Tipped Off
03-16-2005, 11:27 AM
this is from today's Tri-City Herald
Americans’ future still unclear
By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer
The future of the desert’s coolest game has been put on ice.
The Tri-City Americans received a two-week extension on a deadline that passed Tuesday to sign a contract that would keep the Western Hockey League team in the Tri-Cities.
The franchise’s ownership group had reached a tentative agreement with Three Rivers Coliseum management on a three-year lease extension, but team co-owner Darryl Porter said there are too many things to sort out to sign a deal right now.
“This is excruciating,” Porter said Tuesday from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. “This is the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with. It has always been hard in Tri-Cities for whoever has owned the team.”
Right now, the Americans ownership group has a contract drawn up with Compass Facility Management, the group that manages the coliseum for the City of Kennewick, for a three-year lease.
However, a group of hockey supporters in Chilliwack, British Columbia, has been enticing Porter and his partners Brian Burke, Glen Sather and Bob Tory with an offer of their own.
The Chilliwack arena, Prospera Centre, seats just 3,700 fans — which is not near the capacity for a WHL team. Porter estimated last week that it would cost about $2 million to make the Chilliwack rink viable for a WHL team.
The Chilliwack City Council discussed the issue Monday night in a closed session.
“We are still talking about it,” said Chilliwack City Councillor Chuck Stam. “Those decisions were decided in closed sessions, so I can’t comment. I’d love to be able to tell you, but I can’t. We have regular council meetings, and I’m sure it will be coming in time. Our next meeting is March 21.”
The Americans have to declare to the WHL by March 31 what their plans are for next season. A move would have to be approved by two-thirds of the WHL Board of Governors.
“Brian, Glen and I will meet next week,” Porter said. “We want to make the right decision. We want to talk to the league about the building and other things. We want the league’s perspective on this.”
WHL commissioner Ron Robison said he has set aside time to meet with the Americans owners.
“As a league, we continue to review the long-term viability of our franchises,” Robison said. “We plan to look at how the franchise is doing in Tri-Cities.”
All of this comes at a time when the Americans are battling the Spokane Chiefs for the final U.S. Division playoff spot. The Americans play host to the Kootenay Ice tonight.
“The difficult thing is I have been here five years, and each year around this time, I hear the same thing,” said veteran center Dylan Stanley. “You can’t blame a person trying to make money to explore the options. I told some of the guys, ‘I’ve heard this before, but there is nothing we can do about it.’ ”
If the Americans sign the lease agreement, the city will make needed improvements to the 17-year-old facility.
“They want long-term if they are going to fix the building,” Porter said. “We have to take a step back and look at it. Other than that, they are offering us a very good deal.”
On Porter’s wish list are improvements to the visiting team’s locker room, the press box and new rink boards.
There also are requirements set by the WHL that arenas must meet.
“We walk through the rink and address everything from the ice, fan seating, media needs and dressing rooms,” Robison said. “It is an extensive list of criteria.”
Three Rivers Coliseum is ready to meet those standards.
“I told Darryl that any league requirements that are not up to standards, we will make every effort to meet those,” said John Sellers, the executive director of Compass and Three Rivers Convention Center. “They are still discussing one other offer and we won’t know until next week. They are trying to make some tough business decisions.
“We still believe we have on the table the best business offer we can offer them to stay in the Tri-Cities.”
The Americans have been in the Tri-Cities since 1988, when Ron Dixon moved the franchise to Kennewick from New Westminster, British Columbia. The team has had limited success over the past 17 years, moving past the first round of the playoffs only four times, including last season. The Americans have missed the playoffs four times.
Americans’ future still unclear
By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer
The future of the desert’s coolest game has been put on ice.
The Tri-City Americans received a two-week extension on a deadline that passed Tuesday to sign a contract that would keep the Western Hockey League team in the Tri-Cities.
The franchise’s ownership group had reached a tentative agreement with Three Rivers Coliseum management on a three-year lease extension, but team co-owner Darryl Porter said there are too many things to sort out to sign a deal right now.
“This is excruciating,” Porter said Tuesday from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. “This is the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with. It has always been hard in Tri-Cities for whoever has owned the team.”
Right now, the Americans ownership group has a contract drawn up with Compass Facility Management, the group that manages the coliseum for the City of Kennewick, for a three-year lease.
However, a group of hockey supporters in Chilliwack, British Columbia, has been enticing Porter and his partners Brian Burke, Glen Sather and Bob Tory with an offer of their own.
The Chilliwack arena, Prospera Centre, seats just 3,700 fans — which is not near the capacity for a WHL team. Porter estimated last week that it would cost about $2 million to make the Chilliwack rink viable for a WHL team.
The Chilliwack City Council discussed the issue Monday night in a closed session.
“We are still talking about it,” said Chilliwack City Councillor Chuck Stam. “Those decisions were decided in closed sessions, so I can’t comment. I’d love to be able to tell you, but I can’t. We have regular council meetings, and I’m sure it will be coming in time. Our next meeting is March 21.”
The Americans have to declare to the WHL by March 31 what their plans are for next season. A move would have to be approved by two-thirds of the WHL Board of Governors.
“Brian, Glen and I will meet next week,” Porter said. “We want to make the right decision. We want to talk to the league about the building and other things. We want the league’s perspective on this.”
WHL commissioner Ron Robison said he has set aside time to meet with the Americans owners.
“As a league, we continue to review the long-term viability of our franchises,” Robison said. “We plan to look at how the franchise is doing in Tri-Cities.”
All of this comes at a time when the Americans are battling the Spokane Chiefs for the final U.S. Division playoff spot. The Americans play host to the Kootenay Ice tonight.
“The difficult thing is I have been here five years, and each year around this time, I hear the same thing,” said veteran center Dylan Stanley. “You can’t blame a person trying to make money to explore the options. I told some of the guys, ‘I’ve heard this before, but there is nothing we can do about it.’ ”
If the Americans sign the lease agreement, the city will make needed improvements to the 17-year-old facility.
“They want long-term if they are going to fix the building,” Porter said. “We have to take a step back and look at it. Other than that, they are offering us a very good deal.”
On Porter’s wish list are improvements to the visiting team’s locker room, the press box and new rink boards.
There also are requirements set by the WHL that arenas must meet.
“We walk through the rink and address everything from the ice, fan seating, media needs and dressing rooms,” Robison said. “It is an extensive list of criteria.”
Three Rivers Coliseum is ready to meet those standards.
“I told Darryl that any league requirements that are not up to standards, we will make every effort to meet those,” said John Sellers, the executive director of Compass and Three Rivers Convention Center. “They are still discussing one other offer and we won’t know until next week. They are trying to make some tough business decisions.
“We still believe we have on the table the best business offer we can offer them to stay in the Tri-Cities.”
The Americans have been in the Tri-Cities since 1988, when Ron Dixon moved the franchise to Kennewick from New Westminster, British Columbia. The team has had limited success over the past 17 years, moving past the first round of the playoffs only four times, including last season. The Americans have missed the playoffs four times.