Chilliwak Bruins no more

[kiwi_canadian 196]

im excited to get high level hockey back in victoria, but seriously ditch the spoked wheel but keep that awesome 3rd logo, not sure how i feel about the bruins name but if the new owners want to keep it then why not.

im not sure why they would be trying so hard to keep the ahl out of victoria though, i think relocating the moose here would be awesome!!

I think the WHL is very protective of it's Western Canadian market and they do not want a bigger league coming in a taking their revenue. I don't recall how they felt about the heat coming to Abbotsford but I bet they were not too happy especially when there was already a team down the road in Chilliwack. Having said that though, I find it funny that it takes the AHL possibly relocating to Victoria to "make it imperative" that they get into Victoria. I can remember when the new arena was built that the first option was the WHL but they told RG Properties that they were not expanding in the near future (and yet they added 2 expansion teams in Everett, Wash and Chilliwack after saying that) and that no teams were for sale to relocate. I just don't understand why the WHL has/had such a hatred towards Victoria.

[number9hockey 1]

Just keep the unFlames out of BC. BC generally wants nothing to do with Alberta, and vice versa. Putting a Flames farm team 50 miles from Vancouver was an incredibly stupid thing to do; moving them 30 miles down the road to Chilliwack, other than allowing them to keep the same jerseys and logos as Calgary, is just as dumb.

Go to Calgary Olympic Park. Call them the Sparks, because Sparks lead to Flames, and be done with it.

I just made that up. It's a stupid name, but it's better than Heat, because Abbotsford ain't that hot.

I've always thought that should the flames have a minor league team in Alberta, they should call them the Alberta Flames and use the old Atlanta Flames logo and jerseys.

[the admiral 28,282]

Anywhere specific in Alberta? Calgary? Lethbridge? Fort MacMurray? A pond in the mountains?

[rams80 4,233]

I just don't understand why the WHL has/had such a hatred towards Victoria.

Probably has something to do with the fact you can only reach the place by plane or ferry. This is a problem when your league primarily subsists on bus travel.

Anywhere specific in Alberta? Calgary? Lethbridge? Fort MacMurray? A pond in the mountains?

Hockey as it was meant to be played.

[the admiral 28,282]

A Pond in the Mountains Flames could outdraw the Coyotes

[kiwi_canadian 196]

I just don't understand why the WHL has/had such a hatred towards Victoria.

Probably has something to do with the fact you can only reach the place by plane or ferry. This is a problem when your league primarily subsists on bus travel.

And now with ferry rates going up yet again, this could pose a problem but I think there is something more than travel costs. Every chance a new arena here was on the books or built, the WHL always was the first priority then was shot down. Again it comes from the lie they told RG Properties back in the early 2000's that there was going to be no more expansion or relocation but did an about face and expanded by 2 teams.

[oakland ehs 2]

While we're on the topic of Flames AHL team, I still wish the Oilers would have kept their AHL franchise in Edmonton instead of the Oil Kings. I love the WHL, but I could still have seen a lot more people going out to support Oilers prospects than the Oil Kings.

[nash61 1,697]

I was thinking, and realized that I had completely forgotten about the Vancouver Giants in all this. Wouldn't a team in Victoria be in their territory?

EDIT: Looked at the map and realized that Seattle's right there too. Can that section of the west coast handle 3 junior teams?

[Lee. 419]

Everett is about 30 milesnorth of Seattle too.

The thing is, it's REALLY EXPENSIVE to get to Victoria by plane or ferry. A junior team there us going to be behind the 8 ball in travel subsidies pretty damn quick.

[kiwi_canadian 196]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but there are 5 teams on Vancouver Island in the BCHL and they have to travel to the mainland very often to play teams. So perhaps the travel cost with the ferries won't be all that bad. They also travel by bus so there might not be a problem. I know armature sports teams do get a travel discount when all are going together on the ferries for games in the mainland or the Gulf Islands...Howver I know that they are again jacking up prices so that might go out the window...Stupid crown corporation!

[OMMF 120]

I was thinking, and realized that I had completely forgotten about the Vancouver Giants in all this. Wouldn't a team in Victoria be in their territory?

