Oil to pitch for WHL team

[Beaner]

from, http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2006/01/26/1412604-sun.html




Oil to pitch for WHL team

By ROBIN BROWNLEE -- Edmonton Sun

ANAHEIM -- The Edmonton Oilers will make their pitch for an expansion franchise to the WHL board of governors in Calgary Feb. 6, but team president Patrick LaForge has already started his.

"Edmonton is a great market," LaForge said. "It will be one of the next great WHL markets. It's got all the structure and all of the fan support you could ask for.

"The ownership group here is terrific and is committed to the marketplace in every way possible."

The Oilers have been in pursuit of a WHL franchise, be it an existing team or via expansion, for three years. The February meeting with commissioner Ron Robison and his board represents the next big push in landing a team for 2007-08.

"There's an opportunity for the franchise to service the family market," LaForge said. "It was proven by our experience with the Road Runners in the AHL that's there's a whole different segment of fans out there."

The junior circuit expanded to 21 teams with the addition of Chilliwack and has been contemplating the addition of a 22nd team.

Edmonton will be one of the front-runners - although not the only city - up for consideration if Robison and his board decide adding another franchise is the way to go.

LaForge and governor Cal Nichols will make up the Oilers' contingent for the presentation in Calgary.

"They don't plan on voting on it right then. They want to chew on it for awhile," LaForge said.

NAME THAT TEAM: Should the Oilers land an expansion team, they'll probably put a list of potential names to fans for a vote.

The Oilers have a short list of names, with one of the options being the reinstatement of the old Oil Kings handle

[WHEATMAN]

does anyone else think the WHL made a huge mistake by awarding a team to chilliwack? all this did was screw up the divisions and made more expansion enevitable, You would have thought the WHL could have learned a lesson from the NHL's constant expansion, by expanding so much thid has watered down the league. I for one am anti-expansion in the WHL and thought 20 teams worked just fine, any thoughts on future expansion?

[RunTheGoalie]

I could argue the NHL being watered down, since it isnt, but that doesn't really fit this forum. ;)

The WHL, OTOH, is getting watered down, and getting worse with the CHA's new rules.

As far as Edmonton goes, this is virtually a slam dunk, but Nichols should just come clean with his reasoning for wanting a team: "We are watching the Flames rake it in with the WHL, and we want to do the same." :laugh:

As far as the Oil Kings moniker goes, I'd rather that they went with a new image for the team.

[Beaner]

I agree Wheatman, especially considering the CHL is going to start limiting Euro's and 16 year olds who can play. And then if the planned idea of Limiting US born players goes thru thats just going to water down the talent level even more.

Right now with Chilliwack coming in, the league is unbalanced, and eventually Edmonton is going to make a financial offer that they league will not be able to refuse.

If they do go thru with this, please, stop at 22 teams.

[Tinner]

Just wait...............what if the Edmonton group has already bought an existing team!. Does that change anything?

By the way, I really don't think you'll see a limit on the US born players. With 5 US teams in the league, how would/could they do it!

I like the retro thing with the "Oil Kings" and its a name that comes with built in identification.

[RunTheGoalie]

If the Oilers had already bought a team, we would know about it, as they would be voting on the sale at the next Governors meeting, not taking proposals for expansion.

Ideally, the league should be at 22 or 24 teams. An odd number is unwieldly.

I would also prefer that the league will revisit thep playoff format somewhat, allowing for a crossover if the 5th place club in one division finishes ahead of the 4th place team in the other division in their conference.

[grainbear]

My biggest concern is talent ?. With less import players being talked about in the future and the limits on the number of 16 year old are we not going to see more players but with less talent ? Maybe if the NHL teams want to have junior teams they should once again start paying junior clubs for the talent they produce then the smaller markets like Swift Current and others could compete. Also we should maybe look at controlling the budgets of larger market teams. If centers like Chilliwack and Edmonton come in fine. But no expansion drafts . Award them a team for two years down the road, let them begin to develop their 50 player lists , the day the get the franchise . Stop takeing even 1 player from the established teams. If they are the bottom of the leaque for a couple of years developing that would be part of the costs that any developing business must meet.

