the Alexanders hooked up in memorable playoff series with the powerhouse Soo Greyhounds only to lose all three times — including a seven-game affair in 1981-1982.

Meanwhile, and again on a Sault Ste. Marie note, it says here that, pound for pound, the toughest player to ever wear a Brantford Alexanders uniform was left winger Gary Corbiere.

Standing in at 5-foot-10 and tipping the scales at 175 pounds, the hard-nosed Corbiere played in 85 games for Brantford after being acquired in a trade with the Sudbury Wolves for fellow forward Dean DeFazio.

As much as he made an impact as a feisty, fearless youngster who improbably made the OHL despite not being drafted, Corbiere went on to make a further name for himself beyond hockey. 

Hailing from Batchewana First Nation just outside Sault Ste. Marie, Corbiere would go on to become a famed lawyer before he tragically drowned in Lake Simcoe on August 8, 2004 at age 41 while out on his boat. He had a cottage on Georgina Island and traveled frequently to the mainland to work in Toronto.

Corbiere was the lawyer who successfully argued in the Supreme Court of Canada for the right of off-reserve, First Nation peoples to have a substantial say in the decisions made on their reserve. The legendary, landmark case in constitutional law became known as the Corbiere Decision.

Members of Gary’s family still reside in the Sault Ste. Marie area. His dad, John (Duke) Corbiere, once served as chief of Batchewana First Nation of Ojibways.