Almost every major arena in every large city has at least one anchor tenant that typically gets first choice of dates. In most places this is a team.
Things are going to be a little different at the soon-to-be refurbished FirstOntario Centre.
“Live music continues to grow and has often not been thought of as an anchor tenant,” Oak View Group Canada president Tom Pistore told council the other day. “We’re going to build a building that is geared toward that rising trend.”
It’s a unique idea for sure. One that may please many music lovers with visions of more and more big-time concerts in their backyard. After all, the more Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks and Shania Twain the better. Big names mean big crowds. Big crowds means big economic impact. Do that often enough and you could see spinoff benefits in the downtown.
But if music and concerts are the emphasis, is there room for the Hamilton Bulldogs to eventually return?
“It would be very difficult,” says team owner Michael Andlauer, just days before his team plays its first game at its new home in Brantford. “It would be extremely difficult because we’re not a priority anymore.”
He says this isn’t bitterness. It’s just the practical realities of his franchise and when it plays.
The Ontario Hockey League is a weekend league. Most games are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays because many of the players are still in school and long road trips on weeknights aren’t ideal.
Why is that a challenge?
The only other arena in the Golden Horseshoe similar to the size of our building is Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The theory is that with all the acts touring these days it can’t handle everything. So there should be plenty of big shows available to come to Hamilton. We’re going to become an extension of the Toronto concert market.
According to Pistore, OVG management will watch to see what dates are locked up for Maple Leafs or Raptors games — days a concert couldn’t be held there — and look to book FirstOntario Centre with travelling acts at those times. Since those teams often play on weekends, that could mean a lot of choice dates for concerts here.
“I don’t know how you guys feel,” Pistore said. “Going to a concert on Monday is great. Going to a concert on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday is way, way better. So we think we can capitalize on the busyness of Scotiabank.”
He’s undoubtedly correct. Weekend concerts are better. Those from Toronto won’t have to fight QEW traffic to get here — not as much, anyway — and locals can stick around afterwards at a nearby restaurant or bar because they don’t have to get up early the next day.
That part is good. But you can see how things can get a bit tricky for sports.
The Hamilton-based Toronto Rock plays almost all its games on weekends. Pistore spoke about possibly being home to a team in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League someday. That franchise would surely want a fair number of weekend slots to draw decent crowds, too. Then there are the Bulldogs.
In short, everybody wants weekends. How can it all work?
Andlauer’s not sure it can. In fact, he points out there have been times in recent seasons it was already difficult to schedule playoff games because of bookings for other things. If that happened prior to this philosophical shift, how much more challenging will it be if even more dates are unavailable throughout the year?
“I’m going to cut to the chase,” he says. “It’s evident to me that as much as they say they want the Bulldogs back, it was always the intent that this was going to be a concert venue.”
So what are the chances the team returns when the renovation is done?
“I don’t even know,” he says.
While Pistore made it clear OVG wants a “strong activation of sports tenants,” and has specifically mentioned Andlauer, the owner says he doesn’t believe the city or the arena management group will lose sleep — his words — if the team doesn’t return.
On top of everything is the difference he sees in enthusiasm for his teams here and elsewhere. Since buying the Ottawa Senators the other day, there’s been huge excitement in the nation’s capital and in Belleville where the franchise’s top farm team plays. In Brantford, they’re thrilled to have the Bulldogs.
Here? Despite keeping the lights on in the arena for two decades, bringing three championships to town and running a foundation that’s raised millions of dollars to feed needy school kids, he’s never felt the same passion from Hamilton city officials. To the contrary, the reception has often felt chilly.
One more thing. Brantford council just passed a motion to officially explore building a new 5,000-or-so seat arena, which is what he’s always cited as being right-sized for the OHL product. If that became realistic, it could make staying in the Telephone City rather enticing.
Put it all together and would it be fair to say this is the least optimistic he’s ever been that the Bulldogs will be back?
“Absolutely.”
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