Victoria says 'goodbye' to ECHL and 'hello' to WHL

 The Victoria Salmon Kings (Vancouver Canucks ECHL affiliate) lost last night 3-2 to the Alaska Aces. With the loss the Salmon Kings bowed out of the ECHL Kelly Cup playoff race allowing the Aces to sweep the series 4-0 and win the Western Conference Final. The loss not only ends the Salmon Kings season, but also ends the Salmon Kings existence in Victoria. 

In a playoff run paralleled to the most famous sporting movie of all time "Slapshot," the Kings knew this was there last season in Victoria. It was announced prior to the Kelly Cup playoffs that the owners of the Kings, RG Properties, had purchased the Western Hockey League (U-21 major junior league) franchise the Chilliwack Bruins and would move them to Victoria, British Columbia. The news made it clear that the owners did not have the Kings in their future plans and the team would be either sold or folded at the end of the season.

Down three games to zero heading into last night’s match on home ice, the Kings put their best effort but couldn’t win despite rallying back from a two goal deficit in the first period.

News of the Kings future is expected to be announced this week with rumours the team will be moving to Fresno, California or will cease to exist. Regardless, this will be the last season for the only ECHL professional hockey franchise in Canada.

End zone of the Save-On-Foods Centre, 7400 Capacity, Old Salmon Kings home

What sparked this move? Well it is loosely connected to the ongoing (and rather embarrassing) Phoenix Coyotes saga. With Winnipeg housing the Vancouver Canucks American Hockey League franchise, the Manitoba Moose; Victoria was the ideal location for the Moose to move to if Winnipeg would land the NHL franchise. The WHL saw this as a threat to is geographic territory and has been interested in putting a WHL franchise in the British Columbia capital city. Victoria used to have a WHL franchise, Victoria Cougars, before the franchise was relocated to Prince George in 1994.

The Victoria WHL franchise will not be carrying the ‘Bruins’ moniker from Chilliwack. Currently the team is running a ‘name-the-team contest’ on its website. The choices are: Capitals, Dragons, Force, Royals, Thunder, and Tide. It is always a mystery to me why teams use names of other teams. For example, if the team was named the Victoria Capitals (rumour this is the name leading the poll), it would be replacing a local baseball team that used to be called the Victoria Capitals. Also, there is already a hockey franchise on Vancouver Island (where Victoria is located) that is called the Capitals; Cowichan Capitals of the Jr.A British Columbia Hockey League. The Royals are used by an ECHL franchise (Reading Royals) and Force is used by a USHL franchise (Fargo Force).  I hope the franchise can at least honour its previous tenant with choosing an original team name. Haven’t seen too many “Salmon Kings” around and likely won’t be seeing that name any time soon.

I finish with a TSN highlight of night from the Salmon Kings.