History - Time Line

IMPORTANT DATES IN HAMILTON BULLDOGS HISTORY

Below are some of the most important moments in Hamilton Bulldogs history

1996

May 9, 1996 - Hamilton's new AHL team was introduced at a press conference. The Edmonton Oilers moved their AHL affiliate from Sydney, Nova Scotia (formerly the Cape Breton Oilers) to Hamilton. Scott Howson, the team's general manager for the past two seasons in Cape Breton, came with the team to Hamilton.

July 18, 1996 - Hamilton's new AHL team is called the 'Bulldogs' after a public marketing campaign to name the team ran in The Hamilton Spectator. From 600 names submitted, six finalists were chosen Firebirds, Bay Wolves, Wolfpack, Harbour Hounds, Havoc and Bulldogs.

August 27, 1996 - Head coach Lorne Molleken, and assistants Ric Nattress, and Mike Fedorko were introduced as the first coaches in Bulldogs' history. Molleken would help lead the Bulldogs to their first Calder Cup Finals appearance in 1997. Molleken earned a record of 64 wins, 61 losses, 26 ties, and 9 overtime losses in his two seasons with the Bulldogs.

September 20, 1996 - The Hamilton Bulldogs first ever exhibition game took place at the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines, Ontario versus the St. John's Maple Leafs. The Bulldogs lost the game 5-1, in front of approximately 2000 fans.

October 4, 1996 - The Hamilton Bulldogs played their first ever regular season game before 7,066 fans at Copps Coliseum. The Bulldogs lost the game 3-0 to the Albany River Rats.

October 5, 1996 - Joe Hulbig scored the Hamilton Bulldogs first ever goal in a 6-2 loss at Albany.

October 6, 1996 - The Bulldogs recorded their first AHL win at Baltimore versus the Skipjacks. Hamilton won the contest 3-2.

October 25, 1996 - Martin Laitre earned 44 penalty minutes in a 3-1 victory over the Kentucky Thoroughblades at Copps Coliseum. Laitre's mark still stands today as a Bulldogs record for most penalty minutes in a single game.

1997

March 23, 1997 - Goaltender Steve Passmore earned the first shutout in Bulldogs' history by making 25 saves in Hamilton's 3-0 victory over the Saint John Flames at Copps Coliseum.

April 8, 1997 - Dennis Bonvie set a new AHL record for penalty minutes in a single season. Bonvie earned 18 penalty minutes versus the Rochester Americans, giving him 501, surpassing the previous record of 491 held by Barry Nieckar of Saint John in 1994-95. Hamilton native Brian McGrattan would break Bonvie's eventual record of 522 penalty minutes, by accumulating 551 with the Binghamton Senators during the 2004-05 season.

April 18, 1997 - Ralph Intranuovo scored the game-winning goal, as the Bulldogs defeated the Saint John Flames 5-4 to win their first-ever Calder Cup playoff game.

April 21, 1997 - Bulldogs' goaltender Steve Passmore was named the recipient of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award for the 1996-97 season. The Hunt Award is given to that player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. Passmore played in only two games the previous season and had to overcome severe muscle cramping. After a series of tests, the problems were traced back to a gradual poisoning of the water on the Grand Forks, B.C. ranch where he lived as a child.

April 28, 1997 - The Bulldogs won their first-ever playoff series by defeating the Saint John Flames 3-1 in the fifth and deciding game of the series.

May 27, 1997 - The Bulldogs advanced to the Calder Cup Finals in their first season in Hamilton, as they defeated the Albany River Rats 7-3, and won the series 4-1.

June 9, 1997 - The Bulldogs defeated the Hershey Bears 2-1 for their first and only victory in the 1997 Calder Cup Finals

November 26, 1997 - NHL All-Star defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky played in his first game with the Bulldogs, scoring one goal and adding an assist in a 5-1 win versus the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Tverdovsky would play in nine games with the Bulldogs, earning 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) before settling his NHL contract, and returning to the Phoenix Coyotes.

