If you're looking to expand to the US then I think I think the OHL ought to explore putting a team in the general vacinity of Erie. The Otters are kind of on an island unto themselves. I'd consider a team in Youngstown. They have a nice new arena, a good population base and it's only about 1.5 hours from Erie.
OHL Expansion
- Thread starter razor ray
- Start date
their arena holds 5900, but it is also currently home to the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, so that team would have to move first.
Didn't realize the Phantoms were still around, weren't the Phantoms part of a startup league that didn't make it a few years back? Guess I need an education on other leagues for sure....
Youngstown is pretty isolated in the USHL. They're closest rival is the USNTDP and they're about 370 km's away. Next closest after that - Muskegon and Chicago - are both 640 to 680 km's away.
Youngstown -> Erie
160 km
Youngstown -> Niagara
360 km
Youngstown -> Hamilton
410 km
Youngstown -> Windsor
380 km
Youngstown -> Flint
460 km
Youngstown -> Saginaw
505 km
Youngstown -> Erie
160 km
Youngstown -> Niagara
360 km
Youngstown -> Hamilton
410 km
Youngstown -> Windsor
380 km
Youngstown -> Flint
460 km
Youngstown -> Saginaw
505 km
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Well then it would have made perfect sense for the OHL to get rid of Erie, Then the USHL would have stepped in & gave Erie a franchise. Instead they harpooned Bellleville to get their 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup in Hamilton. One way or another Erie will have great hockey, sometimes we take a year off. Maybe Bassin saved OHL hockey in Erie, maybe Bassin saved himself & others.
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Back in January and again in April we took a look at two potential OHL expansion cities (Cornwall & Brantford), here's the links to the articles,
http://overtimesportsnation.com/ohl-expansion-cornwall/
http://overtimesportsnation.com/otters-brantford-bound/
http://overtimesportsnation.com/ohl-expansion-cornwall/
http://overtimesportsnation.com/otters-brantford-bound/
TcNorth
Registered User
- Jan 25, 2015
- 2,544
- 431
Cornwall sounds like a natural fit. As for U.S. expansion, Muskegon could be a fit. They are in the USHL and have no natural rivals. That would change with long-time former rivals in Flint and Saginaw. Muskegon's New York based owners recently filed for bankruptcy. Kalamazoo could be a future prospect, but are currently in the ECHL. I would rule out Traverse City anytime in the next decade with only 15,000 year around residents and a 1,100 seat arena.
ckg927
Registered User
Well, I head down at least a few times a season to watch some Otters hockey(I've been doing it for years). Round trip, it's about 200 miles(90 miles each way).
ckg927
Registered User
No. You're thinking of the Youngstown Steelhounds, who were in the CHL for a few seasons. The Phantoms moved in for the 2009-10 season(they had been in the NAHL for a few seasons before that, in Youngstown and Mahoning Valley(they were in the suburb of Boardman).)
Within a few months or so after reading about a couple of teams with problems, thought one was in Youngstown & another in Jamestown, I went to Quaker City & saw a billboard for The Phantoms, thanks for clearing up the confusion. I assume they are owned by the people that own the Fireworks stores?
most likely since it's the exact same logo, I doubt they'd get away with using that if they weren't owned by that group
Youngstown played in the USHL. It is a step below the OHL in talent. They had an average attendance of 1,553 last year which indicates they would struggle in the OHL. They are just too close to Pittsburgh, which is all Penguins (just as Toronto is all Maple Leafs). Jamestown was in the NAHL for several years, which is a step below the USHL in talent. They struggles to average 600 a game. They were without a team last year. Again, too small of a venue, and too close to Erie and Buffalo. In a perfect world I would love to see Toledo get an OHL franchise. It would be a top 3 in attendance and be a natural rival for more than a few teams in the OHL. It won't happen for awhile.
You're right about Toledo. I have a brother in law that lives in Toledo that would go to Whalers games every once & awhile. He always looks forward to the Thanksgiving Otters games as well.
TcFlint, if you check the article we did on the possibility of Cornwall landing a team it touches on some of the issues. They upgraded the seating capacity, but the arena still lacks in a lot of modern amenities that would be needed to house an OHL team.
The arena in Cornwall also has a beautiful setting.....right on the shores of the Saint Lawrence.
Considering the pitiful attendance Youngstown has in the USHL, they would never survive in the OHL. You're more likely to see the USHL grow around the Youngstown "island." The USHL could promote Johnstown, then look at Dayton, Akron, Canton, Huntington WV, Trenton, Atlantic City, Danbury, Wheeling (if they should lose the ECHL), Elmira (as with Wheeling), and perhaps even Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the same way that the WHL works with Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary). If the new ownership in Erie decides to head North, the USHL would also be a good bet there.
As for the OHL moving south, I would look at Buffalo first and foremost. It's a shame the Harborcenter isn't bigger, but I wonder if Pegula had interest if he could simply have them play in the Sabres' arena and just use the lower bowl. As mentioned above, it works for big markets in the WHL.
Its the same as Chatham, population base. The OHL is apparently no longer viable for small markets that's why it is no longer in Belleville, Cornwall is a just little more than half of the population of Belleville. According to Wikipedia Cornwall has a metro population of 58 975 compared to Belleville's 92 540 plus Belleville also has nearby communities with a much larger population then those surrounding Cornwall.
Why should the Ontario Hockey League expand more into the US when there are perfectly suitable communities in Ontario like Brantford and Belleville who just recently lost a franchise due to politics?
Brantford is a perfect fit geographically and would have a good population base. But they lack a suitable arena. The moment they'd make definite plans for a new OHL-caliber arena they'd deserve a franchise, even if they temporarily played in their current arena in the interim. But until then, Brantford is a moot point, and there isn't a new facility there on the horizon.
That 92 540 is the area covered just by the city of Belleville after amalgamation, if you include the surrounding area of Quinte West, Price Edward County, Stirling, and Shannonville its actually around 170,000.
