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OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs cheered on by Tom Hanks, Martin Short (VIDEO)

Hamilton Bulldogs forward Brandon Saigeon (Brian Watts, OHL Images)

While the Hamilton Bulldogs have yet to play their first regular-season game, they might have already locked up the Ontario Hockey League's highly unofficial and subjective Celebrity Connections Cup.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs released a video of Hollywoood icons Tom Hanks and Martin Short, who was born in Hamilton, having fun being silly yelling, "Go Bulldogs!" That, to understate for effect, is a little more impressive than getting the ubiqutious local celebrity to perform a ceremonial faceoff. So kudos to Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer and his staff for whatever channels they had to work through to get Short and two-time Academy Award winner Hanks together.

That's publicity that cannot be bought, except for when fans throw a barrage or snack food at a coach or player.

Does that throw down a gauntlet to the 19 other OHL teams to see if they can get a notable entertainer with roots in their community to record a spot they can put on social media and play on their videoboard? This is a copycat world, although the Hanks/Short pairing sets the bar awfully high. The other newly minted OHL team, the Flint Firebirds, could try calling up Oscar-winning director Michael Moore, but then again they might believe they're already deep enough on the left wing.

(Via CBC Hamilton.)


Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @naitSAYger.