Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)

Hamilton Bulldogs
File:Hamilton Bulldogs.png
City:	Hamilton, Ontario
League:	American Hockey League
Conference:	Western Conference
Division:	North Division
Founded:	1996
Home Arena:	Copps Coliseum
Colours:	Copper, Red, blue, white
Owner(s):	Michael Andlauer
Head Coach:	Clément Jodoin
Media:	Hamilton Spectator, 820 CHAM (AM)
Affiliates:	Montreal Canadiens (NHL) Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Franchise history
1984–1988 1988–1996:	Nova Scotia Oilers Cape Breton Oilers
1996–2003 2003–2004:	Hamilton Bulldogs Toronto Roadrunners
2004–2005 2010–present:	Edmonton Road Runners Oklahoma City Barons
1969–1971 1971–1984:	Montreal Voyageurs Nova Scotia Voyageurs
1984–1990 1990–1999:	Sherbrooke Canadiens Fredericton Canadiens
1999–2002 2002–present:	Quebec Citadelles Hamilton Bulldogs
Championships
Regular Season Titles:	1 (2002–03)
Division Championships:	4 (2002–03, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2010–11)
Conference Championships:	3 (1996–97, 2002–03, 2006–07)
Calder Cups:	1 (2006–07)

The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. The team has won the Calder Cup once in their history, in 2007.

History

The Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Club was established in 1996 after re-locating from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where the team played several years as the Cape Breton Oilers. The team was nicknamed the "Bulldogs" after a lengthy name the team contest; and was determined to best suit the City of Hamilton. The name "Hamilton Havoc" was runner-up.

On the ice the club has reached the Calder Cup Finals three times.Firstly in 1997, the club's first year, and again in 2003 only to lose in both cases. The 2003 game 7 final was played June 12, 2003, vs the Houston Aeros. The attendance at Copps Coliseum was 17,428, making it the largest playoff crowd in the history of the AHL (the record was since broken in 2005 in Philadelphia). Houston won the game 3–0 and the series 4–3. The Bulldogs finally won the Calder Cup Final in 2007 against the Hershey Bears. This series was a rematch of the 1997 Calder Cup Final which Hershey won 4 games to 1. The Bulldogs reversed that in 2007 - Hamilton 4 games to Hershey's 1.

Off the ice, the club faced turmoil in 2000 resulting in a "Stay Dogs Stay" campaign spearheaded by Don Robertson, Ron Burnstein, Nick Javor and club President Cary Kaplan, aimed at keeping the franchise in Hamilton. The campaign was a financial success and resulted in the club remaining in the Steel City with a bolstered fan base and an improved lease with the City of Hamilton.

In spite of a franchise high in attendance in 2001, the Edmonton Oilers announced plans to move their AHL affiliation to Toronto. Local interests made a multi-million dollar investment to secure ownership of the Quebec Citadelles and relocate them to Hamilton thus keeping the Bulldogs in town. For the second time in as many years, the fate of the club was in jeopardy, but ultimately rescued by local interests. The achievement to preserve the franchise was a unique joint venture between the Montreal Canadiens, the Edmonton Oilers, the American Hockey League, and a local consortium of Hamilton owners, which allowed for a joint affiliation in 2002–2003 between Montreal and Edmonton as ownership changed hands. Fans voted to keep the Bulldogs name which won over the Hamilton Canadiens and Hamilton Habs.

In the summer of 2004, Burlington businessman Michael Andlauer became majority owner, governor and chairman of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Andlauer was part of the initial group of local business people, who purchased the club from the Edmonton Oilers in 2002.

Michael Andlauer who has become a minority owner of the parent Montreal Canadiens, has provided great stability to the franchise. 2010 saw the Bulldogs under coach Guy Boucher advance to the Western Conference finals against the Texas Stars only to lose a hard fought series in game seven.

Soon to start their 15th season, the Bulldogs are the longest serving non-NHL pro hockey franchise in Canada, the longest serving Canadian AHL franchise, and one of its most successful franchises with over 2,500,000 fans to date.

Of the 30 AHL franchises, the Bulldogs are 7th in tenure (behind only Rochester, Hershey, Providence, Portland, Syracuse and Springfield).

This market was previously served by:

• Hamilton Canucks (1992 to 1994)

Franchise timelines

List of timelines for the two separate franchises known as the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Edmonton Oilers AHL Affiliates

• Nova Scotia Oilers (1984–1988)
• Cape Breton Oilers (1988–1996)
• Hamilton Bulldogs (1996–2003)
• Toronto Roadrunners (2003–2004)
• Edmonton Road Runners (2004–2005)
• Franchise dormant (2005–2010)
• Springfield Falcons (2007–2009)
• Oklahoma City Barons (2010–)<>

<>Edmonton Roadrunners resurrected as the Oklahoma City Barons.

