OT: Abbotsford Heat Leaving?

[Just A Bit Outside]

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – It could be a sad day ahead if you’re a hockey fan in the Fraser Valley; there’s speculation the money-losing AHL hockey team that calls the Abbotsford Sports and Entertainment Centre home could be leaving.

While the Abbotsford Heat faithful wouldn’t be happy with such a move, taxpayers have a whole different take on the apparent departure of the club.

The city has had to pay millions ($5.24 million, to be exact) over the past few years to cover the club’s losses after council agreed to a sweetheart deal with the Heat, which is operated by the Calgary Flames.

Critics have long since called on politicians to find a way to get out the deal.

This morning, Ken King, the CEO of Flames, is expected to announce the team is moving to Glen Falls, New York.

But don’t get your hopes up, Canucks fans; Vancouver’s farm team signed a five-year deal last year, so it’s unlikely the Comets will be moving from Utica anytime soon.

http://www.news1130.com/2014/04/15/the-ahl-heat-may-be-leaving-abbotsford-reports/

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[Reign Nateo]

I don't know why they thought the Flames affiliate in Abbotsford was a good idea from the start...

 

[Barney Gumble]

Probably heavy penalties for breaking lease with Utica. No "sweetheart" deal with Abbotsford like they gave the Flames (else, why would they break their lease with them in the first place?) - end result being very large increase in costs for the NHL team fielding a AHL team on the West Coast.

I highly doubt the Canucks are going to move their affiliate to Abbotsford. Super heavy travel ain't going to help our prospect either (nor likely attract FA to play there w/o compensating them for this).

 

[PG Canuck]

Abbotsford is looking for a WHL team now, instead of an AHL team. I think everyone is happy about Utica, and I believe there would be consequences if the Canucks decide to move their farm team from Utica. As cool as it would be for the Canucks AHL affiliate to be so close to home, it's much, much better suited in Utica. The travel alone makes the stay in Utica better.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

I like Utica as a spot for the Canucks AHL team, but I've got to say I don't buy the travel part. The Canucks have one of the most brutal and gruelling travel schedules in the NHL. May as well get Junior and especially collegiate players adjusted and used to that kind of travel and playing experience while they are in the AHL.

 

[damack]

I don't know why they thought the Flames affiliate in Abbotsford was a good idea from the start...

I'd speculate it was as much a matter of Abbotsford as it was a Flames affiliate.

No one wants to go to Abbotsford unless you're from Abbotsford. I'd much rather go into Vancouver and watch a Giants game (I'm located in Coquitlam)

 

[Hammer79]

So much for western expansion. I don't think we'll be seeing the Comets move here any time soon. There needs to be at least a full division to play against in the west to bring those travel costs down.

 

[WinterEmpire]

I'd speculate it was as much a matter of Abbotsford as it was a Flames affiliate.

No one wants to go to Abbotsford unless you're from Abbotsford. I'd much rather go into Vancouver and watch a Giants game (I'm located in Coquitlam)

Travel to the Giants is about x1000 easier than a Heat game unless you already live in Abbotsford.

Abbotsford is essentially the Glendale to Vancouver's Phoenix.

 

[Wheatley]

Travel to the Giants is about x1000 easier than a Heat game unless you already live in Abbotsford.

Abbotsford is essentially the Glendale to Vancouver's Phoenix.

It's right off the freeway. I don't really see what's so tough about it

 

[WinterEmpire]

It's right off the freeway. I don't really see what's so tough about it

It takes 35 minutes to drive to the Arena from my place in Surrey when there is no traffic. I can't imagine what it would it would be like for someone on the other side of the Fraser when everyone is trying to make their way down there.

Not to mention that many people who go to sporting events in Metro Vancouver prefer to take public transit for whatever personal reasons(Limited/No access to car, freedom to drink alcohol without worry...etc). And then the parking near the Arena costs more than the price off the damn ticket half the time.

 

[Caspian]

I like Utica as a spot for the Canucks AHL team, but I've got to say I don't buy the travel part. The Canucks have one of the most brutal and gruelling travel schedules in the NHL. May as well get Junior and especially collegiate players adjusted and used to that kind of travel and playing experience while they are in the AHL.

