Salmon Arm Canuck Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Global BC tonight reported that there's an opt-out clause for the Heat after this season. It also reported the club has lost over four million dollars in the last three years although Abbotsford taxpayers are on the hook for that. I could see Canucks management structure a system where if you wish to purchase season tickets for the big club, you must purchase them for the AHL franchise first for good placement on the waiting list. Season tickets for the Abbotsford franchise would skyrocket! Despite the additional travel that the players would do out east, it would make economic sense for the Canucks to take on a farm team in BC. The Canuck brand is too strong with too much demand for tickets for it to fail regardless of incentives from municipal governments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shazzam Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 will definitely raise ticket sales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleed Blue and Green Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Canucks get Heat, Flames get Wolves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cIutch Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Talk about instant financial success for the Heat. Would be nice to get call-ups quickly. Also, bubble guys could settle in, find a more permanent home, knowing that no matter where they play they'll be within driving distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linden16kesler17 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Except... I thought the Flames actually owned the Heat. Unlike the Canucks that just have an affiliation with the Wolves. Am I wrong there? Since the Flames own the team, they would have moved the whole team to Utica. That's what the Utica folks were allegedly after. They don't have a team there right now to move an affiliation to. But like you say, the Heat do have a contract with the City of Abby to stay where they are for a few more years. In order for this deal to work I would think that Aquilini would need to buy the Heat from the Flames and then shift the affiliation there. The Flames could then shift their affiliation to Chicago, or some other team as affiliations seem to change frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanBeef Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 TBH, Chicago is probably the worst place for our AHL affiliate. Biggest Rival and not even close to Vancouver. It would be stupid to NOT move the team to Abby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Surfer Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Yeah, yeah, yes; hard not to speculate when Acquilini (did I spell his name right?) just bought the arena the Heat are playing in. Good business and would drive hockey support bonkers I reckon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NexusRift Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Seems the Canucks farm teams have primarily been east, a couple or more time zones away. I knew of the Moose, Crunch and Hamilton Canucks, but before that??!?!?? So, a web search netted me this; Farm Teams Question: Tim in Vancouver asks "Prior to the Manitoba Moose and Victoria Salmon Kings, what were all the farm teams (AHL and ECHL) for the Canucks? Answer: The Canuck farm teams were: 1970-71 to 1971-72 Rochester Americans (AHL) 1972-73 to 1974-75 Seattle Totems (WHL, CHL) 1975-76 to 1977-78 Tulsa Oilers (CHL) 1978-79 to 1981-82 Dallas Black Hawks (CHL) 1982-83 to 1987-88 Fredricton Express (AHL) 1988-89 to 1991-92 Milwaukee Admirals (IHL) 1992-93 to 1993-94 Hamilton Canucks (AHL) 1994-95 to 1999-2000 Syracuse Crunch (AHL) 2000-01 Kansas City Blades (IHL) 2001-02 to 2008-09 Manitoba Moose (AHL) The concept of the farm system has changed slightly over the years. In some years, the Canucks actually shared a farm team with another NHL team, while in other years, the Canucks had players on a second, lower-tier team. The teams listed above were the Canucks' number one farm team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goalscorer Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Just goes to show that this is not a hockey market but a Canucks market. Why does Chicago support an AHL team comprised of Canucks prospects?? What will the excuse be if the Canucks get an AHL team in Abby and attendance still sucks?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt kilgore Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'm not as knowledgeable in the facts surrounding what the Canucks would have to do to even accomplish this, but as far as business for Abbotsford its a win. Some of you doubt it will make much difference in attendance? I beg to differ. I have relatives in Abbotsford so I'd be going to way more games down there. I'd love to be able to more easily keep track of our prospects and watch them develop. Also if you've ever been visiting Abbotsford when the Canucks are on a playoff run, you see almost more jerseys and car flags on the street in Abby than in Van. What is baffling is why the city of Abbotsford would ever agree to that Phoenix like deal where the tax payer makes up the losses. I could see from the get go that it wasn't going to be successful financially. Who wants to cheer for a Canuck rivals farm team? The only argument to