Montreal Canadiens AHL Affiliates

• Montreal Voyageurs (1969–1971)
• Nova Scotia Voyageurs (1971–1984)
• Sherbrooke Canadiens (1984–1990)
• Fredericton Canadiens (1990–1999)
• Quebec Citadelles (1999–2002)
• Hamilton Bulldogs (2002–present)

Season-by-season results

• 1996–2003 Edmonton Oilers affiliation
• 2002–present Montreal Canadiens affiliation

Regular season

Season	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	OTL	SOL	Points	Goals for	Goals against	Standing
1996–97	80	28	39	9	4	—	69	220	276	3rd, Canadian
1997–98	80	36	22	17	5	—	94	264	242	2nd, Empire State
1998–99	80	40	29	7	4	—	91	229	206	3rd, Empire State
1999–00	80	27	34	13	6	—	73	225	262	3rd, Empire State
2000–01	80	28	41	6	5	—	67	227	281	4th, Canadian
2001–02	80	37	30	10	3	—	87	247	205	2nd, Canadian
2002–03	80	49	19	8	4	—	110	279	191	1st, Canadian
2003–04	80	41	25	10	4	—	96	235	191	1st, North
2004–05	80	38	29	—	6	7	89	225	210	4th, North
2005–06	80	35	41	—	0	4	74	225	251	6th, North
2006–07	80	43	28	—	3	6	95	243	208	3rd, North
2007–08	80	36	34	—	3	7	82	208	235	4th, North
2008–09	80	49	27	—	4	0	102	263	201	2nd, North
2009–10	80	52	17	—	3	8	115	271	182	1st, North
2010–11	80	44	27	—	2	7	95	229	192	1st, North
2011–12	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	2nd, North

Playoffs

Season	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	Finals
1996–97	W, 3–2, SJNB	W, 4–3, SJNL	W, 4–1, ALB	L, 1–4, HER
1997–98	W, 3–2, SYR	L, 0–4, ALB	—	—
1998–99	W, 3–2, ALB	L, 2–4, ROCH	—	—
1999–00	W, 3–1, SYR	L, 2–4, ROCH	—	—
2000–01	Out of Playoffs
2001–02	W, 3–0, QUE	W, 4–1, HART	L, 3–4, BRI	—
2002–03	W, 3–1, SPR	W, 4–3, MTB	W, 4–1, BING	L, 3–4, HOU
2003–04	W, 4–2, CLE	L, 0–4, ROCH	—	—
2004–05	L, 0–4, ROCH	—	—	—
2005–06	Out of playoffs
2006–07	W, 4–2, ROCH	W, 4–2, MTB	W, 4–1, CHI	W, 4–1, HER
2007–08	Out of Playoffs
2008–09	L, 2–4, GRG	—	—	—
2009–10	W, 4–2, MTB	W 4–2, ABB	L, 3–4, TEX	—
2010–11	W, 4–2, OKC	W, 4–3, MTB	L, 3–4, HOU	—
2011–12	To Be Determined

Team records

Single season

Goals: 39 Paul Healey (2000–01)

Assists: 52 Daniel Cleary (1999–2000)

Points: 78 David Desharnais (2009–10)

Penalty minutes: 522 Dennis Bonvie (1996–97)

GAA: 2.00 Cedrick Desjardins (2009–10)

SV%: .929 Steve Passmore (1998–99) & Jaroslav Halak (2007–08)

Points: 115 (2009–10)

Most Wins Overall: 52 (2009–10)

Most Wins at Home: 25

Most Wins on the Road: 27

Playoffs

Playoff goaltending wins (1 season): 15 Carey Price (2006–2007)

Career

Career goals: 85 Corey Locke

Career assists: 144 Corey Locke

Career points: 229 Corey Locke

Career penalty minutes: 817 Dennis Bonvie

Career goaltending wins: 81 Yann Danis

Career shutouts: 11 Jaroslav Halak

Career games: 346 Duncan Milroy

Team captains

• Terran Sandwith 1996–98
• Jeff Daw 1998–99
• Rob Murray 1999–2000
• Scott Ferguson 2000–01
• Alain Nasreddine 2001–02
• Benoit Gratton 2002–04
• Jason Ward 2004–05
• Dan Smith 2005–06
• None 2006–07
• Ajay Baines 2007–08
• Kyle Chipchura 2008-2009
• Mathieu Darche 2009
• Alex Henry 2009–Present

Head coaches

• Lorne Molleken 1996–98
• Walt Kyle 1998–2000
• Claude Julien 2000–03
• Geoff Ward 2003
• Doug Jarvis 2003–05
• Don Lever 2005-2009
• Ron Wilson 2009-June 2009
• Guy Boucher 2009–2010
• Randy Cunneyworth 2010-2011

President/General Manager

• Glen Sather, President 1996–2000
• Scott Howson, General Manager, 1996–2002
• Cary Kaplan, President 2000–2002 (with club from 1996)
• Steve Katzman, President, 2002–2003
• Vacant, 2003–2006
• Glenn Stanford, President, 2006-2010
• Michael Andlauer, President, 2011-

Notable alumni

• Francois Beauchemin
• Jason Chimera
• Dan Cleary
• Yann Danis
• Dan Ellis
• Mikhail Grabovski
• Ron Hainsey
• Jaroslav Halak
• Alex Henry
• Christopher Higgins
• Andrei Kostitsyn
• Dan LaCouture
• Maxim Lapierre
• Georges Laraque
• Fernando Pisani
• Tomas Plekanec
• Carey Price
• Mike Ribeiro
• Michael Ryder
• Tim Thomas
• Jason Ward
• PK Subban

External links

• Hamilton Bulldogs Official Website
• The Internet Hockey Database - Hamilton Bulldogs
• Latest news and updates on the Bulldogs at Habsindepth.com