As was announced earlier this week, the city of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley are getting professional hockey once again.
The Vancouver Cancuks announced their intent to move their American Hockey League team from Utica to Abbotsford on Tuesday afternoon, and now, the plan has been approved by the league’s board of governors, making it official.
In a statement sent out Thursday afternoon, American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson announced that the AHL Board of Governors, after convening today for its Spring Meeting, has approved the following franchise transactions:
• The AHL franchise owned by the Vancouver Canucks will relocate from Utica, N.Y., to Abbotsford, B.C., to play at the Abbotsford Centre beginning with the 2021-22 AHL season.
• The AHL franchise owned by the New Jersey Devils will relocate from Binghamton, N.Y., to Utica, N.Y., to play at the Adirondack Bank Center beginning with the 2021-22 AHL season.
Division alignment and schedule formats for the 2021-22 season, which will begin October 15, will be announced at a later date.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of every National Hockey League organization. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.
The Abbotsford Heat — the AHL club owned by the Calgary Flames — played at the Abbotsford Centre from 2009-2014 until the City of Abbotsford cut ties with them.
Currently, the only professional hockey within driving distance for anybody living in the Fraser Valley is the Vancouver Canucks.
There are plenty of entertaining junior clubs around, with the Chilliwack Chiefs and Langley Rivermen of the BCHL — and obviously the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, who play games at the Langley Events Centre — but professional hockey is obviously in a class of its own. Especially when you’re watching the future stars of the Vancouver Canucks hone their craft and develop.