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

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by OffsideSpecialist

Generally AHL teams don't get relocated to a city with a CHL team. Toronto is the best example I can think of and the St. Mike's were not long for Toronto after that.

Yeah the owners had their noses out of joint when the Heat moved to Abbotsford as it would put their Chilliwack CHL team in jeopardy.

[Alberta_Beef]

Heat to Lethbridge, Hurricanes to Abbotsford?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Saskatoon!! Flames play some pre-season games over there. I don't think Saskatoon Blades(WHL) will let that happen though. Someone should tell Saskatoon people that having a WHL team and minor league (AHL) works fine in Edmonton for the last few seasons. So i think it will work.

The AHL invading smallish WHL markets will lead to only one thing: one or both teams failing. It simply won't happen. Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Red Deer - none are viable for this reason.

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Perhaps when we get a new arena/complex we'll be able to manage an AHL team as well as the Hitmen/Flames. If the Saddledome is to be kept around and in use, perhaps the Hitmen remain there. Having the farm team here would be most ideal, and it could only thrive being right here at home, as no place in new york, or the lower mainland is ever going to have enough people who actually give a #### about a team of Flames prospects.

Even in Calgary, I'd support the Hitmen long before I would an AHL team. But no, the Flames are not going to keep any of their properties in the Saddledome once a new arena is opened. The only thing that would do is force them to pay money they don't have to on a lease and other agreements with the city and Stampede. Plus, Calgary isn't big enough for two major arenas. When the new coliseum goes up, the Saddledome will inevitably come down.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Not super crazy about the farm team being on the other side of the continent. I have a feeling it's going to be pretty busy in terms of call ups and downs for the next few years.

At least Conroy will be closer to home.

This makes no sense at all. Why is it better for the entire team to have to make two cross-continent trips every single time they go on a road trip than it is for the odd prospect to make a single cross-continent trip - which half of them do anyway when we have to recall a player while the farm team is on a road trip?

The possibility of having a call-up land in Calgary three hours sooner is not worth the massive additional travel that wears the entire team down and costs the Heat practice days. If the pacific division idea doesn't take off, then the farm team is far better off in Glen Falls than it is Abbotsford from a developmental perspective.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Heat to Lethbridge, Hurricanes to Abbotsford?

Honestly... if the Heat were in Lethbridge, that'd be badass. Too bad there's no way to easily access the east coast from there, which is a starting requirement.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by saXon

Calgary Heat sounds much better. Crack open the Corral again and get them in there until the Flames new arena is built.

A call up would be a 5 minute walk.

Despite the Corral being woefully unsuitable, this would be great. Especially once a new arena is built then the Heat could play out of the 'Dome, much like what Philly does.

[Resolute 14]

What Philly did. The Phantoms became rather nomadic once the Spectrum was blown up.

[sureLoss]

Dan Kinvig @DanKinvig
Ryan Walter tells me #AHLHeat are indeed leaving.

Ryan Walter is president of the Abbotsford Heat for those that don't know.

[ToraToraTora]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Heat to Lethbridge, Hurricanes to Abbotsford?

I wish. Hurricanes go to...somewhere, Heat to Lethbridge. Current Hurricanes attendance, which is dismal, is higher than current Heat attendance.

[moon]

Maybe it's because I am a WHL fan and have no interest in the AHL but I can't see an AHL going into a CHL market and doing better/being more desirable than the junior team there.

As frustrated as people in Lethbridge are with the management of the Hurricanes they still want junior hockey here. I can't see the Heat being much interest to most people I Lethbridge at all and relying on fans from Calgary won't work.

This is a board with pretty hardcore Flames fans and for the most part the Heat get passing interest. The casual fan likely doesn't care at all about the Heat and certainly not enough to shell out a lot of money to watch.

Minor league teams work in communities where the team can be adopted as their own and fans go to support the community and because it is "theirs" in Leyhbridge, Calgary, Saskatoon the communities already have these teams in place and there is no need to bring in another team to try and fill that spot.

[moon]

Stupid iPhone double post

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
I'm told the #Flames are still working on where their farm team is going to be. Reports of move to Glens Falls, NY are premature.

[sureLoss]

According to Abbotsford media the City of Abbotsford is paying the Flames $5.5 million to terminate the contract.

[Canada 02]

[Muta]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
I'm told the #Flames are still working on where their farm team is going to be. Reports of move to Glens Falls, NY are premature.

Awesome; hopefully it's a Canadian city when it's all said and done.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

I know this will not sit well, but how about Edmonton for our farm team? That city is dying for a professional hockey team.

Having two AHL level teams in that city would cause too much market confusion with the fans.

[squiggs96]

The Flames managed to get Gaudreau and Arnold to Vancouver from Philadelphia, on a Saturday night in time to play Sunday. I'm sure the travel logistics of moving the team to the east will be able to be handled with minimal disruption. The bonus is less day to day travel for the AHL team, more practice time and more rest.

[manwiches]

Regina! Let it be Regina! lol.

[Swayze11]

This needed to be done a long time ago. This really puts it into perspective how much travel Abbotsford would have to do for every away game.

NSFW!

[nickk382]

Saskatoon would be perfect, they already have a sweet stadium.