[mr.x]

WHL Giants eye Abbotsford
But city aims to net a permanent team, not temporary one

Paul Fontaine, The Times
Published: Friday, November 28, 2008

The Vancouver Giants may be eyeing Abbotsford's soon-to-be-opened Entertainment and Sports Centre as a possible 2010 home, but first priority for the city is getting its own team, said Mark Taylor, director of parks, recreation and culture for the city.

The Giants, one of the Western Hockey League powerhouse franchises, currently play out of the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, but that facility will be taken over by the 2010 Winter Olympics for much of next season.

The Province daily newspaper reported last week that Abbotsford's entertainment complex, along with Langley's Events Centre, were on the Giants' wish list for a potential home away from home.

The Giants play in the same league as the Chilliwack Bruins.

Taylor said the city has received a letter from the Giants' management, but the No. 1 priority for Abbotsford is attracting a hockey team to call the new complex home - permanently.

"We haven't had a discussion [with the Giants] and it will be tough to have a discussion until we nail down a hockey franchise for the facility," said Taylor. "That's our most important priority, to protect our franchise negotiations and make sure that we can support a hockey team for next year."

While he could not divulge any information regarding a team coming to the city, Taylor said he's hoping to have some news early in the new year.

The 7,000-seat Plan A approved complex, is set to be completed by the end of March, 2009.

Last week, the city released a preliminary list of events they have looked into booking for the new facility.

Attractions include Cirque du Soleil, Stars on Ice and the B.C. Special Olympics.




© Abbotsford Times 2008

[SunCoaster]

:previous: The new Langley Civic Centre seats between 3,000 to 5,000 depending on the configuration. At 5,000 seating the Giants could play out of Langley for the 2010 season but at 3,000 seats this facility would be too small. Also, for 'die hard' Giants fans Langley is also a lot closer to Vancouver than is Abbotsford.

Additionally, is Abbotsford considered to be in Chilliwack's market area? In other words, could Chilliwack nix the Giants from playing out of Abbotsford even for a year ... and, for that matter, could Chilliwack nix a permanent team from locating in Abbotsford for the same turf infringement reason?

[Yume-sama]

Why would they move for the whole season when the Olympics are 2 weeks?

[giallo]

I imagine there is a lot of prep work to be done beforehand.

[Distill3d]

metro Vancouver does suffer from a lack of medium sized arenas (5000 - 7000 seats). the Giants could even look to Victoria for the month the Olympics are going on...as both cities are rumored to be on the WHL radar

[mr.x]

metro Vancouver does suffer from a lack of medium sized arenas (5000 - 7000 seats). the Giants could even look to Victoria for the month the Olympics are going on...as both cities are rumored to be on the WHL radar

Well, we do have UBC's main arena.....of course, the Giants wouldn't be able to play there for obvious reasons.

[Distill3d]

well, if they were to play at another arena during the Olympics, its not likely attendance is going to be high enough to sell out anything like the Pacific Coliseum or anything. more people are going to see Olympic hockey. i don't see why they couldn't play somewhere like the Agrodome or Queen's Park Arena for home games...

[hollywoodnorth]

Well, we do have UBC's main arena.....of course, the Giants wouldn't be able to play there for obvious reasons.

yup great new venue.......but what about the AGRODOME? seems like a better choice....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNE_Agrodome

they are able to add seating to the place....

[EastVanMark]

well, if they were to play at another arena during the Olympics, its not likely attendance is going to be high enough to sell out anything like the Pacific Coliseum or anything. more people are going to see Olympic hockey. i don't see why they couldn't play somewhere like the Agrodome or Queen's Park Arena for home games...

Both of those arenas are badly outdated and one of which was a failure with a WHL team before over 2 decades ago and would be mean a large financial loss in terms of revenues that could be had from modern WHL arenas built up to today's standards.

[EastVanMark]

yup great new venue.......but what about the AGRODOME? seems like a better choice....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNE_Agrodome

they are able to add seating to the place....

The Agrodome was quickly ruled out as a possible home when the Giants first came into the WHL because of the lack of concessions (there are only 2 pretty basic concession stands and only 4 tiny bathrooms on the main concourse. Not to mention the venue has absolutely zero by way of suites and/or club seats. The Agrodome was built as a bare bones facility to showcase livestock and lacks any of the modern revenue streams offered at even the most basic modern arena.

