Best and worst franchises in CHL

[alko]

The topic say it. What are the best and worst franchises in CHL.

I mean the background: Stadium, coaches, owners, study support, fans ...

 

[Brando]

I would say London is probably at the top. Saint John is probably one of the top Q teams with Moncton, Halifax and maybe Rimouski being pretty high up too.

Worst would probably be Flint.

 

[Qdog]

The worst team this year in the Q was the Moncton Wildcats.

 

[CrazyPucker27]

QMJHL

Best: Halifax, Moncton, Quebec, Saint John

Teams like Rimouski and Shawinigan are also highly regarded.

Worst: Acadie-Bathurst, Baie-Comeau

Then there are teams with not much money but still in decent shape like Cape Breton, Charlottetown, Chicoutimi, etc.

 

[Hammer9001]

OHL

Best: London, although is that really surprising? They've had a team for ages, they have competant management, they have huge loyal fanbases and they are making money hand over fist and a great facility.

I'd probably pick Kitchner after that one, only because the Aud is a cramped arena, but it certainly has it's own charm to it.

Worst: Missisauga, the team continues to struggle to draw people in, even with an appearance in the finals, they play out of the weirdly designed Hershey Center, I for one can't understand the appeal of the fish branding of the franchise, nor why you'd try to parasite yourself on the Leaf's colors and not try to be your own tea.

After that, I'd probably go with Flint, because while I am to understand they play out of a modern facility, the ownership/coaching debacle of the first season has pretty much crippled this franchise's ability to succeed. Speak nothing of the water supply issues, and the housing and absurdly high violent crime rate the city is suffering through.

 

[Dr0k]

QMJHL

Best: Halifax, Moncton, Quebec, Saint John

Teams like Rimouski and Shawinigan are also highly regarded.

Worst: Acadie-Bathurst, Baie-Comeau

Then there are teams with not much money but still in decent shape like Cape Breton, Charlottetown, Chicoutimi, etc.

Baie-Comeau worst? They just made to the finals two years in a row and they got one of the most promising team in the QMJHL for the next 3 seasons. Their GM is doing an amazing job considering the fact that they are a small market. They also have one of the best ratio of assistance compared to population. I would put more a team like Charlottetown in the worst concessions of the league.. They finally just made it to the 2nd round of the playoff for the first time in their history.......

 

[No Skin in the Game]

OHL



Worst: Missisauga, the team continues to struggle to draw people in, even with an appearance in the finals, they play out of the weirdly designed Hershey Center, I for one can't understand the appeal of the fish branding of the franchise, nor why you'd try to parasite yourself on the Leaf's colors and not try to be your own tea.

Just a random observation....the Credit River in Mississauga is home to a huge steelhead run in the spring every year.....

 

[alko]

Baie-Comeau worst? They just made to the finals two years in a row and they got one of the most promising team in the QMJHL for the next 3 seasons. Their GM is doing an amazing job considering the fact that they are a small market. They also have one of the best ratio of assistance compared to population. I would put more a team like Charlottetown in the worst concessions of the league.. They finally just made it to the 2nd round of the playoff for the first time in their history.......

We arent talking about performance. But about overall quality of the franchises - stadium, management, city ...

 

[sbpointer]

Im only really familiar with the OHL but aside from the obvious London and Kitchener I would list Owen Sound as well the are always ice a competitive team and have a passionate fan base in spite of the obvious financial challenge of being in a very small market.

 

[Cams]

Not too sure in the Q, but Kelowna has to be on this list for the W - always competitive, stable ownership, produce lots of pros, fan base from what I know is very good. Maybe even Regina, Brandon?

I don't see how a conversation about top franchises in the OHL cannot include Windsor (not just a homer pick). Solid, rabid fan base, even during the down years, and the old Windsor Arena, but once the new ownership took over, new arena, produce a ton of pros, solid fan base.

London for sure, Kitchener, used to be Plymouth, but to see what has happened since they moved to Flint - sad kind of. Oshawa wouldn't be out of the conversation either, especially historically.

 

[mario01]

Best: Halifax, Quebec, Saint John
Worst: Acadie-Bathursthttp://:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:/isna/6/o.png

 

[Dodospice]

QMJHL:

Best: Halifax, Quebec, Rouyn-Noranda, Saint John
Worst: Baie-Comeau, Cape Breton, Sherbrooke, Bathurst

OHL:
Best: London, Kitchener, Windsor, Sault Ste Marie
Worst: Flint, Sudbury, Mississauga, Saginaw

WHL:
Best: Kelowna, Portland, Brandon, Regina
Worst: Kootenay, Lethbridge, Prince George, Kamloops

 

[GensLensBrandon]

With the WJHC fast approaching, Part one of two in my WJHC series is focused on Oshawa Generals who have represented their countries at the tournament in the past 10 years. Read it here:

Oshawa Generals at the WJHC: Part One

 

[GensLensBrandon]

Here is Part Two of my Spotlight!