EDIT: Looked at the map and realized that Seattle's right there too. Can that section of the west coast handle 3 junior teams?

Seattle and Everett are in neighboring counties. Washington state makes up 4/5 of the US division of the WHL. Vancouver has nothing to worry about.

[docrocket 48]

Everett is about 30 milesnorth of Seattle too.

The thing is, it's REALLY EXPENSIVE to get to Victoria by plane or ferry. A junior team there us going to be behind the 8 ball in travel subsidies pretty damn quick.

It might make it worthwhile if Nanaimo could move the BCHL Clippers up to the WHL. We hear rumours about it every few years...but it could never happen without a team in Victoria. One trip to the Island, two games.

[rams80 4,233]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but there are 5 teams on Vancouver Island in the BCHL and they have to travel to the mainland very often to play teams. So perhaps the travel cost with the ferries won't be all that bad. They also travel by bus so there might not be a problem. I know armature sports teams do get a travel discount when all are going together on the ferries for games in the mainland or the Gulf Islands...Howver I know that they are again jacking up prices so that might go out the window...Stupid crown corporation!

They can probably hack it because you have 5 teams to pull a road swing through for travel purposes. More teams = fewer trips overall across the water (if done properly)

[oakland ehs 2]

Everett is about 30 milesnorth of Seattle too.

The thing is, it's REALLY EXPENSIVE to get to Victoria by plane or ferry. A junior team there us going to be behind the 8 ball in travel subsidies pretty damn quick.

It might make it worthwhile if Nanaimo could move the BCHL Clippers up to the WHL. We hear rumours about it every few years...but it could never happen without a team in Victoria. One trip to the Island, two games.

I was reading Patrick King's article on Sportsnet talking about how the league would much prefer having two teams on the island as opposed to one.

Still, they could at least make it a "two game trip" location. I know in the AJHL when teams go up to Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie, it's almost always a back-to-back game with them. Smaller league, shorter travel, but same concept.

[OMMF 120]

The thing is, it's REALLY EXPENSIVE to get to Victoria by plane or ferry. A junior team there us going to be behind the 8 ball in travel subsidies pretty damn quick.

More expensive than the gas used to drive to PG and back? Perhaps Victoria, if they are by themselves on the island, do what the Cougars do when the rest of the Western conference teams visit and play 2 in a row.

[Ricky_Roby 90]

Perfect opportunity to roll this bad boy out full time...

Seconded! A fantastic logo that's wasted on their (albeit beautiful) third jerseys.

[FrankCostanza 10]

Everett is about 30 milesnorth of Seattle too.

The thing is, it's REALLY EXPENSIVE to get to Victoria by plane or ferry. A junior team there us going to be behind the 8 ball in travel subsidies pretty damn quick.

It might make it worthwhile if Nanaimo could move the BCHL Clippers up to the WHL. We hear rumours about it every few years...but it could never happen without a team in Victoria. One trip to the Island, two games.

I was reading Patrick King's article on Sportsnet talking about how the league would much prefer having two teams on the island as opposed to one.

Still, they could at least make it a "two game trip" location. I know in the AJHL when teams go up to Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie, it's almost always a back-to-back game with them. Smaller league, shorter travel, but same concept.

That is exactly what AHL and QMJHL teams did when they visited St. John's. In fact there were a few times when Lewiston played three games in St. John's on one trip.

[kiwi_canadian 196]

Well apparently Justin Morneau is going to financially back the Moray Keith-Jim Bond group to buy the Bruins and keep them in Chilliwack.

Justin Morneau on board

[Lee. 419]

More signs that he's still suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

[kiwi_canadian 196]

Well it appears that the deal is final. The Bruins have been sold to RG Properties and will be moving to Victoria for next season. Just waiting approval from the WHL BOG. What I saw on CHEK News sports cast tonight was that this will most likely be the final season for the Salmon Kings and they said most likely the Grizzles. However, I'm not too sure on that one as they have a pretty new arena out in Colwood. Anyways, I'm hoping for a nice looking jersey and perhaps a new name.

Reported Deal from CKNW