If Chatham-Kent commits to building an OHL-sized arena, the league's commissioner says they will commit to an expansion team in the municipality.
Bryan Crawford, the Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League, shared the message to municipal council on Monday evening.
The league is in talks with multiple communities as it eyes an expansion from the current 20 teams, and Crawford stated that Chatham has always been in the background of potential markets.
Ultimately, the viability of an OHL team in the region rests on the municipality's willingness to foot the bill for a new arena.
OHL-sized arenas, typically capable of holding at least 5,000 fans, can cost between $150 million and $200 million. A team would sit between existing OHL franchises, the Windsor Spitfires and London Knights, who can seat about 6,500 and 9,000 fans, respectively.
A need for a new arena has already been identified in Chatham-Kent due to the ageing state of current facilities, but not of this size.
Chatham Memorial Arena was built in 1949 and holds about 2,200 spectators, lacking modern features such as corporate boxes.
Crawford says a commitment to a new arena would earn a commitment from the league.
"We would certainly sign a commitment to come if the city was ready to commit to build the arena. We're not of the belief that if you build it - they will come, should be the model when communities making this sort of investment. We're partners in this, and that's how we would want to proceed."
He says talks are underway in municipalities across the province as the league looks to expand from 20 teams.
"I think Chatham-Kent has always kind of been in the background of potential markets that could one day be interested in hosting an OHL team."
Crawford says a new arena is non-negotiable.
"Without an arena, there isn't much to discuss, unfortunately that's the thing that is required in order to do this. So, we are in discussions with a number of different communities who are exploring it, there's a couple of communities that have started feasibility studies."
Last season, the OHL reported that it set an all-time attendance record, with 3.2 million fans attending games.
A decision on a new arena is unlikely to come in the near future, as it would require feasibility studies. Further, council is expected to wind down this spring ahead of an upcoming municipal election in October.
If an arena is approved, Crawford said it would likely be about three to eight years before an OHL team would hit the ice, and the OHL would be responsible for finding a team owner.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian