As the general manager of the franchise, he’s sort of expected to get the name of his team correct. A detail like this is kind of important. But the number of times this summer he’s slipped up and called his side the Hamilton Bulldogs ...
“I catch myself quite often,” Matt Turek says. “Almost every day.”
We get it.
For the first time in 27 years, there isn’t a team called the Bulldogs starting training camp and preparing for a season in Hamilton. If you want to hear the familiar sounds of pucks hitting sticks and skates carving up the ice you have to head 30 minutes west.
Last time this town was Bulldogs-less, the Macarena was the No. 1 song on the charts, Charles and Diana were still married, and the average price for a home in Hamilton was roughly $150,000. Geez, the oldest guy who played on that first team (Yuri Khmylev) turns 60 next year.
It’s been a while.
As a result, he’s not the only one trying to get used to the changes as training camp opened this week at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre — off topic but how does Hamilton not have a facility like this? — for the Brantford Bulldogs.
Still sounds weird, doesn’t it?
“It’s definitely weird,” says veteran centre Patrick Thomas. “I mean, even when I was googling the website just to see our schedule, I’m still googling ‘Hamilton.’”
Anyone else struggling to keep it straight?
“Pretty much the whole summer,” says third-year defenceman Noah Van Vliet. “It’s been kind of stuck in my head after the past two years.”
It’s not just the name that’s different. Players are now being billeted all over the region. Some are in Brantford, a few are in Paris and a number of returning players are staying with the families in Ancaster they’ve lived with in the past. The third sweaters they wear now have a B for a crest rather than an H. Even figuring out the new town is taking a little work.
That said, none are complaining.
Brantford has done extraordinary work to renovate its Civic Centre in record time. After just six months, a new team dressing room, press box, concessions, scoreboard, rink boards and glass, and other changes are close to done.
Plenty of fans have been coming out to camp to watch practice. Turek says there are still some tickets available but he expects to be at capacity nearly every game. And head coach Jay McKee says he was a little surprised to already be recognized in town.
“It gets around quick,” he says.
Everybody talks about the buzz they’re hearing. There’s clearly a lot of excitement in their new home for the return of major junior hockey. Because that 27 years of having a team for us pales compared to the 39 years Brantfordians have been waiting for a franchise since the Alexanders packed up and left for Hamilton.
Yes, the irony stings.
Doesn’t change the fact that the old name is sticky. When you’ve been the Hamilton Bulldogs for more than a quarter century and that combination has been uttered millions and millions of times, well, old habits die hard.
Nobody is facing a bigger challenge with this than play-by-play announcer Reed Duthie. Sometimes in the heat of an exciting sequence, words just pop out before you have a chance to run them through the internal editing software.
He’s been practising putting “Brantford” in front of “Bulldogs” for a while now. But he does worry “Hamilton” might pop out during a vigorous goal call. Especially in the pre-season while he’s getting warmed up.
“I just hope I don’t do it during the home opener,” he says.
And if he does?
“I think they’ll forgive me for one.”
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation