Hamilton Bulldogs settle into new hockey habitat

There are always surprises with a new endeavour. For the Hamilton Bulldogs, a pleasant one was the din at their home opener.

FirstOntario Centre has a NHL-ish capacity of 17,383, and there's probably a strained analogy that can be made about the size of the Bulldogs' new home and how junior hockey can struggle to get top billing in bigger cities. On the contrary, though, when the Bulldogs (ne Belleville Bulls, 1980-2015) hit the ice last weekend and beat Oshawa in their home opener in front of 5,600 fans, it sounded like any other junior barn.

"It's actually pretty loud," overage forward Stephen Harper, one of the 13 Bulldogs who played in the Bulls' last-ever game on April 14, related on Friday. "I was surprised, with it being so big, You could hear it. Every hit, every shot, the fans got loud. It was great.

"It's all smiles right now," added Harper, who's been able to reside at home in adjacent Burlington after four seasons of billeting. "Michael Andlauer is a great owner, he's been treating us well, the city's been so great. When you leave a city like Belleville where the fans are so passionate about hockey, it's tough on them. But at the same time we're happy with we are. A lot of our guys are from close by and our road trips are shorter now."

Andlauer purchased the franchise in March from Gord Simmonds, giving it the same nickname and colours sported by the city's former Montreal Canadiens AHL franchise that is now playing in St. John's. All of that happened on a plane well above staff such as coach-GM George Burnett and the Bulls/Bulldogs players, who are ultimately the ones most affected by the relocation. The holdovers say they get the sense there's an appreciation for how they've adapted.

"Our ownership, Mr. Andlauer, has done a great job with making us feel right at home," overage goalie Charlie Graham said. "It's been a really good start. What you really notice about [Andlauer] is the way he carries himself and speaks to us. He's really built a great relationship with the players and that shows what type of guy he is and what kind of organization he has in Hamilton."

A first point of reference whenever Hamilton came up in OHL relocation rumours was the Steel City's skein and come-and-gone clubs — Fincups, Steelhawks, Dukes. That skepticism often comes up when junior puck returns to a city where it's failed. Other observers believe Andlauer's direction will be a game-changer. While this is the honeymoon phase of the Hamilton-OHL marriage, it's going well.

"THe first time I met Mr. Andlauer, I was really impressed with his mentality that he's passing on to this team," Harper said. "He's giving us whatever we need to win.

"He's in the room after the wins, he's giving the boys high-fives and stuff. When you have an owner who's active with the team that come downs after a win, it's a really cool. He's had us over for dinner already and makes us feel like a family. He's definitely helping out, especially the guys moving into new billet houses."

Hamilton is 1-2-0-0 following a 5-1 loss on Friday to the Ottawa 67's in the nation's capital. Notwithstanding Harper, Connor McDavid's one-time roommate with the Erie Otters, there is a paucity of proven goal scoring after the departures of defenceman Jordan Subban and wing Brett Gustavsen. Top draft pick Matthew Strome bears high expectations, but like his brother, Arizona Coyotes No. 3 overall pick Dylan Strome (of Erie), he is a playmaker whose skating isn't as developed as his vision.

Then again, sometimes the more savoury seasons in junior are the ones where the local team takes baby steps toward being formidable in the future. Who knows, perhaps that's a good elective for the new fanbase's freshman-year electives.

"We're young and we're a hard-working team," 18-year-old defenceman Justin Lemcke said. "We're only going to get better."

Friday's visit to the nation's capital was the Bulldogs' first trek to another East Division city. It wasn't lost on Graham, Harper and Lemcke that a game against the 67's was an up-and-back round trip for the Bulls, whereas it's an overnighter for the Bulldogs. That was a reminder of their past.

"It's tough for the Belleville fans and my heart goes out to them," Graham said.

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