AHL in Nanaimo

[DonskoiDonscored]

For their current facilities, the BCHL is probably their max. ECHL maybe but the travel costs would be pretty insane.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

No chance for AHL. Maybe WHL but even then we don't have a proper arena.

Town has been pushing for a proper arena but noone wants to cough up the capital

I heard talk a year or so ago of the Kootenay Ice possibly being on the move. The thing is Frank Crane is definitely a small arena, but for a WHL team its not impossible. I would prefer somebody step up with aN 8K-10k arena personally. Not only would that make a WHL team a lot easier to get, but also attract more concert draws.

 

[Cacciaguida]

if they get an arena I have no doubts the WHL could work there

 

[crobro]

Would the AHL work in Kelowna?

 

[Rocko604]

Would the AHL work in Kelowna?

Only if the Rockets fold or leave town, and I'd say the chances of that happening are about the same as Moscow getting an NHL team.

 

[PCSPounder]

I heard talk a year or so ago of the Kootenay Ice possibly being on the move. The thing is Frank Crane is definitely a small arena, but for a WHL team its not impossible. I would prefer somebody step up with aN 8K-10k arena personally. Not only would that make a WHL team a lot easier to get, but also attract more concert draws.

For Kootenay: the Niedermayers sold their majority interest in the Ice, so the talk of them leaving should be going up, not down. Problems with that:

Building in Cranbrook is better than the one in Nanaimo.

No new building on the horizon in Nanaimo.

Vancouver Giants moved to Langley, placing Abbotsford in their territory, getting them out of a bad lease with the PNE, thus at least taking both the city and Abbotsford out of the equation. That may also take Chilliwack out of the equation, though IIRC Cranbrook's arena has suites and Chilliwack's doesn't.

Any thoughts you might have had about Fort McMurray... not now. Not really before the fire, either.

Wenatchee... just got a BCHL team, also a better arena than Nanaimo (really comparable to Cranbrook), but the smallest market among all concerned. I do believe Nanaimo at least has surrounding populations. 80,000 in the Wenatchee region.

Boise... they were at the heart of last year's Kootenay moving rumors. Not a peep from them this year. If someone else falls (or rises) out of the ECHL West, we might revisit this. Just note that US Division teams aren't that keen on adding Boise, rather distant from the rest of the division and over a tricky weather zone.

 

[crobro]

Penticton has a beautiful 5500 seat arena would they work in the AHL. Potentially drawinging from kelowna and kamloops.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Penticton has a beautiful 5500 seat arena would they work in the AHL. Potentially drawinging from kelowna and kamloops.

You seriously believe people would drive 3 hours from Kamloops to see AHL hockey when NHL hockey is a 3.5 hour drive? You crazy.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Nanaimo would not work. Not a big town, not a lot of population around it. I grew 25 mins up the highway and no one ever went to Clippers games even (Junior A).

They couldn't support a WHL team. Victoria seemed to have 2 choices, WHL or AHL. Their could have supported either, but the WHL is there now.

 

[Cacciaguida]

Nanaimo would not work. Not a big town, not a lot of population around it. I grew 25 mins up the highway and no one ever went to Clippers games even (Junior A).

They couldn't support a WHL team. Victoria seemed to have 2 choices, WHL or AHL. Their could have supported either, but the WHL is there now.

They're big enough, smaller places host teams.


The arena is the issue.

 

[aemoreira1981]

Too small for an AHL team. Even the WHL is questionable there. If it's an AHL team, it would likely be a relocation of the Utica Comets so that it becomes less expensive to fly a prospect to Vancouver if one has to be called up, but the Royals would have to move to Nainamo and the Comets to Victoria.

 

[Cacciaguida]

not big enough for the AHL and faaaar too remote.

Only would work as WHL.

 

[Killion]

not big enough for the AHL and faaaar too remote.

Only would work as WHL.

Even thats questionable... and... this thread belongs on the AHL Board... carry on over there please.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Wow. Another place that is getting/deserves/promoted to the AHL. Remind me how many franchises there are currently? 30? All these cities out there like Houston, Sacramento, etc. make what - 40 AHL teams???

I guess reality bites.

 

[Mike Jones]

Historically the AHL have located teams in smaller communities (IE, Fredericton NB)but it was a different era.

I've been to Nanaimo numerous times and can't see them as an AHL or ECHL city. I could see a WHL team there in the near future but that would be about it. For me, facilities and airport would be two of the bigger roadblocks. I'm not sure population would be that big of a deal with all of the people living around the city. It's got a fairly decent size "metro area". But as any professional league has found out the hard way, population size alone doesn't always translate into the success of a franchise.