December 20, 1997 - Forward Scott Fraser scored the Bulldogs' first-ever penalty shot goal against Albany goaltender Richard Shulmistra at the 15:00 mark of the first period. Fraser's penalty shot goal is still the only one recorded in franchise history.

1998

April 3, 1998 - The Hamilton Bulldogs earned a 2-2 tie with the Kentucky Thoroughblades at Copps Coliseum. The game marked a Bulldogs franchise record 17th tie of the season, which was just one tie short of the AHL record of 18, set by the St. John's Maple Leafs in the same season.

June 30, 1998 - Walt Kyle was named the second head coach in Bulldogs' history. Kyle would coach two seasons in Hamilton, earning a record of 67 wins, 63 losses, 20 ties, and 10 overtime losses.

October 16, 1998 - Chris Ferraro earned five assists and set a Bulldogs' record for most assists in a single game, as Hamilton defeated the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 7-3. Chad Hinz would later tie Ferraro's record on Dec. 8, 2002.

December 18, 1998 - Carlisle native Jeff Daw scored the game-winning goal at the 4:59 mark of overtime to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 win at Providence. Daw's goal is the latest Bulldogs goal scored in an overtime game during the regular season.

1999

March 14, 1999 - Jeff Daw scored a Bulldogs' franchise record third overtime goal of the season as Hamilton defeated the Philadelphia Phantoms 4-3 at Copps Coliseum.

April 10, 1999 - Hamilton Bulldogs' goaltender Steve Passmore is named to the AHL's Second All-Star Team, as selected by AHL players and media. Passmore led the AHL in save percentage (.932) and had the second lowest goals against average at 2.18. Also during the 1998-99 season, Passmore set Bulldogs goaltending records for games played (54) and minutes played (3148). Passmore is the only goaltender in Bulldogs' history to be named to a post-season All-Star Team.

April 18, 1999 - Despite losing 3-1 to the St. John's Maple Leafs at Memorial Stadium in their final regular season game of the 1998-99 season, the Bulldogs set a franchise record for best penalty killing percentage in a single season 87.20%. The Bulldogs were also the first overall in AHL penalty killing that season.

May 28, 1999 - Bulldogs' Director of Marketing Cary Kaplan was named the recipient of the Ken McKenzie Award, which is presented annually to the individual adjudged to have done the most in promoting his/her AHL team.

2000

April 26, 2000 - Goaltender Mike Minard was awarded the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as the AHL's Man of the Year. The Yanick Dupre Award is presented to an AHL Player who has made outstanding commitments to his local and charitable organizations. Minard created Mini's Munchkins program, which allowed patients of the Children's Hospital and their families to attend Bulldogs' games.

August 10, 2000 - Claude Julien is named the third head coach in Hamilton Bulldogs history. Julien would go on to earn a record of 98 wins, 77 losses, 19 ties, and 11 overtime losses, while behind the Bulldogs' bench.

December 29, 2000 - Goaltender Alex Fomitchev set a new Bulldogs record for saves in a game, as he stopped 53 shots in Hamilton's 4-1 victory over the St. John's Maple Leafs. Fomitchev would play in just six games for the Bulldogs.

2001

February 21, 2001 - Michel Riesen scored two goals just 35 seconds apart versus Hershey, and set a Bulldogs' franchise record for fastest two goals scored by one player in a single game. The Bulldogs defeated the Bears 4-3 at Hershey.

April 7, 2001 - Forward Paul Healey scored a power-play goal in the Bulldogs' final regular season game of the 2000-01 season, which Hamilton lost 4-2 to the St. John's Maple Leafs at Copps Coliseum. Healey's marker was his 39th goal of the season and 19th on the power-play. Both marks are still team records.

2002

March 13, 2002 - Brian Swanson scored a goal in a 2-2 tie versus the Quebec Citadelles. That contest was Swanson's final career regular season game with the Bulldogs. Swanson remains the Bulldogs' All-time leading scorer with 179 points on 71 goals and 108 assists.

