[Rumour] Canucks/Abbotsford/Heat Ongoing Saga

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

The best market in Canada for an AHL team would be Thunder Bay if you actually want to draw fans. No idea if the arena up there would be up to AHL standards but I'd almost guarantee fan support up there.

would replace Thunder Bay’s Fort Williams Gardens which, like Sudbury Arena, was built in the 1950s. While it’s getting closer to being built, Thunder Bay has taken its time. The feasibility study for the new arena was completed in 2009, with a final decision on whether to proceed to the next stage — getting funding from other governments and the private sector — is expected by the end of 2012.

As part of the new arena, the city hopes to attract an OHL or AHL team.

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/loca...ury-arena.aspx

http://www.northernontariobusiness.c...tnerships.aspx

[Athntk]

Based on Calgary's history. I'm going to put Anchorage, Alaska into the mix. The ECHL Aces already fly everywhere and are very profitable. It would be like Quad City, but with a viable market.

This would open Abbotsford for the Canucks. Manchester swap or just move to Ontario (ECHL) (both owned by the LA Kings). Worcester (lease up in 2015) swap with Bakersfield (has staffed the team like an AHL franchise this season). Creating the magical AHL West all in strong markets accomplished with NHL teams already owning the AHL teams.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Athntk

Based on Calgary's history. I'm going to put Anchorage, Alaska into the mix. The ECHL Aces already fly everywhere and are very profitable. It would be like Quad City, but with a viable market.

This would open Abbotsford for the Canucks. Manchester swap or just move to Ontario (ECHL) (both owned by the LA Kings). Worcester (lease up in 2015) swap with Bakersfield (has staffed the team like an AHL franchise this season). Creating the magical AHL West all in strong markets accomplished with NHL teams already owning the AHL teams.

There would be no way Alaska gets an AHL affiliate. Why?



Not sure if all the points are still 100% accurate, but the Heat already have the ugliest travel schedule. Imagine Alaska.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Maybe Alabama would be a bit of good gamble. Newly renovated LG Arena in Birmingham holds 14K. Doesn't appear to have any sports teams that play out of it. They do have ice makers (they hold Disney on Ice and other shows - no idea if that is acceptable for hockey). Maybe the Arena is simply too big.

There isn't an AHL franchise in Atlanta. Is there not a suitable venue? The Thrashers had a pretty good attendance record for a while if memory serves, and the NHL did build hockey up somewhat in that area - not enough for the NHL I guess, but perhaps the game has grown enough to really support an AHL franchise?

I am sure there are more than a few cities worth gambling on.

[Johnny Rotten]

Why not Kansas City? The Missouri Mavericks have decent attendance for a CHL team:

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=9729

...IF the Flames lose/give-up/sell, etc. Abbotsford as an affiliate.

[Roof-Daddy]

You look at that map, and I have to think North Dakota would be a really nice location if the Flames relocate their AHL affiliate.

So much closer to all the other AHL teams, but really not much further from Calgary than Abbotsford (albeit the US instead of Canada).

Is their any viable places to have an AHL franchise there? It's definitely a hockey area, but could they successfully compete for fans with college hockey?

[Roof-Daddy]

Also, with the earlier talk about Thunder Bay.....you have to think that the Jets would be all over relocating their AHL affiliate to T-Bay if they ever get that arena fixed up.

[Athntk]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

There would be no way Alaska gets an AHL affiliate. Why?

Not sure if all the points are still 100% accurate, but the Heat already have the ugliest travel schedule. Imagine Alaska.

Doesn't Abbotsford sort of prove your point wrong? It's 3 more hours on a plane.

A Calgary call up would be about 6.5 hours based on the fastest I could find tomorrow.

From Utica to Vancouver it's 8 hours flying + a 45 min drive to Syracuse the closest airport.

Alaska is used to flying and are fine with the extra costs. Not to mention not having to go through immigration.

Playing in the ECHL they just fly down to (LAX) then Bakersfield and take a bus over to Stockton.

