Time For A New Neighbourhood

I'll be very honest in telling you that I have no idea about most players in the OHL and where they play. I know a few players simply because various outlets talk about their draft status with respect to where they may be picked by an NHL team, but if you asked me to name five players and what team they play for in the OHL, I'm not sure I could do it. The Mississauga Steelheads are one of those teams whose top scorer would be a mystery to me, but it seems there will be a new market of fans to which they can endear themselves as the Steelheads made a major announcement today that will affect fans who come out to cheer on the Steelheads.

From the news release, here's the key statement from the team.

"After careful consideration and extensive discussions, we are in the process of conducting the necessary due diligence to relocate our team to Brampton for the 2024/2025 Ontario Hockey League season."

That move from Mississauga to Brampton isn't going to change much for teams travelling to meet the Steelheads since Brampton is just 20 minutes north of Mississauga, but it's a curious move for a team that struggles to fill seats to opt to move to a community in Brampton that wasn't anywhere close to selling out the arena when the Battalion called Brampton home. Somehow, though, attendance is the key reason for the change in venues.

"At the end of the day, attendance is probably the No. 1 reason for the move. We knew we had to do something and challenge ourselves to find something that works for us and our fans," Steelheads owner Elliott Kerr told The Hockey News. I respect the fact that the team wants to find a better fit when it comes to ticket sales and attendance, but it's hard to be a draw when there are so few people who know of the players who are on the team. If I asked you who Luke Misa was, would you know he's the Steelheads' leading scorer?

Of course, there are other factors, and competing against minor-league professional teams doesn't help the attendance part either.

"The genesis was not only the attendance piece, but we have a major competitor in not only our own market but also in our own building," Kerr added. "We have the Raptors 905 playing the same time of the year, the same demographic, and a similar price point. It's been a challenge since Day 1."

Again, it's easy to see why the Steelheads would make this jump, but we've seen the OHL Battalion and the ECL Beast struggle hard in Brampton to the point where both of those franchise no longer call Brampton home. I'm not saying that the Steelheads can't make it work there, but it seems like the Steelheads are just moving from one area with little support to another. For Kerr, he sees it being different, though, thanks to the potential to turn Steelheads hockey from a game into an experience.

"What the arena in Brampton has a fully operational large restaurant that will be jam-packed pre- and post-every one of our games," Kerr said. "We aren't looking at this as moving from Mississauga to Brampton. We are looking at this as servicing our market by moving three miles north and giving our fans a better experience."

As always, any relocation is subject to OHL approval, but I wish the Steelheads well in this decision because two other teams have shown that long-term viability in the Brampton area didn't work out as well as they had hoped. Perhaps the Steelheads will find some magic with their marketing and partnerships for this to work, but this move feels like the Steelheads are headed towards an "I told you so" moment.

Best of luck in Brampton, Steelheads, as you look to set down roots for the 2024-25 season. And may the odds forever be in your favour.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!