The waiting season ticket packages that caused some consternation due to the Chilliwack situation are out, somewhat earlier that usual likely due to the WHL Championship run, today.
Here's the release:
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Cranbrook, BC – The Kootenay ICE Hockey Club are pleased to announce that 2011-12 Season Tickets are now on sale and prices will remain unchanged for the third straight season.
Early Bird Season Ticket prices are as follows if purchased on or before Tuesday, May 31st:
Adult: $399.00
Senior (65+): $299.00*
Student (13-25): $249.00**
Youth (4-12): $199.00
*Must be 65 prior to September 23, 2011
**with valid full time student ID
By purchasing an Early Bird Season Ticket you receive a significant savings off walk-up rates. Adults save 47%, Seniors save 48%, Students save 51% and Youth save 54%. Each ticket package will increase by $100 beginning Wednesday, June 1st.
Tickets are currently on sale in the Kootenay ICE Office for Games Three and Four of the WHL Husky Energy Eastern Conference Championship versus the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Friday, April 22 @ Medicine Hat – 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 23 @ Medicine Hat – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, April 26 @ Kootenay – 7:00 pm
Wednesday, April 27 @ Kootenay – 7:00 pm
Friday, April 29 @ Medicine Hat – 7:30 pm *
Sunday, May 1 @ Kootenay – 6:00 pm *
Tuesday, May 3 @ Medicine Hat – 7:00 pm *
*If necessary
Ice prospect F Sam Reinhart and the Vancouver NW Giants opened the Telus Cup - the national midget championship - today in St. John's Nfld with a wild 12-5 win over the West representative, the Winnipeg Thrashers. Reinhart was named player of the game with a whopping 3 goals and 6 assists for a 9 point game.
The Ice first round bantam pick from last year's draft (15th overall) made headlines after playing in game one of the Blades/Ice series but being disallowed by Hockey Canada to play in game two because of it would've been his 6th game in an Ice uniform, forcing him to stay with the team instead of playing with the Midget Giants in the Telus Cup. Good thing he didn't play...
Reinhart and the Giants will play the round-robin portion of the tournament and hope to make the playoff round Saturday and the finals Sunday. Reinhart will be eligible to re-join the Ice in time for game three and four of the Tigers/Ice series, back in Cranbrook next Tuesday and Wednesday.
As per Jeff H's blog, D Brayden McNabb was named the WHL Player of the Week today. McNabb had a goal and five assists in two games last week, helping the Ice beat the Blades 4-0 in their second round series.
G Nathan Lieuwen was the WHL goaltender of the week and is nominated as the WHL's entry for CHL goaltender of the week. Nathan shutout the Blades in game three, went 2-0 and stopped 55 of 57 shots. Lieuwen has the best GAA among goalies in the WHL Playoffs with a 1.96 GAA and a .930 Save percentage, tied for second behind Tyler Bunz of the Tigers who has .938.
And the Chilliwack to Victoria saga continue today with what Blazer voice Jon Keen stating on his blog that an announcement is imminent from the WHL about the situation. Yes, the Bruins will be going to Victoria - the ECHL's Salmon Kings are still in the playoffs and up 2-0 in their series with Utah - but now the question is, who will go to Chilliwack?
Rod Pederson on his blog today said that he got a txt from a NHL employee that said the NHL's Coyotes will move to Winnipeg, which if true won't happen until the Coyotes are out of the playoffs, the AHL's Manitoba Moose would move to Abbotsford and the AHL's Heat would move to Chilliwack.
Don't know if I buy the Heat/Moose swap out of Abby because of the complicated lease the Heat have with the city of Abbotsford, though CKNW - through the Abbotsford times - is speculating about it today. The city currently underwrites the AHL's Heat to the tune of $5.7 million so I can't see the Flames wanting to move their almost cost-free minor league franchise out of there and I can't see Chilliwack providing the same subsidy if the Heat come there.
Granted, the Canucks AHL franchise would draw considerably more in Abby than what the Heat does (yes, we could debate the wisdom of putting a minor league franchise of the Canucks biggest rival in their backyard but we'll refrain from that today), but how would the Heat do in Chilliwack? The Wack now becomes some sort of two-timed, jilted lover that gets hockey's version the rebound/transition girl?
