Where there is a building boom, there is also building envy in the OHL.  

Funding for a new $140-million facility was approved by the city council in Brantford, Ont., last month. The unanimous decision effectively ensures the Bulldogs – previously on loan from Hamilton – will remain in the home of Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Graham Bell.  

Plans for a new rink are also moving forward in Sudbury, Ont., where tourists will become part of the funding solution by paying higher taxes during local hotel stays. That project is reportedly set to run $200 million.  

“You can look at it and say to yourself, this is a mammoth task, which it is,” Brantford mayor Kevin Davis told The Peterborough Examiner. “Then you end up doing nothing and you end up with an arena which is gradually deteriorating and failing to meet the needs of a modern entertainment sports venue. 

“Eventually you then have your team leaving you — that’s a signal of a community in decline. I do not want to be the mayor of a city in decline. I want to be the mayor of a city that is ascending to what we think is a great future.” 

At this point, you might be wondering: Why would a newspaper in Peterborough have that much interest in Brantford municipal politics?  

The answer: The Peterborough Memorial Centre, an ancient bunker the Petes have been trying to replace for at least two decades. (There is limited office space; limited space for team facilities; tiny lavatories and, if you open the wrong door in the winter, ice and snow drift toward the trainer’s room.)  

Part of the explanation is that Peterborough has never answered the questions Brantford and Sudbury appear to have settled: Where does it go, and how do you pay for it?  

Brantford is hoping the arena dovetails in with planned urban development, which leads to a broader and richer tax base, which then helps pay down the arena costs. It echoes an old argument about arenas becoming economic engines – which is an argument for a reason.  

“If your viewpoint is a skeptical approach, then don’t do it," Davis told The Examiner. “Brantford is growing in leaps and bounds and compared to where we were several decades ago it’s a different city and is a city that has confidence in ourselves and our future." 

Not everyone in town is happy, though, as our Vincent Ball reported in The Brantford Expositor.

Do you have a question about the OHL that you would like Ryan Pyette, one of our leading voices on the beat, to answer? Do you want to know if your team is looking to make a trade? Make a coaching change? Have you wondered which arenas might have the best concessions? Drop us a line: lfpnewsletters@postmedia.com. 

Q: Reader Jim Evershed laments the cost of going to OHL games, saying it’s close to $200 for a family of four to watch the Ottawa 67’s. He asks: Is the OHL at risk of pricing itself out of the reach of fans? 

A: Everything is expensive and it’s painful. People have to make a choice. But the concern doesn’t square with the attendance figures. The attendance numbers are really good. It’s obviously expensive, it’s a real commitment to go to a game, but compared to other forms of live sports it’s a good deal. I was in Guelph the other day and there were 4,800 people. 

Q: Reader Wayne Chalkley asks: Is there any limit on the number of players a team can gain or lose in a single season? 

A: I think that’s one of those rules that needs to be sorted out. If a program loses all its players, obviously that’s a problem. I think some teams are asking themselves, what are we willing to lose? But it’s better for the players because it’ll force some of these teams that aren’t very well run to spend some money. One example is a workout room. OHL teams need to keep pace with NCAA schools, which have really good ones. 

Q: Reader Marc Crawford notes the London Knights drafted likely No. 1 NHL pick James Hagens a few years ago. With the NCAA changes, is there any chance he comes to London? 

A: I think it was the fifth or sixth round two or three years ago. He’s 18 now, he’s playing in the NCAA for Boston College. The guys the Knights are going to get will be the ones who aren’t playing much for their college team. Anthony Stolarz, for example, left because he wasn’t starting for the University of Nebraska and came to London. Now he’s the Maple Leafs starter. But Hagens is going to get premium minutes at Boston College, they’re not going to screw that up. It’s very unlikely he’ll come to London.

(Photo: Thomas Skrlj/Hockey Canada Images)

Greg Cowan has a lovely, poignant profile of Owen Sound Attack forward Pierce Mbuyi, a rookie who plays for the memory of his late mother. Irene Mbuyi was a fixture during his journey in minor hockey – the ever-present, much-beloved team manager – and was his biggest fan.  

Irene Mbuyi died of cancer in January 2021.  

“If I had a bad game I could just talk to her about the game . . . my mom would just let me tell her what I think," Pierce told Cowan. "She didn’t know much about hockey, she just always wanted to help out and do her thing,” Mbuyi said. “Everything I do is for my mom.” 

You can read the full story here.  

Sometimes, the deepest rabbit holes on the internet are found in sites such as HockeyDB, formerly the Internet Hockey Database. Did that one chatty beer league teammate actually spend time in junior? That search quickly turns into “what happened to the guy who played one game with my NHL team?” and then “how many OHL teams has Hamilton lost?" 

The answer to the last question is easiest. Lots.  

Rob Schremp is another worthy HockeyDB search. Following a star-crossed beginning in his OHL career, he rocketed to fame with the London Knights. And then the Edmonton Oilers selected him 25th overall in the 2004 NHL draft.  

And after that? Well, check HockeyDB. It's been an adventure.  

Our Ryan Pyette caught up with Schremp before he officially joined his latest hockey team: the Strathroy Jets of the Ontario Super Hockey League. 

“I’ve always loved hockey,” Schremp told Pyette, “and sometimes, men’s league doesn’t scratch that itch. Trying to win something is instilled in us at a young age and it’s hard to shut it off. I was trying to be competitive with my daughter (six-year-old Stella) and my wife (Marta) was like, ‘Nope, take that somewhere else.'" 

You can read the whole story here.  

Many good things have happened for the Brantford Bulldogs this season. As we mentioned earlier, they appear to have secured a new, long-term home. And that is good.  

On the ice, though? Their start to the season could be summed up in a word: Meh.  

As our Brian Smiley writes, there have been injuries and circumstances beyond their control. He spent some time exploring those twists in the road with Brantford general manager Matt Turek. 

“There have been some really good signs but it’s tough to really evaluate your team when we really don’t have our team,” Turek told Smiley. “We’ve seen some ups and downs and we’ve seen some signs of a very good team. We’ve missed some key pieces and got guys back late but I’m really happy so far.” 

You can read the whole story here.  

(Photo courtesy Sean Ryan)

Let's play a game: Do you think a penalty was called here? 

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If you guessed "no," you are correct!

North Bay's Jacob LeBlanc Sudbury's Hudson Chitaroni engage in a perfectly legal (apparently) battle during a weekend game.

The London Free Press is kicking off the 2024-25 OHL season by giving away three pairs of tickets to a London Knights game each month, starting in October and through January. Don't miss your chance to see the reigning champs and MVP Easton Cowan in action.

To enter ahead of December's contest, follow the steps outlined here.