Oshawa Generals at the WJHC Part Two:

 

[Eat The Rich]

Kingston is brutal.

They have zero playoff success to bank on, their fan relations are terrible. Ticket prices are through the roof, management is full of themselves and ownership is cheap. Take a look around here, the only time anyone talks about them is when they're making trades. Their own fans don't even have an online presence.

I expect more out of a 45 year old team.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Sudbury Wolves (OHL) have to be one of worst in the CHL. Also, their logo gotta be the ugliest hockey logo ever. - no offence -

- They play in a arena that was built in 1951

- Now i don't know how the team is managed,but at least success wisely...

- 1972 -> zero championships, zero times in the memorial cup,they've been in the finals only once
- 16 x missed the play-offs
- only 12 x passed over the 2nd round of play-offs

-currently holds the third to worst w% (.348) in the CHL, worst: Shawinigan Chataractes (.330) (QMJHL)
second to worst : Flint Firebirds (.341) (OHL)

 

[Uncle Slick]

I have no real insight into the Q or out west.
Based on quality of the franchises - rink, management, city ...
OHL:
Best: London, Kitchener, Sault Ste Marie, Oshawa, Ottawa.
Good: Sarnia, Windsor, Peterborough, Barrie
Poor: Niagara, Mississauga
Worst: Flint.

Niagara
- rink has new mgmt team, i hear there's better dialogue with city, and the Burkes.
- mgmt, the Burke's are cheap, run a lean op - friends, family & interns, also this $250,000 fine will hurt.
- city, support is region wide, not solely based on residents of St Catharines; support is good, not nearly the level of
London, Kitchener, Oshawa. Fore the most part, game tickets easy to obtain.
- city staff not totally on the ball as far as Ice Dogs concerned, some valid concerns - that's certainly a 2-way street,
but problems with anchor tenant, rink mgmt firm and city staff prompted a new rink mgmt team, summer of '17.

 

[PG Canuck]

WHL Worst: PG Cougars

 

[Otto]

I don't see how a conversation about top franchises in the OHL cannot include Windsor (not just a homer pick). Solid, rabid fan base, even during the down years, and the old Windsor Arena, but once the new ownership took over, new arena, produce a ton of pros, solid fan base.

Windsor is showing their lowest average attendance this season over any of the previous 10 by a mile.

Spitifires Average Attendance

2018/19 4140
2017/18 4730
2016/17 4992
2015/16 4775
2014/15 5067
2013/14 5306
2012/13 5691
2011/12 5859
2010/11 6250
2009/10 6278
2008/09 5063

 

[Otto]

Even Ottawa, from an attendance standpoint shouldn't be considered as one of the best. They have their challenges, especially since Ottawa got CFL football back, but they are far from the days of getting 7,000+ out to games on a regular basis, and I don't see those days ever coming back.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Not too sure in the Q, but Kelowna has to be on this list for the W - always competitive, stable ownership, produce lots of pros, fan base from what I know is very good. Maybe even Regina, Brandon?

I don't see how a conversation about top franchises in the OHL cannot include Windsor (not just a homer pick). Solid, rabid fan base, even during the down years, and the old Windsor Arena, but once the new ownership took over, new arena, produce a ton of pros, solid fan base.

London for sure, Kitchener, used to be Plymouth, but to see what has happened since they moved to Flint - sad kind of. Oshawa wouldn't be out of the conversation either, especially historically.

Windsor can't even crack 5000 a game consistently..even when they have a good team. I wouldn't group them in the top 5 in the OHL for fan base.

 

[cmcneil02]

Here’s my opinions

QMJHL
Best: Halifax
Worst: Bathurst (financially struggle)

OHL
Best: London
Worst: Flint

WHL
Best: Kelowna
Worst: Kootenay (leaving this season)

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

OHL

After that, I'd probably go with Flint, because while I am to understand they play out of a modern facility, the ownership/coaching debacle of the first season has pretty much crippled this franchise's ability to succeed. Speak nothing of the water supply issues, and the housing and absurdly high violent crime rate the city is suffering through.

Flint has a modern building in that it has a roof, but after that it is a barebones rink more akin to Sarnia or Peterborough. They really have made a mess of things.

Prince George has to be one of the worst. Haven’t won in ages, just a bad culture.