The ramifications for the Vancouver Canucks are even more interesting. In one fell swoop, the Canucks have lost their AHL affiliation with the Manitoba Moose and are now searching for a new home for their prospects currently based with that affiliate. No longer Moose they're essentially "homeless". There is only one current AHL team that is looking for a new NHL affiliate and that's based right smack in the heart of ENEMY territory: the Chicago Wolves. Considering that we've had a hate-on for the CHICAGO Blackhawks for the past three years until we finally vanquished the Hawks in a hard-fought heavily contested brawl of a 1st round playoff series this year, it's kind of stupid to put our AHL affiliate ties right smack in the middle of Hawk territory. Considering that most Chicago Wolves fans are also Chicago Blackhawks fans; having a AHL team in their home-city affiliated with their loathed enemy for the past three years would really go over well with those fans. Attendance more than likely would plummet to subterranean levels and the ownership (Are you listening Dan Levin?) would find more than sufficient cause to want to pull up stakes despite Levin's ties to the Chicago area.
I mean, (cue dripping sarcasm) it would be like Calgary putting a AHL team into Abbotsford and expecting Canucks fans to shell out money to see FLAMES prospects and manage to get enough gate revenue to support team expenses. And then state that "I believe it will succeed. So we're going to stay there." I mean, who the hell would be brilliant enough to come up with that GENIUS idea?
"fat chance in hell of that ever happening"
It will be a COLD day in hell before I support the Abbotsford Heat while they remain a Calgary AHL affiliate. I'm putting it mildly when I say that Canuck fans HATE the Calgary Flames with a passion and ANYTHING related to the Flames, AHL affiliates included. And anyone who doesn't realize that aspect of the market that they stick their AHL team into is an absolute flaming IDIOT. The GM who decides to make an alliance with the Calgary Flames and then proceeds to stick his team in the heart of the division rival's fanbase territory has no business wondering why his gate sales are atrocious. Considering that the only time the Heat's home rink was sold out was when the Manitoba Moose came to town, should have told the managers of the Heat that things were not rosy in AbbyVille.
And I'm sure Chicago Wolves fans are the same way in supporting their hometown NHL team. Unfortunately they got stuck with another NHL team's AHL affiliate. Chicago is an Original Six franchise. Their fanbase is loyal and passionate. Thus sticking a Canucks AHL affiliation with the Chicago Wolves in that particular market is a raw deal that only looks to put egg on the Canuck organization's faces.
The only team that wins in this whole situation is Winnipeg who goes waltzing off with an NHL franchise and a relocation of their AHL affiliate (all under the same True North Sports Entertainment group umbrella) off to either Thunder Bay or St. John's and last I heard, they were goin' to Newfie-ville.
Secondly, there are the legal ramifications of this matter. Last I recalled, while a person or organization was under contract of affiliation to develop players for their NHL team any attempts to lure another NHL organization to that city should be construed as "conflict of interest" thus breach of contract. Thereby True North Sports Entertainment violated the terms of their agreement with the Vancouver Canucks by tendering an offer (while under an affiliation contract to the Vancouver Canucks) to the Atlanta Thrashers. Frankly, I believe that there should be a penalty for that type of underhanded dealing.
Well, all things considered, it could be that it all works out for the best. Maybe the best thing would be to buy out the remaining 8 years of the contract to the Abbotsford Heat, tell them and their little "HEAT"ed Flamelets to go bugger off somewhere nice and COLD: how about Lethbridge, Alberta...or somewhere even nicer like Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan? They could compete with airshow enthusiasts who watch the Royal Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds. We could then shove the Chicago Wolves into Abbotsford Arena, renaming them the Abbotsford Wolves. And considering we do have REAL wolves here, not just the human kind, that would actually take on more meaning wouldn't it?
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