WINNIPEG,Manitoba – In light of the National Hockey League announcement that they are returning to the City of Winnipeg, in time for the 2011-12 season, the Winnipeg team that is yet to be named has taken over the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
This creates a problem for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose who were the reason the MTS Centre was built in the first place. The 15,015 seat MTS Centre has been thrust into the National Hockey League, the former main tenants were for a few days homeless. The Moose are no strangers to change as they were once called the Minnesota Moose and were once part of the now defunct International Hockey League (IHL).
Mark Chipman owner of the Moose moved the team to the Winnipeg Arena after the original Winnipeg Jets NHL team was sold and moved to Phoenix to be named the Coyotes. The Moose were a good team but not great, but they filled the void in Winnipeg. After five years in the IHL, the league merged with the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Manitoba Moose became affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks before the puck dropped on the 2001 season.
The Moose and the Chipman ownership group surrounded themselves with the brightest hockey minds in Manitoba and the hockey world to build a team that has been an AHL powerhouse for ten years, although they never won the Calder Cup. While in Manitoba they made thrilling playoff runs and did make a finals appearance in 2009-10 before losing to the Texas Stars. In a statement to the media by True North Sports & Entertainment’s Chairman Mark Chipman, True North will retain ownership of the Moose franchise and that a few places were looking at bringing the Moose to their cities. Some of the cities vying for the Moose were Thunder Bay Ontario, Saskatoon, Saskatchwan, and St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Thunder Bay does not have the facility to house an AHL team and only has a population of 120,000 people and is at a standstill in job opportunities as its main industry is pulp and paper and it is no secret that that sector is in trouble.
Mark Chipman said that even though Saskatoon as a great arena that could hold a AHL team, they are home to the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. So the Moose will be moving to St John’s. Why St. John’s???, Well they have a new arena build in 2001 and is empty right now, the reason the arena was built was becuase the Toronto Maple Leafs housed they AHL Club in St John’s for many years, but shortly after the arena was built because of travel costs the baby Leafs were moving to Toronto to become the Marlies leaving St John’s and the 6,250 seat Mile One Centre empty. Former Newfoundland Danny Williams said that he has been seeking $500,000 from Newfoundland for a travel subsidy but was rejected thus the money will need to be raised in other ways. The Newfoundland capital is very happy to have the AHL back in St John’s because of the economical impact of the team, but a few questions remain, will the Moose still be called the Moose is questions number one, number two is will the team be the AHL affiliate for the Winnipeg team or will they stay affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks. With the loss of the Thrashers that leaves the Chicago Wolves AHL team without an NHL affiliate, thus will they move to be the Canucks AHL team or will Winnipeg be the main club picking up the Wolves?
So many questions still remain. Stay posted to prohockeynews.com for the latest information on all your hockey news.
