It all came down to size – the size of the Barrie Molson Centre, the size of the profit the Memorial Cup could make, and the size of the grant Barrie would offer to support the Colts’ bid for the 2011 Canadian Hockey League championship.

When it was time to stand behind the Colts, enough Barrie councillors lined up to support the local Ontario Hockey League team with a $187,045 grant.

“I can’t see how we can take a simple thing, to get the biggest hockey championship most other communities in Canada would kill for (and consider denying the request),” Ward 1 Coun. Mike Ramsay said as council considered sending the request to a committee or making the Colts pay back some of the grant if the event makes a profit.

“Look at how much advertising there’ll be. It would be 10 days of wall-to-wall TV coverage not just in Canada but the US too. This is a way to showcase the city.

“If you want to get behind a bid, get behind the bid. (The CHL) will look at the spirit of City Hall.”

A city staff report estimated hotels would net $996,800 in revenues and restaurants would see another $800,000 from the 10-day championship that brings together the best of the Ontario, Quebec and Western hockey leagues.

 Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard encouraged his colleagues to ante up. The volunteer minor hockey coach said the Memorial Cup tournament is usually award to a solid host team, and judging from the Colts quick 2-0 start, the team is on its way to being a contender.

“We have a tremendous opportunity,” he said. “Barrie is a hockey town. This will enhance the hockey experience for minor hockey, and for the general interest of bringing a national championship in Canada’s national sport to our city.”

But hockey is business as well as sport.

A city staff report noted the OHL made almost $2 million from the 2008 championship in Kitchener the most financially successful tournament in CHL history.

But Kitchener’s rink has 6,800 seats. More than 53,500 spectators went to see the series, including 2,000 people from outside the region. Kitchener estimated the event injected more than $10 million into its economy.

Barrie’s Molson Centre, however, only has 4,200 seats. And therefore, there’s a lot less opportunity to make money from ticket sales – unless prices are higher or the Colts’ bid includes more sponsorships.

“Kitchener is an amazingly successful team. One problem that Rimouski, Brandon and Barrie have is we’re smaller. There is more of a challenge to make money in a small market,” explained Barrie’s community services commissioner Jim Sales.

Still, Rimouski, Quebec, jumped on board its team’s bid by donating transit and facilities, as well as an $80,000 grant to get the tournament. The event generated almost $7 million in local economic activity and netted that hockey team $80,000.

Ward 4 Coun. Barry Ward didn’t like the idea of giving a grant to a for-profit company — the Colts.

“I cannot honestly say after all the groups that have rented city facilities – from the Mariposa gala to the MP’s hockey game for health care – I cannot support giving a grant to a private organization,” he said. “These aren’t the Olympics. I wish them all the luck in the world. I just can’t justify $180,000.”