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[Report] Canucks announce ECHL partnership with Kalamazoo Wings for 2023-24 season

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1 hour ago, johngould21 said:

I don't think Kalamazoo is a Detroit farm team or sharing this farm team with the Canucks.

I was just thinking to scout the actual Red Wings since they are in the same state.  Hoping they have a surplus of D and shortage of wingers.  Could be a perfect match.

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Excuse my ignorance regarding this announcement, but this benefits us how????!?!?!???

Is this more short term benefit for Abbotsford and longer term benefit for the big club or what?

 

Where does the ECHL rate compared to players in the AHL or NCAA? Or Euro leagues for that matter.

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17 minutes ago, Sativika said:

Excuse my ignorance regarding this announcement, but this benefits us how????!?!?!???

Is this more short term benefit for Abbotsford and longer term benefit for the big club or what?

 

Where does the ECHL rate compared to players in the AHL or NCAA? Or Euro leagues for that matter.

The ECHL is to the AHL what the AHL is to the NHL.  It is the next step down where they can send players for further development.  Silov's was sent down from the AHL to the ECHL his first year.

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59 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

The ECHL is to the AHL what the AHL is to the NHL.  It is the next step down where they can send players for further development.  Silov's was sent down from the AHL to the ECHL his first year.

I’d sure love to see our ECHL club closer. 

 

The Victoria Salmon Kings were a blast to watch back in the day. Maybe they’re up to something because they haven’t re upped long term with the K Wings. Each year they only extend one year at a time.

 

After the Salmon Kings folded we moved our ECHL affiliate to the Alaska Aces then they folded and since then we’ve been with the Kwings…would love something closer.

 

And honestly I like ECHL hockey better than any junior league. It’s still really good pro hockey in my opinion. Would be fun to have it in BC again!

 

 

Edited by Attila Umbrus
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3 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

The ECHL is to the AHL what the AHL is to the NHL.  It is the next step down where they can send players for further development.  Silov's was sent down from the AHL to the ECHL his first year.

 

Okay. Thanks for that. I seem to vaguely recall the scenario of Silovs being sent somewhere early on in his tenure with us. And I presume the ECHL is pretty much a bunch of undrafted/unsigned free agents with a sprinkling of semi-washed up pros and amateur pick ups?

 

 

2 hours ago, Attila Umbrus said:

I’d sure love to see our ECHL club closer. 

 

The Victoria Salmon Kings were a blast to watch back in the day. Maybe they’re up to something because they haven’t re upped long term with the K Wings. Each year they only extend one year at a time.

 

After the Salmon Kings folded we moved our ECHL affiliate to the Alaska Aces then they folded and since then we’ve been with the Kwings…would love something closer.

 

And honestly I like ECHL hockey better than any junior league. It’s still really good pro hockey in my opinion. Would be fun to have it in BC again!

 

 

 

Must be horrid travelling for west coast based ECHL teams. But as far as an ECHL affiliate closer to Vancouver, I definitely see the advantage; as we're seeing now with our AHL Abbotsford Canucks!

 

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1 hour ago, Sativika said:

 

Okay. Thanks for that. I seem to vaguely recall the scenario of Silovs being sent somewhere early on in his tenure with us. And I presume the ECHL is pretty much a bunch of undrafted/unsigned free agents with a sprinkling of semi-washed up pros and amateur pick ups?

 

 

 

Must be horrid travelling for west coast based ECHL teams. But as far as an ECHL affiliate closer to Vancouver, I definitely see the advantage; as we're seeing now with our AHL Abbotsford Canucks!

 

It’s tough travel in the ECHL. The Alaska Aces just couldn’t survive although pretty cool to have a team way up there.

 

Victoria Salmon Kings were great to watch. Very physical hockey, lots of fights. So yes a bit of a goon league. But these guys still have skill. Lots of young lower level Canucks prospects have played in the ECHL. But honestly most don’t make it too far beyond the AHL. Carson Focht played most of the season with the K wings last year. Silovs the year before. Every season we have a few young rookies that can’t get minutes on the AHL squad so they send them to the ECHL to stay ready and play meaningful games.

 

The K wings themselves are mostly a mix of older pro players who still get part time work in the AHL. We usually have a couple of young players each season that go down and try to make their way back up. Most don’t pan out. One of the Kwings big successes for our AHL club was reforming Darren Archibald. He played 2 part time seasons with them before he came a monster for our Utica Comets club. Darren didn’t do much in the NHL but he sure helped out on the AHL squad.

 

Best ECHL success I recall for our team is Burrows…aside from that just part time role players. But in my mind it all counts.

 

These guys in the ECHL are only making like 30 k a year or less (American), so all have second jobs etc. So I give props to any player willing to gut it out every year for that kind of money…you gotta really love hockey to do that.

 

 

Edited by Attila Umbrus
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