An Ontario Hockey League team named the Bulldogs launched in Hamilton for the 2015-16 season.

The AHL franchise launched in Hamilton in 1996. On the ice, the Bulldogs were a solid product.

But after five seasons, Kaplan explained, “the team realized that financially, in order to continue, the lease would require restructuring and that a big season ticket push was required.”

Club owners launched a “Stay Dogs Stay” campaign to keep the team on the ice in Hamilton.

Hamilton had just built a 17,000-seat arena and was desperate for a tenant, which Merulla said put the Bulldogs in the driver’s seat on negotiations.

A February 2001 report to Hamilton council lists a number of team demands on the City, including not paying rent for use of Copps Coliseum and receiving 100 per cent food and beverage commissions at games.

The report mentioned the team was losing $1.6 million annually and sought to reduce operating expenses by $500,000.

The document also mentions that the team would likely leave Hamilton without a new deal from the City.

“2001 in Hamilton marked a successful turning point for the franchise,” said Kaplan, noting that the lease agreement helped boost ticket sales and nurture the team’s longevity in Hamilton.

Fast-forward to 2016 and Kaplan is in a similar situation with the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) team, which has struggled on and off the ice.

Attendance numbers are consistently low (average recorded attendance is 2,800 to 3,000). The team has lost $4 million in its first three seasons in Brampton.

In January, the team came to city leaders with a request for an immediate cash infusion of $750,000 for operating costs in 2016-2017 as part of an agreement to cover the team’s projected losses next season to a maximum of $1.5 million.

Kaplan, along with team owner Gregg Rosen, made a heartfelt plea for a new partnership deal that would help them make a run at growing pro hockey in Brampton.

They argued the team is on the road to success but needs more time to see that success through.

But Merulla said he’s familiar with the pitch. The projections on growth that the AHL team owners initially promised Hamilton city leaders never materialized.

“The added value that these teams claim they bring from a financial perspective like economic spinoffs is nonsensical,” said Merulla. “They are like magicians, they throw out these numbers but there is hardly ever any tangible results of that investment.”

Merulla said the municipality never made any money on the venture: The Bulldog’s five-year attendance average was 4,711 by 2015, just 27 per cent of the arena’s capacity.

In an 8-2 vote March 9, Brampton council agreed to a deal worth $500,000 per year (plus tax) over three years “in sponsorship and advertising opportunities."

In the meantime, City staff has also been directed to look at the feasibility of fast-tracking the purchase of the Powerade Centre from owners RealStar.

Merulla said the decision to fund a pro hockey team ultimately comes down to what taxpayers are willing to stomach.

“The bottom line is there is going to be a cost associated with (having a pro team). If residents are willing to pay for it that is fine. But the team needs to be upfront about it," Merulla said.