March 29, 2002 - Left-winger Jason Chimera became the first-ever Bulldogs player named to the AHL's First All-Star Team.

April 4, 2002 - Jason Chimera scored three goals, including the game-winner, as the Bulldogs defeated the Manitoba Moose 4-3 at Copps Coliseum. With those three goals, Chimera set a new franchise record for points in a season with 77 (26g, 51a). Ralph Intranuovo (96-97) and Chris Ferraro (98-99) held the previous record of 76 points in a season, respectively.

June 20, 2002 - Garry McKay of The Hamilton Spectator was named the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Award in the print category. The Ellery Award is handed out annually to members of the print, television and radio media, who contribute the most to the progress of the American Hockey League. McKay has been the Bulldogs' beat writer for The Hamilton Spectator since the hockey club's inception into the AHL in 1996.

July 3, 2002 - The Hamilton Bulldogs were purchased by a local consortium of business people and became the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. For the 2002-03 season only, the Bulldogs were affiliated with both the Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers prospects would play in Toronto for the 2003-04 season.

December 8, 2002 - The Bulldogs defeated the Cleveland Barons 15-1 at Copps Coliseum. Hamilton set 12 team records in the game, and tied the AHL record for largest margin of victory (14 goals). Forward Chad Hinz also recorded six points in the contest (1 goal & 5 assists), which is still a Bulldogs record for most points in a single game.

2003

January 10, 2003 - The Bulldogs shut out the Milwaukee Admirals 2-0 to extend their record setting undefeated streak to 18 games (Dec. 6 to Jan. 10).

January 17, 2003 - Claude Julien was hired as the new head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Bulldogs Assistant Coach, Geoff Ward was named interim head coach, and would eventually become the Bulldogs head coach and lead the team to the Calder Cup Finals.

January 19, 2003 - The Bulldogs extended their road unbeaten streak to 14 games by tying the Rochester Americans 3-3 at the Blue Cross Arena. Hamilton fell just one game short of the AHL record of 15 games set by the Buffalo Bisons in 1968.

April 6, 2003 - Despite losing 4-2 to the Rochester Americans at the Blue Cross Arena, the Hamilton Bulldogs finished their best regular season of all-time. The Bulldogs were winners of the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL's top regular season club with 110 points. Also the Bulldogs set numerous team records including total wins (49), goals scored (279) and highest power play percentage (18.20%)

April 8, 2003 - Claude Julien and Geoff Ward were named the joint winners of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding coach for the 2002-03 season, as voted by members of the media in each AHL city.

April 10, 2003 - Jason Ward became the first ever Bulldogs player to capture the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's Most Valuable Player. Ward led the Bulldogs in scoring with 72 points on 31 goals and 41 assists in 69 games played.

May 22, 2003 - Bulldogs forward Jarret Stoll scored a goal just four seconds into the third period of Game #5 of the AHL's Eastern Conference Final versus the Binghamton Senators, which set a new AHL record for fastest goal to start a period in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Bulldogs won the game 8-3, and advanced to the Calder Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history.

May 30 & May 31, 2003 - Michael Ryder ended the longest game in AHL history when he scored at the 14:56 mark of the fourth overtime, as the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Houston Aeros 2-1 at Copps Coliseum in Game #2 of the Calder Cup Finals. Bulldogs goaltender Ty Conklin made 80 saves for the victory, while the Aeros' Johan Holmqvist stopped 82. The game began at 7:10 p.m. on May 30th and ended at 1:04 a.m. on May 31st.

June 9, 2003 - Jason Ward scored a shorthanded game-winning goal to lift the Hamilton Bulldogs to a 2-1 victory over the Houston Aeros in Game #6 of the Calder Cup Finals. Ward set a Bulldogs record for points in a single postseason with 21 points on 12 goals and 9 assists.

