Grande Prairie would be a great market. They outdraw a couple of the Saskatchewan based teams for AJHL hockey, are only 4 hours from Edmonton, and that market would go NUTS for the WHL.
I maintain that Victoria will be an AHL market in the near future. As it is, it is rather interesting to note that Victoria only went the ECHL route after the WHL said it had no plans to expand, only to see the Tri-City Americans relocation disaster force the door open on expansion a year later.
Yorkton and the like have no chance. Swift Current is doing an admirable job of holding onto their team, but the league has really outgrown markets of that size.
|