The Hamilton Bulldogs open defence of their OHL championship Friday night when they visit North Bay.
The 2018-19 edition of the Bulldogs looks much different than the team that went all the way to the Memorial Cup last season in just their third year in the Ontario Hockey League.
The most notable change is behind the bench where Burlington native David Matsos takes over from head coach John Gruden, who is now an assistant with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Hamilton’s defense corps is entirely different from last year’s club, with the exception of Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Nicolas Mattinen and Jake Gravelle.
The Dogs have some recognizable names among the forward ranks with Matthew Strome, Brandon Saigeon, MacKenzie Entwhistle, Isaac Nurse and Arthur Kaliyev returning to the fold.
Nick Donofrio and rookie Zachary Roy will occupy Hamilton’s goal, taking over from Kaden Fulcher.
Hamilton will visit Barrie on Saturday night. The Bulldogs will play their home opener on September 30 when they host Ottawa at FirstOntario Centre.