It is no surprise that there are plenty of sports going on in Brantford, Ontario. As the hometown of hockey star and sports legend Wayne Gretzky, there is a strong association between sports and Brantford. It is also famed for hosting many sports tournaments every year, including the Annual Wayne Gretzky Tournament. Its local sports teams go beyond just hockey, however.



Brantford Hockey Teams

Hockey is, of course, a major part of sports life in Brantford and throughout all of Canada. The Brantford Blast are Brantford's Major League Hockey Team. Founded in 2000, it was the first time since 1987 that Brantford had a team in Canada's senior ice hockey league.

In 2008 the Brantford Blast hosted the Allan Cup tournament for the 100th anniversary of the event at their home arena, the Brantford Civic Centre. Not only did they host the cup, they won the tournament, losing only a single game. It was the first time since 1987 that an Ontario Hockey Association Team won the Allan Cup. It was another Brantford Team, the Brantford Motts Clamatos, which won the Cup in that year.

Aside from the Brantford Blast are the Eagles, a junior ice hockey team and part of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. They are currently part of the Midwestern division. They also play at the Brantford Civic Centre.

The Brantford Red Sox

The Brantford Red Sox have been playing baseball in the city since 1911. Since 1934 they have been a part of the Intercounty Baseball League. They have won a total of 10 championships, most recently in 2008. Their colors are red and white and they can be seen playing in Arnold Anderson Stadium. Also playing at Arnold Anderson Stadium are the Brantford Braves, members of the Junior Intercounty Baseball League.

The Brantford Harlequins Rugby Football Club

The Harlequins were founded in 1950 by brothers George and Vince Jones. After reading in the Toronto Star that rugby was becoming popular again, they decided to form a team: the Brantford Harlequins. Today, the Harlequins Rugby Football Club is a collection of teams located in the Brantford, Ontario area. They include two Ontario Rugby Union teams, as well as two teams from the Niagara Rugby Union: one men's team and one women's team.

Brantford Blaze and Local Rep Teams

The city of Brantford, Ontario also boasts a basketball team: the Brantford Blaze. They play as part of the Canadian National Basketball League.

Aside from these major and junior league teams, there are a number of local rep teams playing in the city. On the soccer front, there is Brantford Intercity Soccer (known as BICS), as well as the Brantford City Soccer Club. There are two local rep basketball teams in Brantford: the Brantford Briers and Brantford CYO. The city also boasts a local football team, the Brantford Bisons.

For hockey there are a number of local rep teams. The Brantford Saints and Brantford 99ers both call the city their home. There are also the Brantford Ice Cats, a girl's hockey team.

Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley