In 2003, the Hamilton Bulldogs had a powerhouse team that should have won the Calder Cup. But in a seventh-game showdown with the Houston Aeros, the Bulldogs came up short and lost their bid for the league’s top prize.

In 2007, the Hamilton Bulldogs had a team that struggled to make the playoffs and were never the odd-on-favourite to win any of their elimination series. But grit, determination, and skilled forged an unstoppable machine that showed its true colours when Ajay Baines scored the game-winning, shorthanded goal midway through the third period.

Hamilton was the lower seed in each round but never trailed in any of its four series, defeating Rochester (4-2), Manitoba (4-2) and Chicago (4-1) before ousting the defending Calder Cup champs from Pennsylvania.

After a scoreless opening period, Hamilton struck first for the fifth time in as many games in the series when Maxim Lapierre recorded his sixth goal of the post–season at 14:37 of the middle stanza. Andre Benoit drew the lone assist on the goal.

The Bears pulled even just four minutes later when Jakub Klepis scored his seventh goal of the playoffs.

That set the stage for Baines’ dramatics at 9:33 of the final frame. He converted a pass from Lapierre on a 2-on-1 brake to give the ‘Dogs a 2-1 lead.

Price made 29 saves on 30 shots while Frederic Cassivi turned aside 24 of 26 shots.

Don Lever, 20 years removed from winning the Calder Cup as a player for the Rochester Americans, earned his first AHL title as a head coach as the Bulldogs captured the championship in their third trip to the finals.