Patrick King

Victoria has the stadium and the support. Now it just needs a WHL team.

Hockey fans in Victoria welcomed the Western Hockey League with open arms in Wednesday's Subway Super Series contest but a return to the British Columbia capital remains indefinite.

It's no secret the city and hockey fans in the region have coveted a WHL franchise since the Cougars relocated to Prince George following the 1993-94 season. The new Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre was packed with 6,695 fans Wednesday, is a true indicator of the viability of the market.

But in spite of the support, hosting the game is less an indication of the WHL's imminent return than that of a strong partnership and an available venue.

The Kelowna Rockets were awarded one of the two games and when no other suitor stepped forward, the familiarity between the Rockets and the building owners in Victoria helped broker the deal for the other game.

Both buildings are owned by RG Properties, who also own Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre's main tenant, the East Coast Hockey League's Salmon Kings.

"When nobody else stepped up to bid for the second date I offered to take both games and I contacted Victoria," said Bruce Hamilton, owner and general manager of the Rockets. "As a big picture, it's an event for them that fills the date and it's revenue for them. That's why they're interested in the game in our building and the game in their building."

There's no question Victoria is the most suitable and viable market in Western Canada not currently home to a WHL franchise. The league was happy with the reception received by the fans in Victoria but is without a franchise to award the city.

The most likely scenario for Victoria to receive a franchise is through relocation, as the league has no further plans for expansion.

"Obviously we think very highly of the market," WHL commissioner Ron Robison said. "We feel it's a very important market in Western Canada and it's something we're going to continue to keep on our radar screen."

In addition to the Salmon Kings, the British Columbia Hockey League's Grizzlies operate at nearby Bear Mountain Arena. The Salmon Kings average nearly 4,000 fans per game this season while the Grizzlies' attendance is 1,448. It's clear that between the two, the city supports the sport without a team from a more marquee league.

One of the main stumbling blocks for Victoria is the cost of travel. Since visiting teams would need to incur additional cost for the ferry, the league would prefer having two teams on the island to maximize travel expenses.

Nanaimo is the only other destination on Vancouver Island which could perceivably house a WHL team. Nanaimo is 111 kilometers north of Victoria and home to one of the BCHL's top franchises, the Clippers. But without a new rink in Nanaimo, the possibility of two franchises on Vancouver Island is unlikely.

"We still feel that Victoria could, on a stand-alone basis, be a more than viable market but obviously to have Nanaimo and Victoria would be ideal from a scheduling point of view and to build natural rivalry," Robison said.

The Cougars called Victoria home from 1971-94. Few would have predicted then that the city would be without a WHL team for 15 years but as Robison stated, there has been constant interest in returning to Vancouver Island.

"There's been great demand and a significant amount of interest expressed both in Victoria and in Nanaimo," Robison said.

Hamilton, who's also the chairman of the board for the WHL, both played in the league then owned the Tacoma Rockets when the Cougars were still in Victoria. Much like how the Cougars currently operate in the isolated Northern city of Prince George, double-headers would likely dominate Victoria's home schedule.

"If you didn't get doubleheaders over here it was difficult," Hamilton recalled.

The support for the WHL is evident and was reaffirmed by the fans in Victoria on Wednesday. But as Hamilton notes, a WHL team in Victoria might also conflict with the professional team.

"The people that own the building own the team in the East Coast Hockey League and I don't think they have any interest in leaving that league - I think they're committed to it," he said. "Rather than people getting speculating on something I think it was more of a business opportunity for the two of us to get together and do something with our two buildings."

For Western Hockey League fans in Victoria, the wait for a team will continue.