messier's_elbow Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 This would be so awesome! Especially with Shinkaruk, Gaunce and Fox all there next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaK Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 It seems like the obvious other shoe to drop if the Heat are indeed getting out of town... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumquats Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 http://forum.canucks.com/topic/359128-speculation-abbotsford-heat-are-relocating-to-utica-and-comets-to-abbotsford/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRAY Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 This would be great for the Canucks and us fans. Imagine watching the future of the Canucks on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messier's_elbow Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 Trevor is too smart to let this not happen. It would be sold out and crazy every freaking game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaMash Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I like the Utica fans though :[ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck or Die Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 No, it wouldn't really be good. The travel would be ridiculous. Every AHL team aside from Abbotsford is in the mid-west or east. The travel would be ridiculous. I'd rather just stay in Utica, since they have embraced our farm team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disaronno Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 If the move does happen, I wonder if they will change Comets to something else. Abbotsford Comets.... I dunno, would like to see something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UticaHockey Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 If the move does happen, I wonder if they will change Comets to something else. Abbotsford Comets.... I dunno, would like to see something different. I certainly hope this isn't true. The Comets have helped to reinvigorate our entire community and we have embraced your Canucks prospects as if they were "rock stars". This group of young men that called Utica and the Mohawk Valley their seasonal home since last October have also embraced our community and have been role models in every sense of the word. I also know in the business of hockey none of this really matters and teams bounce from city to city on an annual basis but that doesn't make it feel any better. The Utica area has been burned in the past by owners who say one thing and do another so I hope it doesn't happen again. The Comets attendance has averaged 90% capacity over the course of the season and these fans do not deserve to have the team pulled out from under them after one season. The Comets have been by far the most successful franchise in this area since the original Clinton Comets of the 1950's and 60's. And yes the Comets name has a long local tradition and if Vancouver does pack up and move to Abbotsford they will not be using the Comets name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck or Die Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Didn't Utica also sign like a six-year deal or something? There should be no way that they take away the team from Utica. After all the support, I hope Vancouver management isn't stupid enough to pull the plug. Yeah, our prospects would be closer, but just look at where all the AHL teams are compared to Abbotsford. Abbotsford is the only team out west. I'd rather Abbotsford woks out a deal to become a WHL team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UticaHockey Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Didn't Utica also sign like a six-year deal or something? There should be no way that they take away the team from Utica. After all the support, I hope Vancouver management isn't stupid enough to pull the plug. Yeah, our prospects would be closer, but just look at where all the AHL teams are compared to Abbotsford. Abbotsford is the only team out west. I'd rather Abbotsford woks out a deal to become a WHL team. You are correct in that it is a 6 year deal but every deal has an out clause. In this case it involves the Canucks paying an early termination penalty but the amount has never been reported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 honestly, i'd rather leave the Comets in Utica, the community has been great to them and their travel schedule is ideal (especially if abby is no more, as the only games they fly a significant distance to is abby) would be gone. I think they'd be a bus only team if that were to happen. I also second a WHL team coming to the abby arena, as it would get much more support that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 If the move does happen, I wonder if they will change Comets to something else. Abbotsford Comets.... I dunno, would like to see something different. Abbotsford Airmen was one of the top choices, with the aviator Johnny Canuck logo for the jerseys. But there's already a a thread on this in the trades, rumours and signings forum if people are interested in following the discussion there. It's also been posted in the pinned Comets thread in this forum. I'll just add my post from that thread here rather than retype it: Just to be clear, I haven't heard any indication at this point that Utica will be coming back to replace them. I did hear one mention of a team in the East coming back, but there wasn't anything specifically mentioned about the Comets and the rumours I have heard about the Heat are that they'd be moving to Glenn Falls. The other possibility is after year 5 of the agreement with Abbotsford, the city can review the agreement so there may be something with that being renegotiated or the city dumping it altogether and the Heat just leaving with no replacement. Based on one more recent report, it may be the last bit with the agreement between the city and Heat being renegotiated rather than an announcement of a move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 The Utica Comets attracted an average 3,416 fans to their arena this season. That's only slightly more than Abbotsford, who've seen their attendance decline to an all-time low this season at 3,007. They started at 3,897. The Chilliwack Bruins, the nearest WHL team to Abbotsford, attracted an average of 3,372 fans to games this season. Like the Heat, they've seen attendance numbers drop since opening up 5 years ago. imho it's safe to assume that finances for a new WHL club or non-Canucks affiliate team in Abbotsford will draw similar numbers. However, they won't have the guaranteed money (depending on the new contract) going to the team. The valley has patiently been waiting for the Canucks affiliate to be located in Abbotsford. You don't build a 8,000 seat max capacity arena in the middle of Canucks territory if the intention was to merely house a WHL team or a non-Canucks affiliate. If the Canucks affiliate were there, there will be sellouts every night. Then again, the city of Abbotsford is incredibly daft. Their plan to get rid of a homeless camp was to spread chicken manure over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollieo Del Fuego Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 The Utica Comets website has expired!! What's up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 The Utica Comets website has expired!! What's up? I was just on it,,still there,,Utica is saying tomorrow is the last day of season ticket renewals,, so I would think there will be a comets team next year,,just whose affiliate it is could be another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollieo Del Fuego Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I was just on it,,still there,,Utica is saying tomorrow is the last day of season ticket renewals,, so I would think there will be a comets team next year,,just whose affiliate it is could be another story. Strange I am still getting the expired website message when I go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3aL Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I certainly hope this isn't true. The Comets have helped to reinvigorate our entire community and we have embraced your Canucks prospects as if they were "rock stars". This group of young men that called Utica and the Mohawk Valley their seasonal home since last October have also embraced our community and have been role models in every sense of the word. I also know in the business of hockey none of this really matters and teams bounce from city to city on an annual basis but that doesn't make it feel any better. The Utica area has been burned in the past by owners who say one thing and do another so I hope it doesn't happen again. The Comets attendance has averaged 90% capacity over the course of the season and these fans do not deserve to have the team pulled out from under them after one season. The Comets have been by far the most successful franchise in this area since the original Clinton Comets of the 1950's and 60's. And yes the Comets name has a long local tradition and if Vancouver does pack up and move to Abbotsford they will not be using the Comets name. I really hope not, I like them in Utica for all the reasons above, and the fact that Utica is a much better location for our team in regards to travel and call ups. I wouldn't think they are leaving Utica! Especially after 1 yr.. Maybe after 5 as that's possible with every ahl team, they move around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neversummer Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Yah, great for the Canucks ... terrible for the Comet players. As someone alluded to, most of the team are out East, travel would be horrendous. Do they still bus or do they fly in AHL, now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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