Oilers, Flames and Canucks moving their AHL teams to Canada for 2020-21
- Thread starter Martin Veillette
- Start date
There's a few under-used arenas in the Metro Vancouver area that could house the Western Canadian farm teams. Also helps with travel and keeping a COVID "bubble".
The Pacific Colosseum and Abbotsford Centre don't have major sports tenants right now. Don't think UBC is playing out of Doug Mitchell right now either.
The Pacific Colosseum and Abbotsford Centre don't have major sports tenants right now. Don't think UBC is playing out of Doug Mitchell right now either.
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
I wonder if Prince George would be better suited for the ECHL/AHL than WHL. Mostly because they have a good population that'd support a team. I mean it'd be like St. John's how the Growlers would fly to a place like Maine and bus. CN Centre is a nice arena too that's good enough for AHL/ECHL.
But would it be a good temporary AHL landing spot if you ask me. For either the Oilers or Canucks, maybe even the Flames.
But would it be a good temporary AHL landing spot if you ask me. For either the Oilers or Canucks, maybe even the Flames.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
You do know the Prince George, BC metro population is 86,000 people, right? That would make it one of the smallest in the ECHL and AHL. Not to mention that their fan base is acclimatized to major junior hockey rather than pro, and major junior is typically preferred over minor league hockey in Canada. They would never get an AHL team because typically AHL teams are located within easy access of their NHL team. Prince George is almost closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to the closest NHL team.
Anyone who thinks Prince George is anywhere near minor league hockey territory needs to be transferred to a psychiatric ward immediately. Unless this is April, April come a little late this year?
210
Registered User
You often make great points only to kill them with stuff like this. As the crow flies it's about 350 miles from Prince George to Vancouver and about 850 miles to the Arctic Circle.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
LadyStanley
Registered User
Latest discussion seems to have AHL teams playing in their own arenas. (There is discussion of having a NHL taxi squad)
Would the NHL taxi squads mean the AHL teams playing as functional independents this season?
210
Registered User
The Canucks were blocked by the now Stockton franchise, before Esche's partnership with the Canucks and the decision to place the now Comets in Utica, Martin, over 8 years ago.....Abbotsford is a hard pass.
Completely incorrect answer...The Vancouver Canucks were in a very fruitful and successful partnership with the Manitoba Moose when Abbotsford entered into the AHL in 2009. THE ONLY reason they still aren't is True North purchased Atlanta and moved them to Winnipeg and took their previously owned Moose and moved them to St. Johns as the new Jets affiliate, thus ending the agreement between them and Vancouver. Vancouver then moved to Chicago. At no time was there ever a consideration for Vancouver to go to Abbotsford because by the time their agreement with Chicago expired the city of Abbotsford had determined that they didn't want to be in the AHL hockey business...otherwise Vancouver could've moved their team there at any time during the multiple endings of their agreement with Utica and Esche. How many "extensions" has the the Utica/Vancouver partnership seen over the last few years...And Abbotsford was vacant during the entire western movement a few years ago...why did Vancouver choose to stay in Utica and not move west then? Becasuse it has never been a consideration because Abbotsford has said no time and time again So NO stockton/calgary didn't "BLOCK" anyone or anything because there is NO evidence that Vancouver ever explored going there let alone had any desire to go there.
false, axe...
Vancouver was blocked by Calgary in Abbotsford, it has nothing to do with Manitoba, because the Canucks asked for the rights to buy the Heat and were told, unequivocally, that the franchise wasn't for sale.
remember the Calgary affiliation history with that particular franchise, if it wasn't run by a local ownership, which dates back to Saint John, 8 years prior to the dissolution of the IHL in 2001, Calgary has had a lot of control over how they ran the franchise, and eventually bought it outright by the time they got to Abbotsford as the Abbotsford local ownership, just as the Saint John ownership collapsed financially despite a Championship in 2000/2001, it wasn't self sustainable to keep the franchise in Saint John..... hence why the relocations began once the franchise was reestablished; why didn't the Flames stay longer in Omaha (2 years), and gone.... then basically killed the sustainability of the Quad City market after the Mallards success, and that went less than 2, before the Abbotsford experimentation that went 5 AND done, AND then Stockton 6+ to present day...
who was the team that sold Vancouver the franchise, axe, when they wanted nothing to do with the Wolves, just like the hockey fanbases in North America seem to revolve around Don Levin and the Chicago Wolves.... St. Louis wasn't it.... so do you really think the hockey fanbase cares that much about Rosemont, IL in the midst of a global pandemic, much less fans of existing teams... nope
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LadyStanley
Registered User
Looks like there will be a All Canadian AHL division of 4 teams.
NHL teams may have 26 man roster plus taxi squad of 4.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
An explanation here ... NHL Considering Taxi Squads For Next Season
royals119
Registered User
My guess was they might be discussing having the Canadian NHL teams without Canadian AHL affiliates possibly assign some players to the other AHL teams that are in Canada, as well as carrying the extra roster players, and the "taxi squad" of players who are essentially "sent down on paper" but remain with the NHL team and are available to be "called up".
I would think if all those reserves are in danger of being depleted they could move some players from the AHL team in America to the taxi squad (with appropriate quarantine), or they might sign AHL contracted player(s) from one of the Canadian AHL teams in a real emergency.
Bettman has already said that trades between teams in canada and the us will not be stopped or prohibited. I'm guessing that they will have some sort of plan for calling up players from the us to canada as well that will not include a taxi squad or anything mentioned yet. I'm also equally sure theyll tell us when the time arrives, who knows it may just be exactly what everyone is saying...it may not.
LadyStanley
Registered User
I'm reading that players who fly COMMERCIAL (inside Canada) are required to quarantine for at least a week. (But if you fly charter, not?)
I haven't seen any Canadian rules laid out how things will work. But the charter bill for call ups might be huge this year.
I haven't seen any Canadian rules laid out how things will work. But the charter bill for call ups might be huge this year.
