Canucks Moving AHL Affiliate to Abbotsford, BC Next Season - Abbotsford Canucks
- Thread starter Adam Michaels
- Start date
Centrum Hockey
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2018
- 2,092
- 728
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
Wonder if this makes Idaho a desired place for an AHL team now that it's official the Canucks are putting their AHL team in Abbotsford. I also expect it to work out very well in the long-run which I could see more teams being placed nearby, potentially Utah getting AHL back.
As I am aware Seattle and Palm Springs have an agreement, but Idaho might be a good alternative, that or Calgary if they decide instead of Stockton that Idaho would be better considering it's closer and would be good for a road-trip between Idaho and Abbotsford. Because Idaho is a place that needs an AHL team and believe they could make it last quite a while.
As I am aware Seattle and Palm Springs have an agreement, but Idaho might be a good alternative, that or Calgary if they decide instead of Stockton that Idaho would be better considering it's closer and would be good for a road-trip between Idaho and Abbotsford. Because Idaho is a place that needs an AHL team and believe they could make it last quite a while.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Did you come to these conclusions on your own, or did some homeless guy outside the gas station trade them to you for a can of beer?
Centrum Hockey
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2018
- 2,092
- 728
In his defense a homeless guy outside a gas station could do a better job of running a AHL team than Brian Petrovek did.
Last edited:
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
I have job that heavily involves relocation and expansion, not going to go entirely into it but my point being don't even argue with me unless you're in the field. And I can tell you right now Idaho would make AHL last for a very long time unless politics got involved.
The reason Idaho wasn't a good idea for a while was because there weren't many places for the team to travel by bus to within the AHL, same reason why five teams had to agree on California. Seattle even looked into it before settling on Palm Springs, not going with it because the closest team to them would be the Henderson Silver Knights or Colorado Eagles. Now Abbotsford is in the leauge it might be a more viable option and from what I rememeber, Calgary had issues with Stockton.
Idaho averages about 4,500 fans a game. Their arena is downtown. Not to mention it's growing in population within the Boise-Nampa area.
That's all I'm going to say.
Idaho has a ECHL team in boise and the owner would have to sell the team and have it be promoted to AHL for it to work. And from what i understand he didn't want to sell it to Seattle. Vancouver would have the same issue.
Ratitude
Registered User
- May 2, 2020
- 144
- 222
While absolutely devastating for Binghamton this is a real blow to what they have built in Utica. Tells me there was little options for Utica to sustain AHL hockey otherwise. LOL Esche made a deal with the Devil to steal an AHL team, yikes.
UticaHockey
Registered User
I don't think Esche will want this to be a Twitter announcement. Look for a press conference at the Aud soon.
tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
How are they going to the Pacific division too? Has the AHL given up the idea of balanced divisions with Palm Springs eventually joining too?
Centrum Hockey
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2018
- 2,092
- 728
You could spilt the division between Tuson/Ontario/Henderson/San Diego/Palm Springs and San Jose/Bakersfield/Abbotsford/Stockton/Colorado and have the rest of the league be uneven.
Last edited:
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
I'm having trouble following your logic in this collection of thoughts. Does adding just one competitor within driving distance (Abbotsford) of Boise justify it as an AHL franchise destination, or does adding Abbotsford achieve some critical mass with the other teams you mentioned to complete a set of AHL cities allowing all of them to create & afford an annual schedule of road trips?
PCSPounder
Stadium Groupie
Don’t let anyone talk anyone into saying Boise is within driving distance of anywhere but Salt Lake City... ESPECIALLY by this board’s standards. I’ve done Boise to Vancouver in a day, but I’m the freak who did that less than 12 hours after returning from England.
I will say that I’m curious to know the numbers for renewed season tickets for the WHL teams in Everett and Kent after all this. Of course, there’s supposed to be a groundbreaking in the Coachella Valley this month, and it’s hard to bet that it won’t happen, just that the timetable seems rushed.
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
True, it is independently owned. But to my knowledge, something around that has been done in the past, such as the Colorado Eagles, Bakersfield Condors and Charlotte Checkers, correct?
wildcat48
Registered User
And, parking his jeep....
team should be called the Abbotsford Lumberjacks and use "Johnny Canuck" as their primary logo
I'm pretty sure this has been in the works since the Devil's left Albany. Rumors said then that the Devil's wanted to return to Utica at that time, I had that rumor confirmed by a member of the Comets Brass that the Devil's did indeed inquire. Binghamton appears to have been a temporary spot to put the team until a better option came along. Just got moved to the back burner until Vancouver decided to finally move.
Should be announced today or tomorrow. May 6th is the AHL meetings, so everything should be set for next season....
GrGriffins
Registered User
Putting Abbotsford and Palm Springs in the Pacific, take Henderson and Colorado out of the Pacific and move them to the Central, and take Grand Rapids out of the Central and move them to the North and in the Eastern Conference. You would 8 teams in all 4 divisions by doing that.
Atlantian
Registered User
Zero chance of this happening.
The Oilers and Flames already have WHL franchises in their buildings, there are no smaller communities nearby with decent arenas but no WHL franchises (Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat), and in Western Canada the WHL is a much bigger draw than the AHL would be. The Oilers already learned that when they had the RoadRunners franchises in Edmonton for one season.
Moreover, unlike unlike the Utica to Vancouver trip, Bakersfield / Stockton are essentially a direct flight to Edmonton / Calgary, so there's not a huge incentive for them to relocate closer.
Based on what we've seen unfold recently, balanced AHL conferences / divisions are not remotely a priority for the NHL franchise owners
Only cause the virus mess forced the AHL to make the alignment the way it is now.
royals119
Registered User
For this year, yes. However in years past, and likely in the future, it really isn't that important. Teams will likely continue to play a schedule favoring the local geography. Divisions may or may not relate to the schedule and may or may not be balanced.
