The Allan Cup Hockey League is looking into expanding its numbers and has identified Stratford as a possible expansion location for the 2024-2025 season.
Cosmos Sports and Entertainment is helping the ACH with their search for new locations and company president Cary Kaplan said the league has identified Stratford because he feels it’s not appreciated enough for its size and diversity.
“I’ve always seen Stratford as a good sports and good hockey community,” he said. “We’re also looking at the possibility of teams in Guelph, Caledon, Cambridge and a few others. There are issues with some of these centres, and if you look at places like Dundas and Stoney Creek - the ones who’ve been successful - those are the ones we’re using as a type of model.”
Kaplan said there has been no official inquiry submitted to the ACH by any parties in Stratford or on the city’s behalf. When asked if a senior team like the ones the ACH is populated with can coexist with other hockey clubs - specifically like the Stratford Warriors Junior ‘B’ team and the still-young Fighting Irish Western Ontario Super Hockey League club - he said it’s a different brand of hockey and would cultivate its own following.
“We think in this case, if you can get 500 fans per game then you could have teams coexist nicely,” he said. “The Allan Cup Hockey League has its own operating standards that we at Cosmos would help new franchises work with, and we help with onboarding new teams to help set them up for success.”
Seeing senior hockey come to Stratford won’t be cheap, as the expansion fee for new clubs is set at $100,000. It’s a steep price tag, but Kaplan it’s an opportunity that some people might have been dreaming of.
“There’s nothing else like this when it comes to hockey team ownership at this price point,” he said. “There are no territorial restrictions on players - it’s open for guys who want to play at this level. And the other team owners are really good at being there with help or advice because they all want to see the league succeed.”
Kaplan said they would like to see two new clubs on the ice for the upcoming season, but all bids would have to go through the league’s approval process before getting the nod.
“We’d like to see two new teams on the ice this fall, and we know it’s tight timelines,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. We are fully expecting the franchise fees to go up over time, so we think now is a good time to get involved.”
In a press release, ACH Commissioner Rick Richardson said he was excited at the possibility of welcoming in new teams.
“We are very excited in expanding our ever-growing ACH league and each team will be provided the opportunity to challenge for the Allan Cup, also known as the senior amateur hockey championship of Canada,” he said.
Allan Cup Hockey was known previously as Major League Hockey until 2011. It was founded in 1990 as the Southwestern Ontario Senior ‘A’ Hockey League and is currently a member of the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. Current teams in the league include Dundas, Stoney Creek, Brampton, Wentworth and the newest expansion team Richmond Hill.
Parties interested in submitting an expansion bid have to contact [email protected].