The Quesnel Millionaires of the BCHL are also for sale and rumoured to be located but I guess if I'm Chilliwack AHL pro hockey would definitely be an upgrade. Jeez, you wonder when this one will ever stop turning.
While we're waiting for the Ice/Tigers series to begin Friday night in Medicine Hat -I'll have a preview and some more stuff later in the week - there's lots to talk about on the NHL side of things.
The Raffi Torres hit on Brent Seabrook last night. Clean hockey hit or penalty, major or minor? Torres has a history including a hit on Eberle that landed him a four game suspension that he just returned from.
As far as I'm concerned, Seabrook should have his head up and know what's coming but I have a real problem with a player like Torres who seems to think that opponents are there to injure instead of playing the game.
As far as the rules are concerned, it's interference, which was called on the play, but it should've been a major. Neither Seabrook nor Eberle had possession of the puck (as defined by rule 53 - possession of the puck is by the player who last touched it).
Hockey play or not it's dangerous crap like that that will hurt the game and perhaps worse to the player. The NHL has ruled today that there'll be no further suspension on Torres because behind the net is a designated hitting area. The league dropped the ball on this one and failed to send the message. Now this could really get out of hand.
The new concussion rules instituted by the NHL don't hold a lot of water either, since it was abundantly clear Seabrook was out for a couple of seconds after the hit. So much for that.
And listen, I'm a Canucks fan - though not the new generation, when I was younger you couldn't find a Vancouver fan that would admit it, now you cant throw a rock without hitting one - and have been since they were terrible back in the late 70's and 80's when they couldn't draw flies at the Pacific Coliseum so I'm not trying to bash any Canucks. Just that Torres has got to use some common sense on his physical play.
6 comments:
Wonder if we could get the business community to have a pack the plex ticket challenge...Say I donate 5 tickets to whoever is unable to ususlly go to games etc,and challenge other businesses to do the same.... mite be a great idea for the tues and wed games, get the radio station on board...Any thoughts??
That would be a great initiative - if you're the Ice, of course. The only issue I see is that the business community has supported this team from day one and, through Champions of the Ice and other campaigns, done a lot of the leg work. I wonder if there's the will out there to do it anymore. One prominent businessman said to me two years ago during the school ticket campaign to get the attendance up before the lease was change that, "I have to replace my warehouse because it's getting old and rundown, would the Ice, and the rest of the businesses in town chip in to help me out? I doubt it."
It's a good idea but I wonder if the will's there anymore.
As far as the Heat/Moose swap... Could there be a team in Saskatchewan or Alberta that could house the AHL team?
Let's suppose the Pats move to Chilliwack, the Heat move to Regina, and the Moose move to Abbotsford... any takers?
It seems like it solves everybody's issues? No more Flames in Vancouver's back yard, and the flights to Regina from Vancouver are direct.
Abbotsford will certainly draw better with the Moose, and the parent clubs must both know that there is something that needs to be done to solve this weird situation.
The fact that Parkers are involved in both the Victoria and Regina situation adds to this...
Oh.... and as far as the games looking bad on TV... have the Ice ever considered deeply discounting the first five rows of the Rec Plex?
They just aren't good seats, and often with view obstructions. They would have to make sure the yellow jackets made sure there was no sneaking up to the good seats though.
This would help it look much better on TV, and provide people with a chance to be at the game for a reasonable price...
Yeah, I've seen those rumours too but in reality, I just can't see the league letting the Regina market go. It'd be like the NHL losing the Leafs or the Habs. Not that the Pats win a lot but they've been around forever and are a charter member of the league.
Who knows? This merry-go-round of franchises is waiting for the Coyotes to end their NHL Playoff run, then it might stop.
My idea (previous post) is a new twist on what is already out there, and I've never heard it anywhere else!
Thus far, I have only heard that the Moose will play out of Regina/Saskatoon.
My idea is that Calgary and Vancouver would flip flop them, with the Heat to Sask, which is much closer to Calgary, and in the middle of Flame country!
Seems like common sense to me, and even the Flames with their sweetheart deal in Abbotsford must realize this.
And Burke said it was a WHL team moving to Chilliwack... not AHL.
To add more theory, I think that the Regina events centre folks might even be the operators of the new AHL team, as they hate the Parkers...
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