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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.

Spungy
03-16-2005, 02:01 PM
thanks for the article!! so two more weeks of speculation i guess eh?

007
03-16-2005, 03:16 PM
:clap: I sure hope they do. We all love rivalries and I would hate to see them go. They will get it taken care of.

Jovorock
03-16-2005, 03:47 PM
So if you read between the lines, they are gone if Chilliwack spends the $2m and if they don't want to spend the money then they have reached agreement to stay in Tri?

Chipper
03-16-2005, 06:13 PM
I hope that there is a sell out in Tri City tonite to show the owners that there fans wants WHL hockey remains in The Tri City area. But I also hope that the Ice win in a close game lol Go ICE GO!!!!!!!

HAF
03-17-2005, 02:32 AM
It wasnt a sell out but it was pretty darn good for a wednesday game. A great game, lots of action and a few pretty good tilts to boot.

Rooselk
03-19-2005, 12:51 PM
Deal near for WHL

By Dale Cory, Progress
Mar 18 2005


It appears Chilliwack may be as close to getting a Western Hockey League franchise as a signature on the dotted line.
The Tri-City Americans - a team which has been based in the Kennewick-area of Washington State since 1988 after a move from New Westminster - appear on the verge of relocating to Chilliwack.
Chiefs Development Group executive Moray Keith told The Progress Thursday that three teams from the Western Hockey League have been in contact with his group.
The news follows the decision by city council this week to commit $1.2 million to upgrade Prospera Centre, should a WHL bid be successful.
"The lead group is the Tri-City Americans," says Mr. Keith. "We haven't got a finished deal with them yet. The first thing was to have a larger arena, and closer to 5,000 seats, and council has helped us with that expansion. Now it's time for us to do due diligence with Tri-City to see if there's a deal to be made."
The team is averaging around 2,500 fans per game at Three Rivers Coliseum. Daryl Porter, part of the ownership group, says 3,500 a game are needed to break even. He has been negotiating a new three-year lease, but says there are still too many things to sort out for a deal to be finalized.
The fact the Chilliwack Chiefs, in their first year in Prospera Centre, averaged a Canadian Junior A Hockey League-high 2,773 fans per game, has Porter and his group in serious discussions with the Chiefs Development Group.
That attendance total is also the main reason keith and his group is looking at major junior hockey.
"Chilliwack has phenomenal fans, and is one of those true Canadian towns that loves hockey," says Keith. "People like their sports and their community, and are involved."
Keith also downplays concerns a Western Hockey League team will price itself out of the market with regard to tickets, and that Prospera Centre user groups will have to pay more.
"It's quite the opposite," stresses Keith. "We're going to be able to hold rates a lot tighter than we expected. We don't have to up rates, because we'll have a major tenant as a source of revenue. The difference in cost to sponsors will be marginal, the exposure will be huge."
A move by a WHL team must be declared to the league by March 31, and would require the approval of two-thirds of the Board of Governors.
In addition to getting the OK from the league to move, Chilliwack must also expand a facility less than seven months old.
While Prospera Centre's 3,600-seat capacity is already larger than facilities in Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Swift Current, it still doesn't allow the team much breathing room in terms of revenue.
So, City hall has made a $1.2 million promise to help lure a WHL team to the community.
During a closed-door meeting with members of the Chiefs Development Group Monday, city council agreed to help expand seating in Prospera Centre to the 5,500-range by filling in the lower bowl, as well as fund other improvements.
Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames said the investment is a good deal for the city.
While there's speculation fees will go up if the arena is expanded, Hames is adamant expansion could lead to revenues increasing by "half a million (dollars) more," so the current fees would be "more protected than ever."
The City of Chilliwack's arrangement with the Chiefs Development Group sees the city receive 50 per cent of net revenues from the arena.
"These folks (Chiefs) are our partners and they've brought nothing but good things to our community," adds Hames, "I don't want to downplay anything that's been here up to now. (the Chiefs) "Are most successful in the country. But, if Chiefs want to bring in a higher-level of hockey, and if our community is ready to take that step, we would support it."
It appears the situation is now in the hands of the Americans.
"Should folks at Tri-City want to go ahead with it, it will simply be case of them making a presentation and the WHL accepting it."

HAF
03-19-2005, 03:29 PM
They are still using the wrong attendance numbers for tri this year even after Porter addressed that issue with the BC papers. That tells me to not believe a damn thing those papers are saying!!!! Personally, I'm getting tired of all the speculation and rumors. It will be a done deal within the next week so we will all know then.