By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
The Ontario Hockey League is looking to expand and Chatham-Kent is invited to the table.
That’s the message OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford delivered to municipal council at the March 23 meeting.
The commissioner’s presentation detailing what an OHL team could mean for the municipality comes on the heels of a controversial Zoom meeting held a few weeks ago. Following that online session, which was attended by senior staff, Mayor Darrin Canniff and seven councillors that he handpicked, the councillors who weren’t invited expressed their displeasure at council and on social media.
Crawford, who has served as the OHL commissioner for the past two years, highlighted the league’s position and the many benefits an OHL franchise could bring to Chatham-Kent.
However, the idea of bringing a Junior A team to C-K would require a new arena – an idea that isn’t sitting well with some members of council.
According to Crawford a 5,000- to 6,000-seat venue is the “sweet spot” size for an OHL team. He gave examples of other Ontario municipalities, including Sarnia and Windsor, that successfully support a team.
Last year, Crawford said, the 20-team league, which is a premier development league for the National Hockey League, drew a record 3.2 million fans and is expected to eclipse that number this year.
“There is no other sport entertainment property in the country that comes even close to the number of fans that engage directly in the Canadian Hockey League which the OHL is a part of,” Crawford told council.
Calling it a “massive economic driver,” OHL activity injected an estimated $450 million into host municipalities in the 2023-24 season.
“When people come downtown to the games, they eat in the restaurants and stay in hotels – those sorts of things associated with a major sport and entertainment complex,” he explained, noting the league and their subsequent facilities drive tourism.
Plus, he said, the league gives back, funding substantial scholarships for its players aged 16 to 20 years, while providing “family friendly, affordable” entertainment.
“Our super power is our connection to the community,” Crawford said. “We are actively giving back in many, many ways, such as fundraisers, awareness nights, 50-50s and community campaigns, with $7 million donated to charitable causes last year.”
According to Crawford, ground has been broken on three new Ontario arenas this year, including Brantford, Sudbury and Ottawa.
The biggest OHL arena is in London, which has just over 9,000 seats.
“Our league has never been in a better position to capitalize on growth opportunities,” he said. “So when I think about Chatham-Kent, I think about the opportunity for growth stimulus a team provides.”
Prior to the presentation, Canniff issued a formal apology to council and the public about the lack of information about the initial meeting.
“I received some feedback as to why the rest of council shouldn’t see this, and why the public shouldn’t see this, so I took that feedback and reached out to Mr. Crawford and he said he’d be happy to come and present the same presentation here so we can all hear it.
“So, I heard your feedback and I apologize for not inviting all of you and not sending out an email. I should have,” the mayor said.
Canniff said the chance to bring an OHL team to Chatham-Kent is an exciting opportunity, adding he’s “committed” to keeping residents informed “every step of the way.”