keeping our farm team in a more central location in NA is what has been said, that it makes it easier for call-ups if the Canucks are on the road. But like what also has been said, half the games are here, and a call-up like that would only happen occasionally. I think it balances out when you consider that the big club could have way more opportunity to try out rookies for a game here and there to see how they fit, or to have joint practices together occasionally and hone systems together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xur Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 "I don't want to sit in June or July and (not) have a selection (of parent teams), and I got to take what's left," Young said. "It's getting to be crunch time pretty soon. I don't know what's going and it's frustrating." http://articles.chic...r-wendell-young Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Just goes to show that this is not a hockey market but a Canucks market. Why does Chicago support an AHL team comprised of Canucks prospects?? What will the excuse be if the Canucks get an AHL team in Abby and attendance still sucks?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goalscorer Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Are you seriously insinuating that Chicago is a better hockey market than Vancouver? The city that was outsold and out-attended by classic hockey markets like Phoenix, Florida, and Atlanta when the Blackhawks were no good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Maybe out-attended for a couple of years but never outsold. Old Man Wirtz never gave away a single ticket. Not saying that Chicago is a better hockey market but dont forget that the Canucks had attendance issues in the past. Curious to see what the attendance looks like if they become a non playoff team in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobopan Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Seems the Canucks farm teams have primarily been east, a couple or more time zones away. I knew of the Moose, Crunch and Hamilton Canucks, but before that??!?!?? So, a web search netted me this; I know how important it is to post a reliable source. This was was taken directly from here; http://www3.telus.ne...ak/canquest.htm Whether it's legit? I couldn't tell ya'. Go Canucks! The entire AHL is located out east.... i think the closest team to the the heat is Oklahoma or Ohio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffi Torres's Smirk Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 After seeing that map it is no wonder that the Heat moved out east. They were the only team taking multiple 5 hour flights a week! That's horrendous! As much as I want to see the Canucks prospects play here, I wouldn't wish that travel schedule on anyone. As good fans we should be thinking of our players wellbeing too. Also, Abbotsford is pretty far and I don't think I'd go to too many games, I'd rather watch the Giants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw_fatcat Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 There is a market that I am just amazed hasn't gotten an AHL team with their attendance. Wichita KS, Right now they have a CHL (central hockey league) team and their attendance the last seven years has been 5,700. That to me says there is a market that anyone should be looking at. Not sure how an Abbotsford team would do. I am sure they would get a bump in attendance but would it sustain it? I don't think a farm team has to be located right next door. Baseball doesn't always do it and they seem to do just fine. You just have to find a starving market with no true major league affiliation. They will follow and then you get fans from there to the big club when all is said and done. Why not expand somewhere like that and bring the Canucks to some people who want hockey but don't have it? Also have a pretty sweet arena. Seats over 13k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Maybe out-attended for a couple of years but never outsold. Old Man Wirtz never gave away a single ticket. Not saying that Chicago is a better hockey market but dont forget that the Canucks had attendance issues in the past. Curious to see what the attendance looks like if they become a non playoff team in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningWild Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I'm not sure of the exact details between the Flames/heat affiliation. Is there a chance the Flames are essentially being forced to move their farm team to a new location by the Aquilini group? Say, the Aquilini group makes a bid to purchase the Abbotsford Arena then ceases it's agreement with the Flames so they can move in their new (former Peoria) affiliation? Is that possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh Whisht Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Wasn't there just an article a couple of days ago, about a 3 way deal? Canucks move to Abby, Flames move to Peoria, and St. Louis moves to Chicago? or something like that The Canucks just bought the Peoria Rivermen today, so maybe that's the first step. Of course, Calgary has a pretty sweet deal with Abby taxpayers covering their losses, so they may not be keen to move yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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