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

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

That design is a thing of beauty! Well done of it was you

Nah, I just took a chance and Googled "flaming fleur de lis".

[PeteMoss]

Didn't Quebec have an AHL team relatively recently/

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Didn't Quebec have an AHL team relatively recently/

From 1999 to 2002.

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=7579

Not the greatest attendance (still better than Abbottsford though), but that was in the shadow of losing their NHL team with no immediate hopes of getting one again. I think this time might be different as they would have ulterior motives for supporting the team.

Before that, they had an IHL team for 2 years:

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=7587

[ForeverFlameFan]

I think Seattle would be a good place.

[Resolute 14]

Same problem with the NHL - no arena. KeyArena is such a craphole it isn't even suitable for the WHL.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

This is an interesting development:

http://mayorsmanor.com/2014/04/major...ects-to-socal/

At one point, as many as eight teams were involved in the discussions, including Anaheim, Los Angeles, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Phoenix, San Jose, and Vancouver.

Regular conference calls and meetings have been taking place regarding this idea for a few years now and after vetting several different proposals – including the possibility of those teams starting their own league – it is now believed the AHL is on board with the idea.

From what we’ve learned recently, the new division will begin play in October 2015, as part of the AHL’s 2015-16 season.
The Coyotes, Ducks, Kings, and Sharks, are on board. As for the other one or two teams still in the mix, it is believed one of the Western Canadian teams’ interest in the project may have cooled.

This is only speculation, but we would assume that team is the Vancouver Canucks. Their current AHL affiliate is located in Utica, N.Y. and Canucks Sports Entertainment owns the team. Although a move West would seem preferable, they just began play there this year, so perhaps there are some contractual agreements in place for the next few seasons. Edmonton purchased their ECHL affiliate in Bakersfield last year and Calgary owns their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat (who are said to be moving next season anyway). Thus, they would most likely be part of the initial group of teams in 2015-16.

[Resolute 14]

Damn it SCH. I was literally about to post that!.

The key piece of interest there is that this won't be ready for 2015-16. But if Calgary is really onboard with this, you'd have to expect they would relocate into another western city and suck up the long travel for one more year.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Damn it SCH. I was literally about to post that!.

The key piece of interest there is that this won't be ready for 2015-16. But if Calgary is really onboard with this, you'd have to expect they would relocate into another western city and suck up the long travel for one more year.

One season in the Dome like the Oilers did with their farm team?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Damn it SCH. I was literally about to post that!.

The key piece of interest there is that this won't be ready for 2015-16. But if Calgary is really onboard with this, you'd have to expect they would relocate into another western city and suck up the long travel for one more year.

Or perhaps sign a one-year deal somewhere. Glens Falls would probably take the one year reprieve (though it may be tougher to find a partner if a bunch of teams from good markets move west -- like Portland, Norfolk, Manchester. Worcester would be gone too but they're a bad market).

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Fire

One season in the Dome like the Oilers did with their farm team?

Flames Hitmen and an AHL team?

That season would be like trench warfare with how bad the ice is. However, that might make us have a horrible season

Ice is trash for a draft day splash?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Fire

One season in the Dome like the Oilers did with their farm team?

The Oilers only did it because of the 04-05 lockout to mitigate the risk of having absolutely nothing going on in Rexall for a year. They couldn't bail on the AHL fast enough when the NHL returned. In Calgary, there are already three tenants here. The Dome simply can't handle a fourth.

And that is a possibility, SCH, but not a huge fan of jerking Glen Falls around like that. The timing is a catch-22 for the Flames. We're already out west, so if we want to move into somewhere like Salt Lake and still be an island for a season, that is fine. But if the Pacific Division fails to materialize, then we're stuck looking to move again.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The Oilers only did it because of the 04-05 lockout to mitigate the risk of having absolutely nothing going on in Rexall for a year. They couldn't bail on the AHL fast enough when the NHL returned. In Calgary, there are already three tenants here. The Dome simply can't handle a fourth.

Staples Center currently has 4 tenants and a lot a concerts and they manage. It obviously wouldn't be ideal do it long term but it would be doable.

[Resolute 14]

Los Angeles also has 15x the population.

Calgary simply does not work. There is not a single scenario I can picture where it isn't a disaster.

[PeteMoss]

Wonder where all these teams will go out west?

Looking at the ECHL attendence:
Ontario, CA
Utah (Assuming Salt Lake City)
Loveland, CO
Bakersfield
Stockton
Las Vegas

Do ok.

Alaska and Casper, WY are also possibilities.

Wonder why Fort Wayne never seems to get a shot in the AHL?

[Vulcan]

If it's just a waiting game to see if the other teams move west, we could stay another year in Abbotsford. Yeah, we'd take a loss but the $5 M already paid out should take care of that.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Fire

Staples Center currently has 4 tenants and a lot a concerts and they manage. It obviously wouldn't be ideal do it long term but it would be doable.

Completely different. It's easier to set up for basketball than hockey and 3 of their tenant are basketball, one of which doesn't start until close to the time the other 3 tenants stop.

Maintaining ice for 3 teams would be very difficult.

[Resolute 14]

Not to mention that the Sparks play in a summer league that doesn't overlap with the other three teams.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Not to mention that the Sparks play in a summer league that doesn't overlap with the other three teams.

but I did mention that, they are the one that starts at the end of the others.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Have the AHL team play out of Win Sport, or even the Coral for a temporary season. Give them their own ice and locker room, agreed the Dome is already too crowded so save it for the permenant residents.

I realize its a little counter intuitive to suggest moving the AHL team over the WHL team to the smaller facility, buts it's temporary and if it was the Coral that was used, could be a unique value proposition. And I realize Winsport likely isn't a large enough rink for a typical AHL franchise, but let's not kid ourselves, they be lucky to fill it.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The Oilers only did it because of the 04-05 lockout to mitigate the risk of having absolutely nothing going on in Rexall for a year. They couldn't bail on the AHL fast enough when the NHL returned. In Calgary, there are already three tenants here. The Dome simply can't handle a fourth.

And that is a possibility, SCH, but not a huge fan of jerking Glen Falls around like that. The timing is a catch-22 for the Flames. We're already out west, so if we want to move into somewhere like Salt Lake and still be an island for a season, that is fine. But if the Pacific Division fails to materialize, then we're stuck looking to move again.

Originally the Phantoms were supposed to be a one-year proposition in Glens Falls, also. I think they would prefer that to no team, especially with an extra year to try and find a permanent tenant.

Judging from the article it sounds like the Pacific Division plans will be shored up by the end of this summer so I'm guessing that the powers-that-be already know whether it will or won't happen.