June 12, 2003 - A Bulldogs franchise record 17,428 fans witnessed Game #7 of the 2003 Calder Cup Finals between the Bulldogs and the Houston Aeros at Copps Coliseum. Houston would win the final game 3-0.

July 31, 2003 - Doug Jarvis is named the fifth Head Coach in the history of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Ron Wilson would join Jarvis, as his assistant coach. Jarvis would go on to earn a record of 79 wins, 54 losses, 10 ties, and 7 overtime losses, and 5 shootout losses while behind the Bulldogs' bench.

December 28, 2003 - Forward Jozef Balej scored four goals, tying a Bulldogs team record for most goals in a game, as the Bulldogs defeated the St. John's Maple Leafs 4-2 at Copps Coliseum. Joe Hulbig set the original record exactly five years earlier (Dec. 28, 2003) in a 7-1 victory over St. John's.

2004

March 26, 2004 - The Hamilton Bulldogs and the City of Hamilton honoured the 'Heroes of Hometown Hockey', all former NHLers from the Hamilton area: including Harry Howell, Ric Nattress and Pat Quinn. The Bulldogs played the St. John's Maple Leafs, and were victorious by a score of 4-2 in front of a regular season high crowd of 15,119 at Copps Coliseum.

April 4, 2004 - Tomas Plekanec earned his ninth game-winning goal of the season, tying a Bulldogs' single season record, as Hamilton defeated the Rochester Americans 4-1. Chris Ferraro set the original mark during the 1998-99 season.

June 22, 2004 - Burlington businessman Michael Andlauer became majority owner, governor and chairman of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Andlauer was part of the initial group of local business people, who purchased the club from the Edmonton Oilers in 2002.

October 30, 2004 - Gavin Morgan set a new Bulldogs record for fastest goal to start a game, as he scored just 12 seconds into the first period at Syracuse. The Bulldogs won the contest 3-2 in overtime.

2005

February 14, 2005 - Tomas Plekanec scored one goal in regulation time, and one goal in the shootout as the PlanetUSA All-Stars defeated the Canadian All-Stars 5-4 in a shootout victory at the 2005 AHL All-Star Game in Manchester, New Hampshire. Plekanec became the first Bulldogs player to be named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player.

March 30, 2005 - The Bulldogs welcomed their Two Millionth Fan to a game - George Johnson of Burlington. Hamilton defeated the Manitoba Moose 2-1 at Copps Coliseum.

April 13, 2005 - Ron Hainsey became the Bulldogs All-time leading goal scorer and point getter among defencemen with two goals in a 4-3 victory at Copps Coliseum. In 155 career games with the Bulldogs, Hainsey has scored 18 goals and 65 points.

April 14, 2005 - Bulldogs forward Duncan Milroy is named the recipient of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, as the 2004-05 American Specialty / AHL Man of the Year. The award is presented annually to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations.

April 26, 2005 - Jason Ward scored one goal in the Bulldogs 5-4 loss to the Rochester Americans at Copps Coliseum in Game #4 of the AHL North Division Semifinal. Ward's goal gave him 24 points (14g, 10a) in the playoffs all-time, surpassing Joe Hulbig as the Bulldogs All-time leading scorer in the post season.

July 15, 2005 - Hamilton Bulldogs Play-By-Play Broadcaster Derek Wills is named the recipient of the 2004-05 James H. Ellery Memorial Award in the radio category, which is presented annually by the league in recognition of outstanding AHL media coverage.

July 28, 2005 - Don Lever is named the sixth Head Coach in the history of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

August 18, 2005 - Hamilton Bulldogs Executive Director of Operations Brian Lewis is named the winner of the league's Ken McKenzie Award for the 2004-05 season. Recognizing the important role played by team management in building a successful franchise, the award is presented annually to an AHL team executive who most successfully promotes his or her own club.

October 28, 2005 - Jean-Francois Jacques scored the fastest three goals in Hamilton Bulldogs history in the span of 3:50 of the second period in a 7-6 win over the Syracuse Crunch.