3 games in 3 nights is a common occurrence in the AHL

absolutely no good reason to pile additional travel on top of that

 

[JA]

Travel to the Giants is about x1000 easier than a Heat game unless you already live in Abbotsford.

Abbotsford is essentially the Glendale to Vancouver's Phoenix.

That's one of the challenges of attracting fans to Abbotsford, regardless of whether the Canucks' affiliate plays there. It's a long drive out there and back.

 

[YouppiKiYay]

Which WHL teams are at risk in their current market, and might be available for the building in Abbotsford?

 

[Jay Cee]

Nice, get us out of Utica (No offense to Utica people hope you get a team again).

 

[Barney Gumble]

Nice, get us out of Utica (No offense to Utica people hope you get a team again).

heh, they just fired a GM likely because season ticket renewals were probably bad (granted for good reason); no way they spend the extra money to move their AHL affiliate if the current one is working out as well as one could expect.

 

[PG Canuck]

Nice, get us out of Utica (No offense to Utica people hope you get a team again).

What's wrong with Utica?

 

[Jay Cee]

I think they do- you are talking about two different types of money.

I won't profess to know what goes on in Aqua's head, or why we fire a GM every time we miss the playoffs, but the corporation as a whole is not bleeding money. The value of the franchise has over doubled in Gillis' tenure. We really DON'T get out the credit cards every time we miss the playoffs. Things have never been better. Moving the farm team is a long term investment to improve the franchise, and they almost did it last year and ran out of time.

 

[Jay Cee]

What's wrong with Utica?

I just don't see upstate New York as a long term solution for the farm team of a western Canadian hockey team, especially in Vancouver. I'm not trying to say that Abbotsford is ideal either, but it makes a lot more sense to me long term, which is what I think our goal should be.

 

[MarkMM]

I like Utica as a spot for the Canucks AHL team, but I've got to say I don't buy the travel part. The Canucks have one of the most brutal and gruelling travel schedules in the NHL. May as well get Junior and especially collegiate players adjusted and used to that kind of travel and playing experience while they are in the AHL.

Yeah, I agree on the acclimatizing to the travel part, what I've read other GMs or hockey people say about the reluctance to place a team in the West is that the travel time cuts into practice time. If that's the issue, then it may be less to do with jet-lag than with not as much skill-development and coaching time.

 

[PG Canuck]

Which WHL teams are at risk in their current market, and might be available for the building in Abbotsford?

Big maybes on Kootenay and Lethbridge.

 

[Bubbles]

I just don't see upstate New York as a long term solution for the farm team of a western Canadian hockey team, especially in Vancouver. I'm not trying to say that Abbotsford is ideal either, but it makes a lot more sense to me long term, which is what I think our goal should be.

 

[hellstick]

Really glad you posted that image. This is why you stay in Utica. As cool as it would be to check out our young guys on the farm more often, geographically it doesn't work.

 

[mossey3535]

Really glad you posted that image. This is why you stay in Utica. As cool as it would be to check out our young guys on the farm more often, geographically it doesn't work.

I agree but it looks like there's a dead spot in the midwest?

Looks like only way AHL is getting out here is if they expand like 3-4 teams at one time. So basically never.

 

[Bad News Benning]

I agree but it looks like there's a dead spot in the midwest?

Looks like only way AHL is getting out here is if they expand like 3-4 teams at one time. So basically never.

read on the sharks board that there has been discussion about a possible Pacific AHL division starting in 2015-16 season. Would feature 4 teams or so. Probably a couple farm teams in Cali, one in seattle, and one around Vancouver.

 

[VanCanucks53]

That's one of the challenges of attracting fans to Abbotsford, regardless of whether the Canucks' affiliate plays there. It's a long drive out there and back.

Who would need people from Vancouver to support a team in Abbotsford though? If it was the Canucks affiliate there would be more than enough people in the Fraser Valley area alone to support the team. Not like there is a lack of population.

But yes I'd rather the team stay in Utica simply for the travel schedule.