One person who'd be happy to see the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) add a team in Chatham-Kent (CK) is one of the best players to come from the area.
Wallaceburg's Seth Griffith is currently the captain of the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). Before starting his professional career, Griffith played across four seasons with the London Knights, helping the team win back-to-back OHL championships.
Griffith was the latest guest on the Chatham-Kent Beyond the Headlines podcast, where he shared his thoughts on the OHL considering adding a team in CK.
Earlier this year, OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford met with several municipal representatives to share details about the league's current position and plans for potential expansion. According to CK Mayor Darrin Canniff, both sides agreed that Chatham-Kent is the ideal location for a new team.
For Griffith, it only makes sense for the OHL to expand into the area.
"There are so many hockey enthusiasts locally. I think it's about time [and] hopefully it comes to Chatham," he explained.
The main reason why Chatham-Kent has never had a team is a lack of a suitable arena. The Chatham Memorial Arena is the municipality's largest arena, with a capacity of around 2,500. It would be the smallest arena in the OHL, with the closest in size being in Brantford, though the city is planning to build a new arena that can accommodate over 5,000 people.
A big question is whether Chatham-Kent could consistently fill an arena of that size, making a multi-dollar investment worth it. Griffith believes the municipality is more than capable.
"If you look at a similar city like Sarnia, they seem, when they have good teams, to hold their own pretty well," he added.
Adding another team in southwestern Ontario could also entice more local players to consider playing in the OHL rather than in other leagues. Leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are becoming more appealing for players.
Griffith said playing in London, so close to home, really meant a lot to him.
"My family got to come to a lot of games. My parents, aunt, and uncle would always come with my grandma, and my wife now, she'd make it out a decent amount," he added.
If staying close to home is important for most players, adding a team in southwest Ontario would be important. According to a report by Numberbarn, southwestern Ontario has produced the second-most NHL players of all time, trailing only the Toronto area.
Not everyone in Chatham-Kent is a fan of adding an OHL team. Some municipal councillors were initially upset after learning that they hadn't been invited to the meeting with the OHL Commissioner. The biggest concern would be the cost of a new arena, as early estimates put it at around $200 million.
