Report: Brampton Thunder moving to Markham

It appears that the Brampton Thunder will soon be the Markham Thunder. Scott Wheeler of the Toronto Star reported via Twitter that the CWHL franchise will be moving about 45 kilometers (or 25 miles) east to the city of Markham for the 2017-18 season. Which means that the speculation about a second CWHL expansion team and a third team in the Toronto area has come to an abrupt end.

The CWHL's Brampton Thunder are relocating to Markham, I'm told. The team will be called the Markham Thunder. That's Tuesday's announcement.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 7, 2017

Markham has hosted the Clarkson Cup playoffs in the past, so it is no stranger to CWHL hockey. Like Brampton, Markham is in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario. Further details about the move are expected to be announced on Tuesday during an announcement that CWHL will be making. The Mayor of Markham city will be there, so too will former Thunder player Vicky Sunohara and commissioner Brenda Andress.

Markham has hosted Clarkson Cup playoffs in the past, so that's a possibility. But emphasis on "growing the game" makes me think maybe not.

— Hannah Bevis (@Hannah_Bevis1) July 6, 2017

The Thunder were one of the CWHL teams that lost the least amount of talent to Canada’s Olympic centralization roster. As a result there’s a very good chance that Markham will see a highly competitive team next season.