2006

April 15, 2006 - Yann Danis tied Steve Passmore for all-time wins by a Hamilton Bulldogs goaltender when he recorded the 47th of his career with the 'Dogs in a 6-5 win versus the Toronto Marlies at Copps Coliseum.

October 6, 2006 - Yann Danis broke the all-time wins record by a Hamilton Bulldogs goaltender with a 5-3 win over the Manitoba Moose. The win marked the 48th of Danis' career, which placed him ahead of Steve Passmore's 47.

November 2, 2006 - The Hamilton Bulldogs longest-serving employee, Executive Director of Operations Brian Lewis, resigns to take a position as Chief Operating Officer at Hamilton Entertainment and Conventions Facilities Inc.

November 10, 2006 - Glenn Stanford is named President and Governor of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

December 10, 2006 - Jaroslav Halak notched an all-time franchise record for shutouts with his eighth in a 2-0 win over the Syracuse Crunch, exceeding Steve Passmore's seven-career shutouts as a Bulldog.

October 6, 2006 - In a pre-game ceremony, the Bulldogs, in conjunction with the City of Hamilton, honoured Bill Sturrup by naming the press box at Copps Coliseum “The Bill Sturrup Press Box”. Sturrup, who served as the 'Dogs public address announcer and an off-ice official since the teams inaugural season in 1996-1997, announced prior to the season that he had been diagnosed with cancer and the 2006-2007 campaign would be his last with the club.

2007

January 3, 2007 - Duncan Milroy set a franchise record by playing in his 238th game with the Bulldogs surpassing Jason Chimera who appeared in 237 contests with Hamilton.

January 16, 2007 - The in-arena voice of the Hamilton Bulldogs and legendary radio broadcaster, Bill Sturrup, passes away at the age of 68 after a courageous battle with cancer. From his seat at ice-level between the home and away penalty boxes for 11 seasons, Sturrup not only announced goals and penalties, he also introduced players, officials and special guests, and began each game with his trademark, “Here are your Hamilton Buuuulllldogs” introduction of the team.

January 27, 2007 - Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves in a 3-0 shutout win over the Manitoba Moose. The shutout was Halak's sixth of the season, breaking the Hamilton Bulldogs benchmark for shutouts in a single season previously set by Yann Danis and Eric Heffler at five.

February 2, 2007 - Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Network Play-By-Play Announcer Derek Wills calls his 500th consecutive regular season and post-season game.

March 16, 2007 - Matt D'Agostini tied a franchise record with four goals in a single game. He also became the first Bulldog to reach the four-goal mark on the road. Former Bulldogs Jozef Balej and Joe Hulbig each had four-goal games at Copps Coliseum, both against the St. John's Maple Leafs.

April 4, 2007 - After leading the AHL in goals against average (2.00), placing second in save percentage (.932) and third in shutouts (6 in 28 games), goaltender Jaroslav Halak was named to the AHL All-Rookie team.

April 7, 2007 - The Bulldogs registered their 400th regular-season franchise win with a 1-0 shootout victory over the Toronto Marlies.

April 13, 2007 - Andre Benoit set a franchise record for defenceman with his fourth game-winning goal of the season in the Bulldogs 3-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins.

April 15, 2007 - Dan Jancevski sets a franchise record by becoming the only Bulldogs player to play a full 80-game season twice. The Bulldogs also had a league-high four players appear in all 80 regular season games during the 2006-2007 campaign: Kyle Chipchura, Dan Jancevski, Corey Locke and Ryan O'Byrne.

April 22, 2007 - Corey Locke tallied a hat trick, including his first-career professional playoff goal and point, in Game 3 of the North Division Semi-Final against the Rochester Americans in a 5-4 double overtime win. Locke became only the fourth Bulldog to record a hat trick in the playoffs. (Jeff Dawe, Chris Ferraro, Bill Lindsay)

June 1, 2007 - Corey Locke notched his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs in a 4-0 win over the Hershey Bears in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final. This not only set a single post-season franchise record but moved him into first all-time in that category. This victory also marked the Bulldogs seventh consecutive playoff road win, setting a franchise record in that category.