As for Thunder Bay, that would be no different flying time than playing in Alaska.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Athntk

Doesn't Abbotsford sort of prove your point wrong? It's 3 more hours on a plane.

A Calgary call up would be about 6.5 hours based on the fastest I could find tomorrow.

From Utica to Vancouver it's 8 hours flying + a 45 min drive to Syracuse the closest airport.

Alaska is used to flying and are fine with the extra costs. Not to mention not having to go through immigration.

Playing in the ECHL they just fly down to (LAX) then Bakersfield and take a bus over to Stockton.

As for Thunder Bay, that would be no different flying time than playing in Alaska.

It depends on how much you think the extra traveling and time-zones affect performance. If you think it is negligible, then there shouldn't be any problems with Alaska. I do think that over the course of a season, it becomes very taxing and puts your team at a huge disadvantage. I think playing in Abbotsford is already very difficult on the players - at least relatively to the other teams.

Having the ability to call up a player quickly is nice - but this needs to happen so few times in a season. It is the grind of playing through the season that matters most.

[FlamesAddiction]

As someone who used to live in Thunder Bay, I just don't see it. The economy is pretty depressed there. When I was there, the UHL couldn't even survive.

It's a great university town, but I don't see it as an AHL city.

When the new Markham arena is built, I imagine they will be looking for a tenant. Still a few years away though.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Johnny Rotten

Why not Kansas City? The Missouri Mavericks have decent attendance for a CHL team:

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=9729

...IF the Flames lose/give-up/sell, etc. Abbotsford as an affiliate.

Kansas City strikes me as a city where another sweet heart deal with an AHL club can be made, as they have an NHL class rink.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

There isn't an AHL franchise in Atlanta. Is there not a suitable venue? The Thrashers had a pretty good attendance record for a while if memory serves, and the NHL did build hockey up somewhat in that area - not enough for the NHL I guess, but perhaps the game has grown enough to really support an AHL franchise?

Flames affiliate in Atlanta would be pretty cool.

[Athntk]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Kansas City strikes me as a city where another sweet heart deal with an AHL club can be made, as they have an NHL class rink.

Multiple reports say the Sprint Center is profitable without a sports tennant and they are happy to keep it that way. The other building in the area is Missouri of the CHL.

[Johnny Rotten]

Originally Posted by Athntk

Multiple reports say the Sprint Center is profitable without a sports tennant and they are happy to keep it that way. The other building in the area is Missouri of the CHL.

Missouri plays in Independence, just outside K.C. They do draw well for a CHL team, but would an AHL team be more appealing to folks in that area? Maybe not, but it does seem like a good region to have an AHL team in for some NHL team (Right smack dab in the middle of the U.S.A).

[thymebalm]

The Heat have tried. There have been a ton of BC boys of the roster trying to make it feel like a local team... did nothing.

[Vulcan]

One thing that I've heard is that a lot of minor league owners make more money being in the ECHL or other minor leagues than they would in the AHL. This makes owners not motivated to move up to the AHL and they wouldn't appreciate the AHL moving into their territory. This makes locating an AHL team in a minor league hockey hotbed difficult.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Heat shortfall for 2012-13 season is $1.66 million

“While we recognize the current figure is an improvement from last year’s results, Council remains committed to the goal of improving the financial viability of the AESC and the

Abbotsford Heat,” mayor Bruce Banman stated in a press release.

Monday's announcement brings the total payout from the city to the hockey team to $5.24 million, including $450,000 during the inaugural 2009-10 season, and $1.37 million and $1.76 million the next two years, respectively.

This season, the Heat have seen their attendance decline – through 18 home dates in 2013-14, they've drawn an average crowd of 2,490, which is 34 per cent less than last year's pace.

[Badgers Nose]

Hoping to get out to a Heat game soon, while I still can.

[Robbob]

Hopefully some playoff dates help things out. I know it is a Flames farm team but you would think hockey fans in the lower mainland would take advantage of the team playing there.

[Canada 02]

the break-up penalty must be huge for the city of Abbotsford