[News] City of Abbotsford terminating contract with the Heat. Heat are moving.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

The Flames make way too much money off of the Hitmen to just fold them for an AHL team. It's pure profit and an AHL team would surely mean the end of the Hitmen. I think the crowds would be about the same as the Hitmen, with similar ticket prices. The only problem is the Flames have to pay the players and they don't have to pay the Hitmen players (unless you count $400-$600 a month paying them). They can profit from an AHL team elsewhere and keep the Hitmen money. To essentially eliminate one of your biggest money-makers would be stupid.

That said, I too would much rather watch AHL hockey over WHL games and would be all for folding the Hitmen for a team. I just don't see how it would make sense for the Flames to do that.

I think you vastly underestimate the loyalties of junior hockey fans. Given the choice between the two, most will stick with the Hitmen. It would be the AHL team as interlopers that would struggle. And they would struggle with far greater operational costs than the WHL. They would steal some fans - and therefore profit - but your best case is probably the AHL team still fails while you create unnecessary risk to your WHL and NLL properties.

[OzSome]

I guess one of few concerns Flames have is the travel for the Heat. So I guess strike out Saskatoon, Kelowna or even Calgary as the new home for the Heat. I guess it just make sense for them to move East such as Glen Falls. Only thing they will miss the hour flight from Abby/Van airport to Calgary for call-ups.

[FakenHaken]

Probably would never work, but let's say you are able to get CNRL, Shell, Cenovus, and ExxonMobil to build an arena in Fort McMurray suitable for the AHL.

You already have Fort McMurray to open a new International Airport terminal.

Would it or could it work?

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by FakenHaken

Probably would never work, but let's say you are able to get CNRL, Shell, Cenovus, and ExxonMobil to build an arena in Fort McMurray suitable for the AHL.

You already have Fort McMurray to open a new International Airport terminal.

Would it or could it work?

You'd have to double AHL salaries.
$90K won't get it done to live there.

[Muta]

There's already an NHL-quality arena being built there shortly. It's on its way.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

I'd try and see if the Rangers will move into there and try and get into Hartford instead. Plenty of travel options out of Hartford, plus better facilities overall.

Flames brass have visited Hartford according to this one piece I saw

http://www.howlings.net/2014/04/15/c...f=pub-standard

Howlings can confirm Calgary has been in both Glens Falls and in Hartford in the last month. Global Spectrum runs the building in Abbotsford, BC as well as The Glens Falls Civic Center and the XL Center.

Interesting that the arenas in Glen Falls and Hartford are run by the same company as Abbotsford.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

I hope they don't end up in Glens Falls. The biggest reason is that there's no airport near the city, you have to go all the way to Albany to fly out. That's an hour out of the way. If there's any sort of bad weather (and that area gets a lot of it), you're not getting your player if you need him in any sort of decent amount of time.

I'd try and see if the Rangers will move into there and try and get into Hartford instead. Plenty of travel options out of Hartford, plus better facilities overall.

If Hartford is better than Glen Falls then why would Rangers move to Glen Falls? Better deal?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Fire

If Hartford is better than Glen Falls then why would Rangers move to Glen Falls? Better deal?

Glens Falls is a better AHL market. Better fan support, better environment for the players to play in.

For a nearby team in a major US city like New York they can get players in and out of Glens Falls no problem but for a team in an outpost like Calgary it just doesn't make any sense in my opinion. They would not be able to get players in on short notice.

[dissentowner]

Move them to London, I will do PMM's job.

[Muta]

What about back in Saint John, NB / Harbour Station?

Or, some places with immediate direct flights or quick connecting flights:

St. John's, NF / Mile One Centre
Halifax, NS / Metro Centre
Las Vegas, NV / Orleans Arena
Kansas City, MI / Sprint Center
Salt Lake City, UT / EnergySolutions Arena
Little Rock, AR / Verizon Arena

[PeteMoss]

Saint John and Halifax have QMJHL teams.. that's a non-starter.

The arenas in KC, SLC and Little Rock are likely too big for an AHL team. Cost too much to operate an 18,000 seat arena for a crowd of 3000.

Glens Falls is a better AHL market. Better fan support, better environment for the players to play in.

For a nearby team in a major US city like New York they can get players in and out of Glens Falls no problem but for a team in an outpost like Calgary it just doesn't make any sense in my opinion. They would not be able to get players in on short notice.

In terms of attendence... Hartford and Glen Falls are basically the same, can't speak for your other points though.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Saint John and Halifax have QMJHL teams.. that's a non-starter.

The arenas in KC, SLC and Little Rock are likely too big for an AHL team. Cost too much to operate an 18,000 seat arena for a crowd of 3000.

Well, teams can shuffle around... there's probably support in SJ and Halifax for them, but why can't AHL have that support too? Just tossing ideas.

As for KC, SLC and Little Rock... they don't have any main hockey tenants and might like one. KC especially, there's no main tenant for that arena at the moment; Flames might be able to get a really good 'Abbotsford-like' deal. Would be a good test to see if that city supports professional hockey, especially with a brand new (and gorgeous) arena.

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Flames brass have visited Hartford according to this one piece I saw

http://www.howlings.net/2014/04/15/c...f=pub-standard



Interesting that the arenas in Glen Falls and Hartford are run by the same company as Abbotsford.

That article mentions Casper, WY, as a potential future home for the Flames' farm team.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Move them to London, I will do PMM's job.

I was actually going to suggest this as a joke (mostly). I know the Knights are an institution (had STs in the 70s) but it would be awesome to have the Flames' farm team in London.

[Roof-Daddy]

What about somewhere in N.Dakota?



Not much further from Calgary than Abbotsford was, but much, much closer to the rest of the AHL teams.

Much of a market for hockey in North Dakota? I know they back their college hockey there.

[browna]

I imagine that the departure of BC means the end of Ryan Walter as Heat president as well?

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

What about somewhere in N.Dakota?

Much of a market for hockey in North Dakota? I know they back their college hockey there.

No city with a large enough market for a AHL team there. Fargo is just over 100k and Bismark is next at around 65.

[OffsideSpecialist]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

No city with a large enough market for a AHL team there. Fargo is just over 100k and Bismark is next at around 65.

Is Fargo too small though? It is bigger than Binghamton and Glen Falls combined. Also similar in size to Peoria.

[Julio]

There is a USHL team in Fargo, the Force, which draws pretty well, close to 4000 a game in a 5000 seat building.
Tickets are pretty inexpensive tho...12-26 dollars a ticket.

My worried would be two fold...first is that it might be a QC situation, with the leap in hockey level and the resulting ticket prices being too much for the market, and second is the travel to and from Calgary. The family of a good friend is in Fargo, and when he has had to get there in a hurry he has flown to Winnipeg or Minneapolis and then driven to Fargo...not exactly what you want.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

In terms of attendence... Hartford and Glen Falls are basically the same, can't speak for your other points though.

When you look at population of the area, though, that's what I meant. A player in Glens Falls would feel like they're in a hockey market while in Hartford not so much. I know that's an important thing to Burke from his time in Vancouver/Manitoba.

They're not even on the radar but I think it would be great if they could partner with the Rockets and make it work in Houston. Direct flights to Calgary (7 per day) and every other NHL city from there. The team would play 90% of its games in that region also, much like OKC does with Edmonton.