June 4, 2007 - In a 6-2 victory over the Hershey Bears in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Final, three Hamilton Bulldogs set post-season records. Corey Locke set a single post-season franchise record by recording his 22nd point, besting Jason Ward who had 21 points in the 2002 Calder Cup Playoffs. With two goals, Danny Groulx set a single post-season franchise record for goals by defensemen with six. The record was previously held by Scot Ferguson who recorded five goals in 1997 Calder Cup Playoffs. Finally, Ryan O'Byrne set a franchise playoff record and a single post-season franchise record with his second game-winning goal of the playoffs by a defenceman.

June 6, 2007 - With two assists in a 6-2 victory over the Hershey Bears in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Final, Dan Jancevski set a single post-season franchise record with 14 points (3-11-14) in 22 games, overtaking Alexander Zhurik who had 13 points in the 1997 Calder Cup Playoffs.

June 7, 2007 - The Hamilton Bulldogs win their first Calder Cup Championship with a 2-1 victory over the Hershey Bears in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Final. Goaltender Carey Price was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as Playoff MVP for the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs after posting a 15-6 record, with two shutouts and 2.06 goals against average. In the process he set a single post-season and all-time franchise record with a .936 save percentage. His 15 wins and two shutouts also set and tied a franchise record for most in a single post-season. Price also became the third goaltender in AHL history and the first since Patrick Roy in 1985 to lead his team to a Calder Cup title as a teenager. Andre Benoit set a single post-season franchise and an all-time playoff franchise record with a plus-13 rating.

November 2 2007- Maxim Lapierre scored two goals in 10 seconds to set a franchise record for the fastest two goals by one player, surpassing Michael Riesen, who scored two goals in 35 seconds on February 21 2001.

December 7 2007- After going the previous season without a captain, Ajay Baines is named the ninth captain in Bulldogs history. Baines scored the winning goal in Game 5 of the 2007 Calder Cup Finals to give the Bulldogs their first Calder Cup title.

December 7 2007- Hamilton Bulldogs Play-By-Play Broadcaster Derek Wills calls his 500th consecutive regular season Bulldogs game. His streak is the longest in the American Hockey League. Wills broadcast his first Bulldogs game in 2001.

December 29 2007- Corey Locke records a goal for his 180th point (63-117-180) to become the all-time leader in regular season points for the Bulldogs. Locke surpasses the previous record of 179 points (71-108-179) that was held by Brian Swanson. Less than 24 hours after accomplishing the feat, Locke was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens for the first time in his career.

2008

February 2 2008- Corey Locke records his 72nd goal as a Bulldog to become the all-time leader in regular season goals. Locke exceeded the previous mark of 71 tallies that was held by Brian Swanson and Tomas Plekanec.

February 2 2008- Don Lever coaches his 206th game as Bulldog head coach, becoming the longest serving head coach in team history. The game places Lever ahead of Claude Julien who coached 205 games from 2000-2003.

February 8 2008- Corey Locke posted his 124th assist as a Bulldog to become Hamilton’s all-time leader in assists, exceeding the 123 helpers Peter Sarno recorded as a Bulldog. As of this date, Locke is the all-time leader in goals, assists and points.

March 28 2008- Matt D’Agostini records a goal 11 seconds into a game in Wilkes-Barre to set a new franchise record for fastest goal to start a game. Former ‘Dog Gavin Morgan scored 12 seconds into a game on October 30 2004.

April 9 2008- Corey Locke ties a franchise record for most points in a game with six (three goals, three assists). Chad Hinz also recorded a six-point game (one goal, five assists) on December 8 2002, against the Cleveland Barons. It was also the first time in Locke’s hockey career (Junior and Professional) that he recorded six points in game.