DeDobbelaer purchases IceDogs
Article content
Darren DeDobbelaer has purchased the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs.
DeDobbelaer is the owner of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League’s Brantford 99ers and the Greater Ontario Junior B Hockey League’s Brantford Bandits.
The sale, which is pending approval by the OHL’s board of governors, was announced on niagaraicedogs.net on Tuesday.
“After 15 years, it is with mixed emotion to announce that we have decided to move on,” a statement from owners Bill and Denise Burke said on the team’s website.
“We are proud of the brand that we have built here, and the relationships that have been forged in the community.”
DeDobbelaer did not respond to a request for comment.
Now that he has purchased the IceDogs, it’s unclear what will happen to the two junior hockey teams in Brantford.
It seems highly unlikely that the IceDogs will relocate.
During the 2019-20 season, Niagara averaged 4,905 fans, placing it fourth behind the London Knights, Kitchener Rangers and Oshawa Generals.
Niagara plays in the 5,300-seat Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, which was built in 2014. Brantford’s largest arena – the civic centre – has a capacity of 2,952 and was built in 1967.
The IceDogs are in the midst of a 20-year lease at the Meridian Centre that doesn’t expire until 2034.
A valuation done in 2016 put the value of the Niagara franchise at $8.6-million. The rumoured sale price for the IceDogs is $16-$20 million.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.