The Hamilton Bulldogs have unveiled their 2017-18 Ontario Hockey League championship banner.
The team unfurled the black and gold banner outside Hamilton City Hall during a noon-hour rally on Tuesday.
A couple hundred fans gathered in the City Hall forecourt to celebrate the Bulldogs’ impressive run to the Memorial Cup tournament in Regina, Saskatchewan.
In just its third season as an OHL franchise, Hamilton set team records for wins (43) and points (93) and eliminated Ottawa, Niagara, Kingston and top-ranked Sault Ste. Marie in the playoffs.
Team owner Michael Andlauer took a shot at those who doubted that junior hockey could be successful in Hamilton, saying, “When I bought the team, I had a lot of people saying junior hockey is not going to work,” and told his detractors to “eat my shorts.”
“I have never, ever been around a more solid group of young men in my life,” said President and general manager Steve Staios.
Hamilton won two of its three round-robin games, but lost to the host Regina Pats in the tournament semifinal.
The Acadie-Bathurst Titan beat the Pats in Sunday’s final.
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