Calgary signs 10-year deal with Abbotsford -QCOnline

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

10 year deal? Is anyone else surprised by this? Seems like a long contract considering how much they have already moved around in the past few years.

I have a hard time thinking that Calgary will stay with them for 10 years. I actually think that Abbotsford wont be able to keep up fiscally.

I just hope if they do get the team the best of luck.

[Vulcan]

The way I see it the AHL is there for the NHL so that's who they take their orders from. If they turn down the Flames application, there's going to be some hard feelings so I think it'll be approved.

[CMPunk]

I'm 50/50 on this. While I want the team to be closer, the travel is going to be terrible. Having to catch at least 2 planes for every road trip means less practice time and less recovery time. The team is going to have to book 7-8 game road trips to try and catch every team while they're out east.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

These fans DON'T want to watch the Flames. This is Canuck country. What if Vancouver moved it's farm team outside of Calgary? Like the Cochrane Canucks or something. Would you watch them or cheer for them? No!

The Abbotsford team is going to have to distance themselves as much from the Flames franchise as possible. I'm not sure how well it will do. Hockey fans are usually the most intelligent of the breed.

What needs to happen is that it swaps places with the Manitoba Moose or something.

You want the best reminder? How bout a minor leaguer gets called up, plays for Calgary against Vancouver than gets sent back after a week to rejoin the AHL club. So much for the "distancing" themselves from the Flames.

They are Flames prospects. The players they will be cheering for in the AHL could very well be the opposition the next night in the NHL. The way Flames have been doing the last couple of years, A LOT of guys have gotten the callup and back they go. Yes that will be an instant reminder.

I don't care if they use the Flames colors/logos etc not but I don't want them in Canucks colors either.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

I doubt Ken King cares what you want. He wants a stable farm team that doesn't move every season. I bet he's willing to sell out the jersey's for it.

Abbotsford will play to watch high calibre hockey. They won't pay to watch high calibre hockey when they're reminded every night that this is the future enemy.

Read my above post on how the constant reminder can be more than just the jerseys.

Ken King, I'm sure will have to care about what the FLAMES FANS want.

If Abbotsford get the team next year, it will be a perfect timing for them. Backlund, Negrin, Aulie will all be joining with more experienced Irving, Armstrong, Greentree, Chucko etc etc.

That team will win a lot of games. So if the fair-weather fans in B.C. won't come out to watch them than no point going/staying there. But I'm sure there will be enough Flames fan going to make it work.

[dhabums]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

2 AHL teams in the lower mainland..sweet...one can't help but think is this just setting up a swap of farm team cities between the canucks and flames in the future? Makes more sense to have the baby Flames in the 'peg and the canucks farm team in the Fraser Valley

Why would it make sense to have the Moose in Abby?

And for the love of all things Mel, spell the name correctly.

[dhabums]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Read my above post on how the constant
That team will win a lot of games. So if the fair-weather fans in B.C. won't come out to watch them than no point going/staying there. But I'm sure there will be enough Flames fan going to make it work.

Abby ownership says they'll need 5000 game. They'll sell out (7000) when the Moose are there, but I don't think it'll be succesful unless there are good all the time. The baby Leafs sell 3500 seats in a night in their own city. Hamilton doesn't get more than 4500. Now a hated rival will put it's farm team in the GVRD? Good luck.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by dhabums

Abby ownership says they'll need 5000 game. They'll sell out (7000) when the Moose are there, but I don't think it'll be succesful unless there are good all the time. The baby Leafs sell 3500 seats in a night in their own city. Hamilton doesn't get more than 4500. Now a hated rival will put it's farm team in the GVRD? Good luck.

Why good luck, Abbs does not have a local team.... Personlly I would be thrilled to goto games.. My kid would be thrilled to go. The building is new. I bet they will do fine..

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by flambers

Why good luck, Abbs does not have a local team.... Personlly I would be thrilled to goto games.. My kid would be thrilled to go. The building is new. I bet they will do fine..

So your saying if the Coilers put a AHL team in a subburb of Calgary your going to support them like you would the Flames?

Hell I remember what you guys were saying when they played the nucks and the coilers in the rookie tourney I Bet the nuck fans are not that dumb

[flambers]

Originally Posted by PIMking

So your saying if the Coilers put a AHL team in a subburb of Calgary your going to support them like you would the Flames?

Hell I remember what you guys were saying when they played the nucks and the coilers in the rookie tourney I Bet the nuck fans are not that dumb

Yep, why not... its like seeing a junior game. A fan is going to these games to watch prospects. Especially when they may get a chance to see the next star (i.e. a guy like Eric Staal played in AHL or Jason Spezza etc...). Might not play for the local heros but he could play for another team coming into town.

How about the Moose in Winnipeg........I bet for the most part those folks are not Canucks fans (i.e. I have spent a crap load of time at Winnipeg and the folks I worked with are not Canuck fans yet they goto games go figure).

To think every person who lives in Calgary for example is a Flames fan is silly...

I have been at Flames games where they played the Leafs or Habs or Oilers or Canucks where there is a substantial amount of opposing fans at the game.... Why would it be any different in BC.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by flambers

Yep, why not... its like seeing a junior game. A fan is going to these games to watch prospects. Especially when they may get a chance to see the next star (i.e. a guy like Eric Staal played in AHL or Jason Spezza etc...). Might not play for the local heros but he could play for another team coming into town.

How about the Moose in Winnipeg........I bet for the most part those folks are not Canucks fans (i.e. I have spent a crap load of time at Winnipeg and the folks I worked with are not Canuck fans yet they goto games go figure).

To think every person who lives in Calgary for example is a Flames fan is silly...

