Belleville will continue to be the home of the Senators even after the current lease agreement expires.
That was the new delivered by the team owner last week, as Michael Andlauer spoke to TSN’s Claire Hanna to say that Belleville is here to stay and they are looking forward to spending a lot more time in Belleville.
Concerns had been swirling in the area since the team’s lease at the CAA arena was set to expire two years after the current season ends.
Following the death of the original team owner Eugene Melnyk in 2022, there was always a bit of doubt about the future, especially with Andlauer’s strong ties to the Hamilton area.
He addressed that directly by saying that “When I bought the Belleville Bulls (in 2015), I was loyal to my community in Hamilton, and today, that’s a different story.”
Things have changed over time, with Andlauer now reportedly selling the OHL franchise, which moved to Hamilton and then Brantford to former Toronto Maple Leaf Zack Hyman and his family.
Now he says 613 in Sens Country and Belleville is here to stay, and that is music to my ears.
The city suffered a big loss when the Bulls moved to Hamilton, and a large amount of money was spent upgrading the facilities at the CAA arena.
Now that investment is paying off with a longer commitment and hopefully increasing numbers of fans in the stands watching the future of the NHL right here in Belleville.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