[Distill3d]

Both of those arenas are badly outdated and one of which was a failure with a WHL team before over 2 decades ago and would be mean a large financial loss in terms of revenues that could be had from modern WHL arenas built up to today's standards.

as a temporary home for an 8 week period...when i'd gamble on only a maximum of 10 games being played on home ice, i don't think either of the two rinks would have any issue playing host. the Giants will probably have a major road trip planned for that time anyways. probably out east in Saskatchewan and Manitoba..

[EastVanMark]

as a temporary home for an 8 week period...when i'd gamble on only a maximum of 10 games being played on home ice, i don't think either of the two rinks would have any issue playing host. the Giants will probably have a major road trip planned for that time anyways. probably out east in Saskatchewan and Manitoba..

Yes there would be issues seeing as individuals/companies have laid out a serious amount of money to use the corporate suites which neither of the mentioned arenas have. So even 10 games is 25% of the total number of home games and thus would represent a 25% loss in revenue from those suites not to mention the even bigger hit that would take place from the cossessions which the Giants currently enjoy at the Coliseum. Add those 2 together and your looking at a pretty sizable hit for the season in terms of revenues taken in from the arena.

Qweens Park is the worst example. It seats just a paltry 3500 for hockey. The Giants have over 5000 season ticket holders. So right there that would leave 2000 paying customers SOL. Not exactly a great way to treat your customers. Not to mention the walk up sales which even on a slow weeknight game are a pretty good sized, and push average crowds around the 6000-7000 range with weekend games being just over 9000-11,000. So even if you low-balled the ticket sales, you would lose 50% of your usual ticket sale revenue for those games. And that is a best case scenario!

[sacrifice333]

The period in question is more than a year away and the league has known about it for a LONG time can't the Giants just go on a supremo road trip?!

[EastVanMark]

The period in question is more than a year away and the league has known about it for a LONG time can't the Giants just go on a supremo road trip?!

WHL teams don't go on "supremo" road trips. The policy of the league is to keep players as close to their home cities as much as possible in order to try to have the players as home or at their billet as much as possible. Secondly, teams will also do this to keep costs down as much as possible. Going on an NHL style road trip would cost a whole lot in hotel rooms and meals that would require NHL style money which the WHL simply does not have.

[jlousa]

They will be fine, most teams across the WHL only average around 5K and they manage just fine, so even if they have to make do with 3.5K for a dozen games they will still finish the year with a much higher average attendance then most of the league.

[EastVanMark]

Whether or not they finish above the league's average attendence is totally irrelevant. They would be leaving a fairly sizable chunk of revenue out there for absolutely no reason. No sane business would ever do that.

The Giants have more season ticket holders than those arenas have seats! Not to mention the skybox rental agreements that would now have to discounted; again throwing large sums of money out the window, not to mention pissing off a customer base they have been carefully growing over the years. Them drawing the same amount of fans as Swift Current is poor consulation prize.

[Distill3d]

^and you don't think those corporate sponsors aren't going to be enjoying their luxury suites at Pacific Coliseum during the Olympics? i'm certain they wouldn't be complaining much entertaining clients during whichever event is being hosted there.

[Distill3d]

B.C. town makes pitch to lure Baby Flames


BY JOHN DOWN, CALGARY HERALDDECEMBER 14, 2008

There's nothing like a hot rumour to heat up a chilly winter day.

So try this one on for size: The Calgary Flames are moving their American Hockey League farm club to Abbotsford, B. C.

"I'm sure they would like to have that but there's no deal," said Flames president and CEO King King, who admitted the city of Abbotsford had contacted the NHL club about that very possibility.

"We have a good arrangement with the ownership in Quad City and as long as they are willing to continue, we will fulfil our obligations.

"But if our partners in Quad Cities didn't want to continue, then we'd certainly have to have a look at Abbotsford because I think it would be a real good market."

The Quad City franchise stands 28th, or second last, in AHL attendance figures.

The B.C. town recently opened a new 7,500-seat facility and has been letting one and all know that they'd like to have a professional hockey tenant to share the TRADEX building with their B. C. Junior Hockey League team.

Vancouver radio station CKNW 980 went so far as to report it would be the Abbotsford Flames, clearly without checking in with King first.

The city of Abbotsford has apparently also pitched to three other attendancestruggling AHL clubs and, according to assorted sources, is prepared to offer travel subsidies and underwrite a portion of any losses.

If the bid to land an AHL team fails, the city apparently will pursue an East Coast Hockey League team

i'm all for the Calgary Flames moving its farm operations to Abbotsford!!