I have been at Flames games where they played the Leafs or Habs or Oilers or Canucks where there is a substantial amount of opposing fans at the game.... Why would it be any different in BC.

but is there anything near Winnipeg? To us americans it kida looks like nothing is around the area so thats the only thing to do other than eachother.

[troutman]

Our prospects will not be safe in the Lower Mainland. I'm not kidding.

Canuck fans are animals.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Read my above post on how the constant reminder can be more than just the jerseys.

I think the only major hurdle would be the jersies, for most.

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Ken King, I'm sure will have to care about what the FLAMES FANS want.

When it comes to a business decision that has no direct affect on the Flames, only players that may one day play for the Flames (And this IS a business decision)? I highly doubt it. Stability > What you want.

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

That team will win a lot of games. So if the fair-weather fans in B.C. won't come out to watch them than no point going/staying there. But I'm sure there will be enough Flames fan going to make it work.

Well, as STUPID as this comment is I'll say this: People will sell out the games. Flames fan or otherwise, there is a market for upper level hockey in the Fraser Valley.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by PIMking

So your saying if the Coilers put a AHL team in a subburb of Calgary your going to support them like you would the Flames?

Hell I remember what you guys were saying when they played the nucks and the coilers in the rookie tourney I Bet the nuck fans are not that dumb

Like I said earlier in this thread, that comparison is horrible. It would only work if you more than doubled Calgary's population and then more than doubled its area. The BC lower mainland is not directly comparable to Calgary.

Is everyone who lives in the Fraser Valley a die-hard Canucks fan?

If the answer to that question isn't a yes then your logic doesn't work.

And clearly the answer is no. Sounds like you probably haven't been to a CGY-TOR or CGY-VAN or CGY-MON game. Half the crowd is cheering for the Leafs or Habs. I've met people who have season tickets for the Flames because they are hockey fans, NHL fans but their loyalties do not go first to the Flames.

Lots of people move from Calgary to Vancouver area and the reverse. Lots of die-hard Flames fans go to school out in BC. Lots of people probably can't afford the NHL for their family but the AHL is a reasonable option. Lots of people would rather go to an arena within half an hour of their house than one that is over an hour away (especially if they have a family.)

Maybe you aren't aware of the geographical differences. Go google up a map of the Lower Mainland area. You'll see Vancouver. And then you'll see the cities of Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Aldergrove, Deep Cove, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Richmond, Mission etc. all stretching east and south of actual "Vancouver". Getting from Abbotsford to Vancouver during rush hour is no simple task because of the bridges involved. So going to Canucks games is an impossibility for many of the people that are too far east from Vancouver to get there in a reasonable amount of time. There's like 6-7 "cities" between Abbotsford and Vancouver.

Google Maps claims it would take "about 57 mins" to drive from GM Place in Vancouver to Abbotsford. A distance of 72 kilometers. And you know that'd be way worse at rush hour when the highway crawls along.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Abbotsford&daddr=800+Gri ffiths+Way,+Vancouver,+BC+V6B+6G1+(Vancouver+Canuc ks+-+General+Motors+Place)&geocode=%3BCRhFW3axD-zgFafr7wIdgoKp-CGF6PiWQ4qqPg&hl=en&mra=pe&mrcr=0&dirflg=d&date=09/03/20&time=16:24&ttype=dep&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=&tline =&vps=3&jsv=150c&sll=49.082861,-122.577209&sspn=0.679993,1.775665&ie=UTF8&ct=clnk& cd=1

Anyways this had all been covered earlier in this thread, guess you must've skipped it. Funny when people based in the US think they would possibly know the factors and reasons why a team might or might not work in a particularly geographic area.

Psychologically I'd bet QC fans would like to see Abbotsford fail or are pre-disposed to thinking it won't work. But don't let that taint your analysis. Calgary fans don't try and school you on why the Flames failed in QC because you guys are more expert on that topic. Do not try and school us the market potential of the Lower Mainland area to support another pro hockey unless you've actually looked into it. Personally I've lived most of my life in Calgary and have gone to school the past 4 years partway between Vancouver and Abbotsford in the Burnaby/Coquitlam area.

[PIMking]

I'm not saying they are stupid nuck fans but they have shown that they do not want people to know or are trying to hide the fact that they are calgary prospects. Thats sounds fishey to me.

Like the OP stated before that they will have a good team next year yeah well we were suppose to have a good year this year and we havent made it a game above .500....

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Deep Cove,

Isn't a town, let alone a city. It's an area of the District of North Vancouver

[QuadCityImages]

I, for one, have never tried to analyze the finances or attendance potential of the Abbotsford move. I just think its a long way away. Even if they sell 10,000 tickets to every game, which for all I know they might, why does that make Rockford want to send their players traveling that far?

[pioneer98]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

I, for one, have never tried to analyze the finances or attendance potential of the Abbotsford move. I just think its a long way away. Even if they sell 10,000 tickets to every game, which for all I know they might, why does that make Rockford want to send their players traveling that far?

I can assure you they won't ever sell 10,000 tickets because their arena only seats 7,000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsf..._Sports_Centre

[QuadCityImages]

It was kind of a hypothetical, over-the-top, best case kind of suggestion. My point was that none of my arguments against Abbotsford have involved whether or not local Abbotsford folks will support the team. Its the other teams in the AHL that have a reason to be against this.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Anyways this had all been covered earlier in this thread, guess you must've skipped it. Funny when people based in the US think they would possibly know the factors and reasons why a team might or might not work in a particularly geographic area.

Good point. As long, though, that you allow for it the other way (not you in particular, I just find it interesting sometimes on how some people are experts about hockey and a geographical area in the states when they have never been, let alone put any research into things).