SPECULATION: Bulldogs potentially to Laval?

[No Fun Shogun]

Courtesy of the business of hockey board....

On Monday, Molson was in Laval to launch Place Bell, a $120 million sports complex that will include an arena. Place Bell is scheduled for completion in 2015. Molson said the new arena would be able to hold 10,000 spectators a game. He also said that he arena will be the home of a pro-level hockey team. Molson stopped short of saying that team would be the Hamilton Bulldogs.

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/stor...ogs-laval.html

Long story short, for those not interested in going to the link, a modern arena more than suitable for the AHL is being built in Laval, a large suburb of Montreal, the owners of the Habs are directly involved, the Bulldogs don't have a new lease in Hamilton as of yet, the Erie Otters of the OHL might be looking to relocate themselves into Hamilton (and I've heard from more than a few Hamiltonian BoHers that they're more interested in the OHL than the AHL), and put that all together and you have the speculation of a relocation in a few years for the Bulldogs.

Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer is saying that he wants to stay in Hamilton, but is getting frustrated, for what it's worth.

Any thoughts?

[Abbotsford Heat]

Originally Posted by No Fun Shogun

Courtesy of the business of hockey board....


http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/stor...ogs-laval.html

Long story short, for those not interested in going to the link, a modern arena more than suitable for the AHL is being built in Laval, a large suburb of Montreal, the owners of the Habs are directly involved, the Bulldogs don't have a new lease in Hamilton as of yet, the Erie Otters of the OHL might be looking to relocate themselves into Hamilton (and I've heard from more than a few Hamiltonian BoHers that they're more interested in the OHL than the AHL), and put that all together and you have the speculation of a relocation in a few years for the Bulldogs.

Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer is saying that he wants to stay in Hamilton, but is getting frustrated, for what it's worth.

Any thoughts?

I don't think it's an either or situation. I think the Habs are more likely to cut ties with Hamilton than move a team they don't own move.

By 2015 who knows who the affiliate of the Bulldogs will be.

[No Fun Shogun]

Very true, but call it a confluence of circumstances with a new arena being built by Habs ownership, a likely desire for a closer affiliate, and Hamilton having issues of their own.

[Blue'sClues]

Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer also owns, what I've only been able to find referred to as, a significant share of the Montreal Canadiens.

If the Canadiens pull out of Hamilton, would he own an AHL team parented by another NHL club while having ownership stake in the Habs?

[adsfan]

Originally Posted by Blue'sClues

Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer also owns, what I've only been able to find referred to as, a significant share of the Montreal Canadiens.

If the Canadiens pull out of Hamilton, would he own an AHL team parented by another NHL club while having ownership stake in the Habs?

Didn't that happen in the past with shared AHL affiliations?

[Rookie Chargers]

The speculation is that Montreal's AHL farm team will be playing in the new rink, nothing else.