OHL Changes Tune On Flint, Team Headed To Chatham

Over a month after announcing the Ontario Hockey League would be relocating the Plymouth Whalers to Flint, Michigan, the league has changed its tune, and will instead be moving the team to Chatham, Ontario.

“It was a difficult decision, but with Chatham’s recent success as Hockeyville, it made sense,” new team spokesperson Baalim Menteur told CKSN.

Named the Flint Firebirds, the organization will maintain the namesake, and will play out of Chatham’s Memorial Arena for the time being, with the expectation of a new arena coming within the year.

“Memorial Arena will be a great home, for now,” said Menteur. “We’re hoping to play some double headers with the Chatham Maroons next season to keep fans in the building.”

“We’ve secured a new corporate deal to build what will be known as the Future Shop Centre, being completed by 2016. The arena will be located on the old Navistar site, and will likely seat close to 7,500 fans.”

While Chatham officials were unavailable for comment initially, the Municipality has a long standing history of welcoming organizations to Chatham-Kent, including the Mitchell’s Bay Mariners, who were introduced as the tenth Great Lakes Junior C team a year ago.

The Chatham Firebirds will begin play next season on April 1.