Confirmed with Link: Canucks announce Abbotsford Canucks as AHL Farm Team

[Hoglander]

Wah wahhh

So I'm supposed to be happy we have inept management that created a farm team where 2nd rate prospects go to bust?

Which prospects excite you enough to make the trip out to Abby and pay to watch them? I'm personally not interested in paying to see the Graovac's, the Chaput's and the Megna's. Oh wait, maybe Chatfeild will be there!!!

 

[rypper]

As someone who lives in the valley and has dreaded driving downtown more and more as I get older, this is pretty cool news. If we didn't have a buffoon running the team still I might have committed money to season tickets. Maybe in the future.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's a junior b team already called the Abbotsford Pilots so that name might be out.

 

[Melvin]

Most of the league is moving their ahl teams nearby to the big club. More so all the time. The Canucks didn't exactly make a unique move here.

and?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

and?

and......you might want to try fly fishing. It's much more subtle.

 

[JAK]

Watch Aquaman save cost on coach staff. By having ONE coaching staff.

Trent Cull to coach both teams, assistant coaches will hand road games / games he can't be at.

 

[mossey3535]

So I'm supposed to be happy we have inept management that created a farm team where 2nd rate prospects go to bust?

Which prospects excite you enough to make the trip out to Abby and pay to watch them? I'm personally not interested in paying to see the Graovac's, the Chaput's and the Megna's. Oh wait, maybe Chatfeild will be there!!!

Good point, as someone who has had periods where I've semi regularly gone to Giants games.

Teams that aren't good on the ice don't tend to fare well at the gate in the Lower Mainland.

 

[mossey3535]

Successful? Not sure about that. They are getting less than half their attendance now in Langley.

Other than that blip in 2019, they have been a bad team as well.

Yes, and the Giants have a lot more currency due to their longevity in the area. But they have gone through some big ups and downs since the Gilbert Brule days.

Yeah for the Canucks the move makes sense on a number of levels. I'm just no convinced that it's a guaranteed smash hit financially. If Aquilini is prepared to spend more on travel and lose money at the gate, good for him.

 

[PM]

Should have gone with Victoria. Yes for entirely selfish reasons but honestly a Canucks affiliated AHL team would do very well here and draw from the entire Island. Even with a crappy prospect pool. And we have an international airport with some direct flights, kinda.

 

[rypper]

I think some people are underestimating how crazy fans in the valley are for anything canucks related. The team will sell out every game. Especially if the big club gets a new GM who actually cares about the farm team.

You have fans and families in abbotsford, mission, Chilliwack etc that it just isn't affordable or practical to drive into Vancouver to see the Canucks that will invest themselves into the ahl team completely.

 

[mossey3535]

I think some people are underestimating how crazy fans in the valley are for anything canucks related. The team will sell out every game. Especially if the big club gets a new GM who actually cares about the farm team.

You have fans and families in abbotsford, mission, Chilliwack etc that it just isn't affordable or practical to drive into Vancouver to see the Canucks that will invest themselves into the ahl team completely.

Normally I would say something like "I hope you're right", but if the AHL team loses money it's just on Blueberries, and he's being an idiot so he deserves it.

 

[PM]

I think some people are underestimating how crazy fans in the valley are for anything canucks related. The team will sell out every game. Especially if the big club gets a new GM who actually cares about the farm team.

You have fans and families in abbotsford, mission, Chilliwack etc that it just isn't affordable or practical to drive into Vancouver to see the Canucks that will invest themselves into the ahl team completely.

The team will be relying 100% on those local fans though. Abbotsford is not a destination city. I know, I lived there for a bit, and still have family there. Yes a few crazy diehards on this board will probably make trips out there for games but other than that they will be relying entirely on the surrounding regions.

Should have gone with a nearby tourist town... like Victoria

 

[Melvin]

and......you might want to try fly fishing. It's much more subtle.

what do other teams have to do with anything? Are other teams in Vancouver? No, so it’s irrelevant.

 

[rypper]

The team will be relying 100% on those local fans though. Abbotsford is not a destination city. I know, I lived there for a bit, and still have family there. Yes a few crazy diehards on this board will probably make trips out there for games but other than that they will be relying entirely on the surrounding regions.

Should have gone with a nearby tourist town... like Victoria

I don't think they'll have a problem there.

