It’s that time of year again – before taxpayers find out how much it has cost them to keep the owners of the Abbotsford Heat from losing money, news about the Calgary Flames looking for a new home for the beleaguered team has surfaced again this year.
Photo: Glen falls Civic Centre, once the home of the Adirondack Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Photo from corey42080.blogspot.ca
While the old newspaper media insisted on poo-pooing the rumours about Utica published on Abbotsford Today last year as gossip, they turned out to be absolutely true. As did the rumours that the Canucks were talking turkey with the City of Abbotsford and the Flames about moving their farm team closer to home. (It ended up in Utica)
Now reports have surfaced that the Flames are talking to officials at the Glen Falls, New York Civic Centre about that rink becoming a possible home for their farm team.
According to the Glen Falls PostStar, “Glens Falls Mayor John “Jack” Diamond and EDC Warren County President Edward Bartholomew on Thursday gave a tour of the Civic Center to a Calgary Flames official.
[excerpt] “The trio came by after practice but before the Adirondack Phantoms players had all cleared out and asked head coach Terry Murray for a tour of the team facilities.“They also stopped by the team offices on the second floor and may have seen more of the building.
“A Post-Star sports reporter was standing a few feet away when the Flames official introduced himself to Murray. The official appeared to be Mike Holditch, the Flames’ senior vice president and assistant general manager. A source who works at the Civic Center, but who asked for anonymity because of the confidential nature of the city’s hockey recruitment efforts, confirmed his identity.
“When reached by a Post-Star news reporter on Thursday afternoon, Bartholomew denied the man they showed around the building was affiliated with the Flames.
“Bartholomew, the city’s lead point person on hockey recruitment, would not identify the man or discuss his visit to Glens Falls.”
[source]
The PostStar also noted, “Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Heat, is the most isolated in the league, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Heat has a good deal in Abbotsford. According to the team’s contract, they are guaranteed $5.7 million (Canadian), which is about $5.1 million (U.S.), and the city must make up the difference in “supply fees.”
“In the team’s four season in Abbotsford, the city has paid about $5 million (Canadian) in supply fees due to poor attendance and travel costs.
“The 10-year contract signed July 1, 2009, says “the financial terms shall be reviewed after five years.” That would be this summer.”