The Dub in Chilliwack!!

[amisk]

I heard the Ams are on the move. Is it a good thing for the W.H.L.? and the Giants? Chiefs? Attendance?

[almosttyme4hockey]

It's a rumor indeed, but it could happen

How far is Chilliwack from Vancouver?

[Chipper]

If it does happen they could just as easly end up in Edmonton. who's got the deepest pockets? Gentleman Lets start the bidding at three million.

[HAF]

Almost everything I've heard on this issue has been online. very little has been said about this locally. It is my hope that this is just a rumor or a scare tactic in order to get a better lease renewell on the Three Rivers Coliseum from the City of Kennewick.
I guess we're all waiting on monday to get here to find out for sure. Dont count your chickens before they hatch. I dont think Our Am's are going anywhere, However this was in this mornings Tri City Herald

Ams may be on the move
This story was published Sunday, March 6th, 2005

By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer

The Tri-City Americans have a decision to make by the end of this month.

A move to Edmonton. A new life in Chilliwack. A few more seasons at Three Rivers Coliseum.

A story in Friday's Vancouver Sun set the Tri-City Americans up in all three situations, and team owner/president Darryl Porter doesn't deny he's explored options outside the Tri-Cities.

"The gist of the article is accurate," Porter said from his Vancouver, British Columbia, home. "We don't know what to do right now. The Chilliwack deal is, they have a nice 3,700-seat place there and we've been talk-ing, but they aren't sure they want to, or if they have the wherewithal to do it. It's partially owned by the city and things like this have to go through council."

The Chilliwack, British Columbia, arena, Prospera Centre, seats just 3,700 fans -- which is not near the capacity for a Western Hockey League team. Prospera Centre is home to the popular Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. The Chiefs' attendance is the best in the Canadian Junior Hockey League with an average of 2,700 per game.

Porter estimated that it would cost about $2 million to make the Chilliwack rink viable for a WHL team.

"We have to declare to the league by March 31 what we are going to do," Porter said. "That's a drop-dead date that is very real. I don't know if (Chilliwack) could even start to make decisions like that in the next week or two."

The Edmonton Oilers have been in the market for a WHL team for more than a year, with no takers. The Americans are just one of the teams the Oilers have contacted, but they weren't persuasive enough for Porter and the rest of the ownership group, which includes former Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke, New York Rangers GM Glen Sather and Tri-City GM Bob Tory.

The Sun reported Edmonton's offer to be rumored at $5 million, but Porter indicated that while the offer was a league high, it was less.

"We turned down Edmonton on Monday," Porter said. "They were offering a league-record amount for a WHL team, but we like the league, the owners and we don't want to get out of the WHL, if at all possible."

That leaves the Tri-Cities, where the team has been since Ron Dixon moved the franchise to Kennewick from New Westminster, British Columbia, in 1988. But the team hasn't had much 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.

"I'm not about to mislead anyone," Porter said. "We are confused about what to do. At the end of the day, we have great fans, but do we have enough of them? The 2,500 fans we have are so loyal and our corporate sponsors are loyal. But our growth has all come from within since we bought the team. All the programs we have tried to sell more tickets in the last three years have failed.

"We have lost money every year and costs in the league are going up. The lease they are offering us is really good and we appreciate that. We are still just trying to make a decision."

The City of Kennewick and Compass Facility Management, who runs the day-to-day operations of Three Rivers Coliseum, are close to signing a three-year contract with the Americans, and Compass executive director John Sellers said they have set a deadline of March 15.

"Darryl and I met recently and talked about the various issues," Sellers said. "We worked for six months putting together what we thought was best for both our groups, and I think it is a good deal for them. They are important to the community and we want them here, but at the same time, we want it to be good business for both of us."

Porter admitted the team's lack of success earlier this season may play a part of the decline in attendance, which is just under last season.

"We are disappointed we haven't played better," Porter said of his team that is 23-31-7-3 going into its game tonight in Portland. "We don't have the data we wanted for this year. Our team came out and struggled. We wonder what attendance might be like had we had a better season. But Brian has said, 'If you need to be in first place to have a good attendance, show us the exit door.'

"We have 300 more season tickets holders than last year, and we are drawing less than last year. That means our walk-up has gone down. Those are the facts. We are at a crossroads."

One at which Sellers hopes Porter and his partners take the road to Kennewick. "I'm still confident that we have given them room to be a progressive and good contributor to the community," Sellers said. "I hope they sign up. If they don't make that commitment, we are moving forward, but we want them to be here."

n Annie Fowler can be reached at 582-1574 or via e-mail at afowler@tri-cityherald.com.

[The_Vulk]

Rumours dealing with the Tri-Cities Americans have been ongoing for some time now.

As it goes, if any of the DUB's teams were to relocate, it would be this team, first and foremost.

Guess the spectre hanging over the team has not helped.

[Jovorock]

It's a rumor indeed, but it could happen

How far is Chilliwack from Vancouver?

I think its about a hour, probly two during rush hour?

[Beaner]

I think its about a hour, probly two during rush hour?

Its about 70 odd miles from Vancouver.

[fightstrap50]

why would they even consider Chilliwack as a home as there are five BC division teams here already , is there not another suitable home for them in the states close to where they are now? I dont really know the area at all, but this would be a stupid choice to move to, would they still play in the US division? The Ice already play an unbalanced schedule as it is in the BC division,what would happen to this if the AM's moved to BC, would we play back in the central division again? if they moved to Edmonton this would definetly put the Ice back in the BC division for all games and we could lose our team here because of that reason alone :burningma as it is not ecconimically viable for our team to travel so much in BC and the US as it is through the Central and east divisions, if we moved into a full time BC schedule there'd be no fun in it for the other BC teams as we be kickin a$$ the whole time LOL

[almosttyme4hockey]

Its about 70 odd miles from Vancouver.

All right. I have been in Chilliwack before driving from the States. I always thought they were a suburb of Greater Vancouver

[HAF]

why would they even consider Chilliwack as a home as there are five BC division teams here already , is there not another suitable home for them in the states close to where they are now? I dont really know the area at all, but this would be a stupid choice to move to, would they still play in the US division? The Ice already play an unbalanced schedule as it is in the BC division,what would happen to this if the AM's moved to BC, would we play back in the central division again? if they moved to Edmonton this would definetly put the Ice back in the BC division for all games and we could lose our team here because of that reason alone :burningma as it is not ecconimically viable for our team to travel so much in BC and the US as it is through the Central and east divisions, if we moved into a full time BC schedule there'd be no fun in it for the other BC teams as we be kickin a$$ the whole time LOL

Personally, I think either Eugene,Or or Salem,Or would both be great choices if they did indeed move. They are both right on I - 5 and would make a great rival for Portland. I hope they do stay put though.