Edmonton

[scamperdog]

So what does the future hold for the city that sends the whl packing so often

[RunTheGoalie]

Most likely the same as the city that lost the Centennials and Wranglers.

[bandwagonboy]

If they run it with class the way the Hitmen have been then they will be there a long time. I don't expect them to have the same sort of success that the Hitmen have had right off the bat however.

The Hitmen came into being in Calgary at just the right time, when the flames were struggling. With high NHL ticket prices and an NHL team that wasn't competing watching the Hitmen for many fans was a no brainer. The new Edmonton WHL francise won't have that advantage. The Oil seem to always be some what competative year in year out. It will be a long hard climb but I'm sure that the new WHL Edmonton francise will one day draw as well as the Hitmen do if they run the organization as well as the Hitmen have been run.

If they don't run it well then they'll be packing in a few years time. Not to Yellowknife however. With places like Fort Mac booming I can't see them going all the way to Yellowknife.

[RunTheGoalie]

Fort McMurray has no arena, and no desire to build one. Not to mention that, like Grande Prairie, it probably needs Edmonton in the WHL before it ever gains consideration. Just way too far from the nearest opponents otherwise.

[OHLArenaGuide]

Fort McMurray has no arena, and no desire to build one. Not to mention that, like Grande Prairie, it probably needs Edmonton in the WHL before it ever gains consideration. Just way too far from the nearest opponents otherwise.

That's exactly true. Edmonton is the gateway to the north, and without a team in Edmonton I can't see how Fort Mac would be financially viable. Give them ten years and build an arena and the city could easily support the Dub, though.

[rezstyle]

I'm not too sure about Cananda, but I know here in the states, the "lesser" leagues have trouble gaining too much of a following when there is a pro team in town.

[Bran]

I'm not too sure about Cananda, but I know here in the states, the "lesser" leagues have trouble gaining too much of a following when there is a pro team in town.
I don't think that's so much the case here. Look at the Hitmen and Giants, both have good followings...I'm sure the teams out in the OHL or the QMJHL aren't much different either. It's cheaper and makes it much more viable for poor students such as myself, and for a lot of families. Besides that, I think there's a general feeling in most places that there's something special about watching these guys play, when they do it for the passion, the love of the game and money has nothing to do with it, because there is none. And there's something nice when you're watching a 16 or 17 year old kid play and thinking "he's gonna be a star" and you almost feel a sense of pride when they are. And there's the accessibility of the players, I think people tend to feel close to the players in these "lesser" leagues in a way you really don't with players in the big leagues. At least that's my take on it...

[The_Vulk]

The Calgary Hitmen, the Vancouver Giants, the Ottawa 67's, the Toronto St.Micheal's Majors are all examples of CHL teams in NHL cities.

And none of them are having 'problems' that would suggest that Edmonton will not do as well with a CHL team as the other cities.

Besides, it gives the rest of Alberta another reason to beat on those Edmontonians. :thumb:

[OHLArenaGuide]

Toronto St.Micheal's Majors

I wouldn't have the Majors on your list. If it wasn't for Eugene Melnyk's deep pockets they would have been gone years ago.

[In the crowd]

If this was ten years ago I wouldn't think it would last, but big cities have a ne attitude towards junior teams (I think), so I think they're there to stay (for a while anyways). I still think the league should stay at 20 teams though

[RunTheGoalie]

I wouldn't have the Majors on your list. If it wasn't for Eugene Melnyk's deep pockets they would have been gone years ago.

Whatever happened to the new arena they were supposed to build? I thought St. Mikes arena was supposed to be a temporary home only?

[Swando]

If you go to a Canucks/Flames/Oilers game you will rarely see a father and 2 kids walking around. At the Giants games theres kids every where. I'm a season ticket holder and I have great seats. I pay 35 for 2 seats plus reserved parking. These same seats and parking at GM place would cost me close to 275. You do the math and decide which entertainment is better. (I'm only speaking for Canuckville) Would you like to see Bertuzzi loaf arond making 5 mill or would you like to see a Gilbert Brule and the rest of his team bust there butts for pride. The WHL had become a desirable place for NHL'ers to invest in and the marketing campaigns are unbelievable. Sports Net, Shaw Cable TV etc. Yes bigger markets will create more revenue but it's an equal playing field when it comes to drafting, travel $, etc. We as a league have to improve that much more to stop the defection to lesser leagues that allow scholarships to the US colleges. The Giants lost Daniel Bertram and I'm sure many of you and your teams have lost such players. :clap:

[Tiger Trauma]

I liked the 20 team league too..Although if there creating new teams..i dont think they should put a limit on 16yr olds. I would prefer to see even divisions and conferences.

On a side note...Will chilliwack and Edmonton get to use 5 overagers in their first year?

[OHLArenaGuide]

Whatever happened to the new arena they were supposed to build? I thought St. Mikes arena was supposed to be a temporary home only?

The problem is that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment runs Toronto and they don't want competition. They're actively trying to force the Majors out of town, but Melnyk is a St Michael's College alumnus and is also a billionaire (he owns the Senators too), so he seems totally happy to run the team as a tax write-off. Melnyk has said several times that he's still looking to build his own arena but only if he can get the right deal done.

Any other owner and they would have left Toronto 4-5 years ago.

[RunTheGoalie]

I liked the 20 team league too..Although if there creating new teams..i dont think they should put a limit on 16yr olds. I would prefer to see even divisions and conferences.

On a side note...Will chilliwack and Edmonton get to use 5 overagers in their first year?

The cap on 16 year olds comes from Hockey Canada, not the WHL. Not a whole lot they can do about it.

[RunTheGoalie]

The problem is that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment runs Toronto and they don't want competition. They're actively trying to force the Majors out of town, but Melnyk is a St Michael's College alumnus and is also a billionaire (he owns the Senators too), so he seems totally happy to run the team as a tax write-off. Melnyk has said several times that he's still looking to build his own arena but only if he can get the right deal done.

Any other owner and they would have left Toronto 4-5 years ago.

Sounds exactly like the Edmonton Ice situation with the Oilers. Trust the Leafs to be that predatory even though they are selling out every night.

Here's hoping the Majors win a championship before the Leafs do. :D

[N.W. Bruin]

I liked the 20 team league too..Although if there creating new teams..i dont think they should put a limit on 16yr olds. I would prefer to see even divisions and conferences.

On a side note...Will chilliwack and Edmonton get to use 5 overagers in their first year?


Both Chilliwack and Edmonton will get to use five overagers in their first seasons. I sort of look at that as a way to help first year teams out plus the fact that those first year clubs do not have any incoming bantam choices due to their first bantam choices will only be 15.

[OHLArenaGuide]

Sounds exactly like the Edmonton Ice situation with the Oilers. Trust the Leafs to be that predatory even though they are selling out every night.

The Majors aren't really competition for the Leafs, they're competition for the Marlies that the Leafs are also trying to sell. And yes, I'm familiar with the Ice situation and it's exactly the same in a lot of ways.