On Monday afternoon, Bulldogs Ventures Inc. announced the purchase of the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League by a group led by Zach Hyman and family, including brother Spencer and father Stuart.
Zach, currently playing for the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers, is an organizational alumnus of the Royals, playing three years for the Hamilton Red Wings prior to their move to Markham, from 2008/09 to 2010/11. He served two of those three years as captain. The Royals organization has continued to be operated by the Hyman family, with Stuart presiding as the team’s Governor while Spencer is currently the team’s President of Hockey Operations.
“Hockey is more than just a game for my family,” said Zach in the OHL’s official press release. “It teaches our youth about the importance of teamwork and it brings together communities. I am humbled and greatly appreciate the faith Michael has placed in me to continue his incredible legacy with such a storied franchise. Thank you to the Ontario Hockey League for giving me this opportunity to give back to the game I love. It is a privilege to work with such an incredible group of people and I can’t wait to get started. Go Dogs!”
You can read the full release on the Brantford Bulldogs website.
The new ownership group will take control of the Bulldogs on Thursday, January 16th, with an introductory press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
With the announcement, there has been some speculation as to what this means for the future of the Royals organization. Make no mistake; the best is yet to come for the hockey club, as it remains a key priority for ownership and the front office to continue to grow OJHL hockey in Markham for the long haul.
“On behalf of the OJHL, we would like to congratulate Zach, a former CJHL player of the year and OJHL alumni, and his family’s purchase of the Brantford Bulldogs,” said Marty Savoy, commissioner of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. “The Hyman family has been part of the OJHL for over 25 years and have moved a number of players on to higher levels of the game including the NHL. Their continued commitment to the Markham Royals and the improvement of the OJHL will be a great benefit to both our league and the OHL, but more importantly, the development of these athletes.”
The evolving junior hockey landscape will afford more opportunity for Junior A organizations to help develop young hockey players as they seek advancement, whether their ambitions are towards collegiate, major junior and/or professional hockey, and we plan on continuing to be a part of those pathways.
Between this week’s news and the steps taken on and off the ice during a rebuilding season, we are excited about the road ahead and cannot wait to update you on our long-term vision for the franchise!