Chilliwack/Burnaby – “Rumour Has It” – Adele.
On Sunday July 3, the Vancouver Province newspaper published a story about the Vancouver Canucks showing interest in buying the Chilliwack Chefs of the BCHL.
Let the speculation start as the BCHL broke away from Hockey Canada and is now an independent league.
Former Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames who was involved with the construction of the Chilliwack Coliseum: The Chief Development Group still own the facility. The “public-private” partnership was an agreement that the City, after a period of years, would take the facility back. There is still a few years left on that agreement. If a deal like this were to go forward, there would likely be an agreement similar to the Abbotsford agreement whereby the Canucks would agree to manage the building for a fixed period. It would not be sold outright. I think it is an interesting development, especially given the recent move by the BCHL to be an independent league.
FVN reached out to the Chiefs for comment and no response as of publishing this article on Sunday night.
Brian Wiebe with the BCHL blog BCHL Network wrote in part :
In the world of hockey, rumours often swirl about potential trades, signings, and team acquisitions. One such rumour that gained traction on Monday was a report from Postmedia’s Steve Ewen that involves the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks and their potential interest in acquiring the Chilliwack Chiefs of the B.C. Hockey League. According to Ewen’s sources, the BCHL’s board of governors already had a presentation delivered to it by Canucks ownership.
I suspect we’ll find out if the rumours are true very quickly. In Ewen’s article, he mentions the Chiefs and Canucks started talking in April. A big piece of this puzzle is the fact that the Chiefs run their home venue, the Chilliwack Coliseum, and have an agreement with the City of Chilliwack to do so for another six years.
While rumours surrounding the Canucks’ acquisition of the Chiefs are still speculative at this point, the potential move has generated considerable buzz and anticipation. For the Canucks, buying the Chiefs aligns with their goal of expanding their influence. The Chiefs, on the other hand, would benefit from the resources and exposure that come with being associated with an NHL franchise.
