THN's series on NHL expansion continues with this look at Hamilton, Ont. 'The Hammer' has a rich hockey history, but can it host a franchise in hockey's top league?

The Hockey News’ web series on NHL expansion continues with this look at a city that has flirted with the possibility of landing an NHL team over the years – Hamilton, Ont.

This writer recently opined NHL expansion will probably happen in the next handful of years, but in this story, we’re examining Hamilton’s possibility of getting an expansion franchise.

HAMILTON

Population, Hamilton proper: 569,353 (as of 2021 census)

Population, Hamilton metropolitan area: 785,184 (as of 2021 census)

Hamilton is situated not far from Toronto and Buffalo, and that hurts its chances of acquiring an NHL team. The Sabres and Maple Leafs would probably see some blowback in attendance and merchandising with a Hamilton team, but for those in the surrounding areas of Toronto and Buffalo, having a third team in the region would be welcomed.

Hamilton’s high-end sports teams are currently the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the National Lacrosse League’s Toronto Rock, which play out of the FirstOntario Centre (and more on that building below). The OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs relocated to Brantford because of renovations to that arena. 

The city has its share of die-hard sports fans, but even with modest population growth in the near future, Hamilton would have one of the smallest populations in any “big four” sports league.

TV Market Rating: Per Statista.com, Hamilton doesn’t have its own rating. However, the combined Toronto and Hamilton market has 8.3 million viewers, making it far and away the biggest media market in the country. But the Greater Toronto Area carries the market in that regard.

Arena: Once known as Copps Coliseum – the home of the famous 1987 Canada Cup and host arena for the Rock – the now-named FirstOntario Centre has undergone extensive renovations in recent years. It has a capacity of around 18,000, making it viable from an NHL perspective, and it hosted the Bulldogs until 2023, when the organization relocated to Brantford, Ont.

Hockey History: Hamilton has a rich and long history of loving hockey in all its variations, from the grassroots level to the international hockey stage. 

Indeed, the drama of the ‘87 Canada Cup is etched deeply in the psyche of hockey fans around the world. If, by some minor miracle, the NHL chose to place a team in Hamilton, hardcore and recreational hockey fans alike would likely flock to the city to see games.

The OHL Bulldogs, meanwhile, played in Hamilton from 2015 to 2023, in which it won league championships in 2018 and 2022. Before that, there was the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, which was the affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers and then the Montreal Canadiens. The AHL squad won the Calder Cup in 2007 as Montreal's farm team, defeating the Hershey Bears.

Canadian billionaire and former BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie tried on three occasions to bring an NHL team to Hamilton, including in 2009 when he attempted to buy and relocate the then-bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Before then, he tried to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006 and the Nashville Predators in 2007.

Why Hamilton Is Worth Considering

Hamilton takes pride in its passionate sports fans, and for good reason. But every time Balsillie tried to relocate an NHL team to Hamilton, the league fought him tooth and nail. 

Questions remain about the city's corporate support and its proximity to two other franchises, even though the New York City metropolitan area has three teams in close proximity.

So we’d expect that, despite its many pros as a potential NHL town, the cons outweigh them and prevent Hamilton from getting a team, either via expansion or relocation.

Unless other NHL markets collapse completely, and unless places like Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix can’t put together a viable ownership group to purchase a team, Hamilton will be on the outside looking in.

That said, hockey will be back. Just ask Tim Leiweke, the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, who is overseeing the renovation of FirstOntario Centre.

“There isn’t an NHL team coming here right now,” Leiweke said in November 2023. “But realistically, there has been an AHL team that has had great success here…There is a history in this marketplace with hockey, and it deserves a franchise with the Hamilton name on its chest.”

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