[The_Vulk]

With the problem that happened in Tri-Cities (with the owner), the aborted move (now expansion) had to happen, or the league would be without one of its owners, as the fans would never accept what happened. Hince Chilliwack became the expansion to please everyone as best they could.

Edmonton has been trying to get a WHL team since shortly after the Ice moved out and into Kootenay. That they have been more vocal about it in the last three years is not surprising. And I'd rather it be via expansion. All the teams, their fans and cities needed to stay where they are. If it means a better revenue sharing system to keep ALL franchises healthy, then I say we should.

And yes, a new nickname/logo/colors!


As for the talent drain, in a country of around 33 Million people, with 58 teams already competing at this level of hockey in the CHL, let alone all those leagues with the same age level which has players worthy of play at the CHL level, I don't see this drainage of skill.

Hockey Canada does such a grand job at all levels of development (we still need more quality officials, always).


Personally, I'd love to see the day when the CHL brand of hockey can expand to include a United States League(s) also competing in the Memorial Cup Tournament. (Not the college level leagues, but a true league of franchises like the CHL). The hockey talent and fans south of the border is getting up there. Just look at the results of the Junior Hockey Championships and Worlds/Olympics. We already know the CHL brand does work. The current teams the CHL already has proves it. From Lewiston to Plymouth to Spokane.


So yes, given Edmonton an EXPANSION team.

[Tinner]

The talent to feed WHL, or for that matter, CHL teams is already there. The problem is the NCAA and the CHL have to get to a win-win situation with respect to elegibility. Tier 2 (examples BCJHL, AJHL) teams have at least 3 players that could play on any WHL team. No, the talent is there, the politics is what is holding everything back. In fact, rather than being progressive, these 2 groups are retrogressive.

[Jovorock]

The WHL shouldn't of let Chilliwack in to begin with, now you have 21. I think board of governers have already made up their minds and will give Edmonton a team, but Winnipeg would be a better location IMO. It would help Brandon with less travel. The league is watered down and now they are talking about restricting Euros and Americans?

[wango tango]

The WHL shouldn't of let Chilliwack in to begin with, now you have 21. I think board of governers have already made up their minds and will give Edmonton a team, but Winnipeg would be a better location IMO. It would help Brandon with less travel. The league is watered down and now they are talking about restricting Euros and Americans?

the whl governors had no choice but to allow an expansion franchise. with the way they handled the tri-city/chilliwack situation the league opened itself up to a lawsuit. the governors resolved the mess of their own making by going the expansion route.

the league would much prefer a balanced schedule by adding a 22nd team. hello edmonton. the oilers have been trying to buy an existing franchise for a few years and now that it's clear relocating a team isn't going to happen they are putting a lot of money on the table for an expansion team.

winnipeg would be a great addition. unfortunately as long as the ahl is in winnipeg it won't happen. the ticket prices are too close, one would canibalize the other. the mts centre is the only facility capable of holding a team right now, and the chipman family has made it clear they're not interested in the whl unless they were able to land an nhl team.

[RunTheGoalie]

Personally, I'd love to see the day when the CHL brand of hockey can expand to include a United States League(s) also competing in the Memorial Cup Tournament. (Not the college level leagues, but a true league of franchises like the CHL). The hockey talent and fans south of the border is getting up there. Just look at the results of the Junior Hockey Championships and Worlds/Olympics. We already know the CHL brand does work. The current teams the CHL already has proves it. From Lewiston to Plymouth to Spokane.

I take the opposite view, myself. Personally, I'd rather that the CHL was reduced to a Canadian only league, with the focus on developing Canadian talent. I think that the five US division teams in our league could form the basis of a very strong Major-Junior league in the US, with a focus on developing American players. Not likely to happen, of course, but the one thing I am certain of is that I never want to see a non-CHL club competing for the Memorial Cup. If we are going to be facing an American league club champion (ie: USHL champion), then let it be for a different trophy.