It's anecdotal I know, but I grew up in Abbotsford, and live in chilliwack, and the amount of people I know who have already committed to season tickets. Friends, coworkers, school mates etc.

For the record, I love Victoria and under normal circumstances my wife and I usually get away there at least once a year. Wouldn't an AHL team kill the royals though?

 

[PM]

I don't think they'll have a problem there.

It's anecdotal I know, but I grew up in Abbotsford, and live in chilliwack, and the amount of people I know who have already committed to season tickets. Friends, coworkers, school mates etc.

For the record, I love Victoria and under normal circumstances my wife and I usually get away there at least once a year. Wouldn't an AHL team kill the royals though?

Yeah it would be the end of the Royals for sure. I’m a long time Royals supporter but I’d trade them for an AHL team instantly if it was the Canucks affiliate. Our arena is probably too small anyways. Someday maybe.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Wasn't this tried once but failed?

 

[KingofSurrey]

Stabbotsford Canucks..

 

[Hit the post]

Wasn't this tried once but failed?

Calgary Flames affiliate. Big difference. And it wasn't like the Flames (parent club) during their heyday.

 

[StreetHawk]

Calgary Flames affiliate. Big difference. And it wasn't like the Flames (parent club) during their heyday.

The closest team to them was either the Manitoba Moose or the Oklahoma Oil Barons at the time.

Travel for the Abby team will be a little better than the Central division AHL affiliates who are not a bus ride away from the other AHL clubs. Talking basically Denver, Austin, Milwaukee, Rockford, Winnipeg, Iowa. Blue are with Springfield now while the Hurricanes are now with Chicago Wolves.

 

[Hit the post]

The closest team to them was either the Manitoba Moose or the Oklahoma Oil Barons at the time.

Travel for the Abby team will be a little better than the Central division AHL affiliates who are not a bus ride away from the other AHL clubs. Talking basically Denver, Austin, Milwaukee, Rockford, Winnipeg, Iowa. Blue are with Springfield now while the Hurricanes are now with Chicago Wolves.

I was mainly talking about actual attendance (just going by memory, but I seem to recall it wasn't great . At least as bad to the point the city of Abby was writing cheques to the Flames as per their contract stipulation). But yeah, those substantial travel costs magnified that problem significantly (other AHL teams getting reinbursed by them for the extra travel).

 

[StreetHawk]

I was mainly talking about actual attendance (just going by memory, but I seem to recall it wasn't great . At least as bad to the point the city of Abby was writing cheques to the Flames as per their contract stipulation). But yeah, those substantial travel costs magnified that problem significantly (other AHL teams getting reinbursed by them for the extra travel).

Ryan pinder talked about that on the Rintoul show. Said Abbotsford agreed to pay any shortfall to the heat of revenues didn’t hit a certain number. Something like $5 mill or something was the number for revenue that the heat were guaranteed by the city. So if they ended up at $4.2 mill the city owes them $800k.

 

[DFAC]

Can the OP add a name poll?

Donnie and Dhali has Aviators leading. Pilots Timbermen Millionaires Lumberjacks

Excited about the team but man all those names are pretty terrible…

Aviator and Pilots sounds like the Jets farm team

 

[PuckMunchkin]

As someone who lives in the valley and has dreaded driving downtown more and more as I get older, this is pretty cool news. If we didn't have a buffoon running the team still I might have committed money to season tickets. Maybe in the future.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's a junior b team already called the Abbotsford Pilots so that name might be out.

Makes sure you let the team know?

You will be buying season tickets once the current reign of terror ends.

 

[The Iron Goalie]

Abbotsford Aero's?

 

[Fatass]

Why can’t they be the Comets still?

 

[DonnyNucker]

So I'm supposed to be happy we have inept management that created a farm team where 2nd rate prospects go to bust?

Which prospects excite you enough to make the trip out to Abby and pay to watch them? I'm personally not interested in paying to see the Graovac's, the Chaput's and the Megna's. Oh wait, maybe Chatfeild will be there!!!

Which AHL teams excite you? Can you think of some with exciting high level prospects?

 

[PavelBure10]

Very cool news. I feel bad for the fans in Utica because they were spectacular, but I am happy to have our prospects developing closer to home. Call-ups won't be jet lagged when arriving to the big leagues. It's a good idea, I just hope it brings in the fans.