Change of Venue – Brings Hope!!

The rumors started long before the end of the season and most in the “know” understood the importance of what a move such as this meant to the team, especially Ron Toigo.

It wasn’t hard to understand that the past few seasons were tough on the club, who at times failed to put a winning product on the ice and that’s what the fan’s want to see.

This past season was a far cry from successful, given the fact that Tyler Benson played only 30 games managing only 9 goals and 19 assists, sitting out the rest of the season.

This alone might have been the “demise” of then head coach Lorne Molleken who was to be the “turn-around” guy for the club, but that was cut short with two games remaining in the season.

That along with a loss of attendance and revenue at the gate, was enough to put the wheels in motion and have the Giants search for a new home, considering they have been at the PNE since 2001.

I am told that the last few games in the regular season for the Giants that the former home of the Abbotsford Heat were “courting” the Giants in hopes of attracting a WHL franchise.

Given the fact that some won’t travel to the Coliseum for a game, who would have expected anyone to travel to Abbotsford, well expect for Scouts and Reporters and such.

The Giants made if official and announced that they have signed a ten (10) year lease with the Langley Events Centre, which I am told has an “Opt-out” clause in it.

We continue to hear rumors that the Giants were in conversation with the City of Surrey for a possible re-location at the new facility (when built) at the Scott Road Sky-train location, but I hear there is no completion date in sight.

So why move there when you might find another location and that’s what they did, but is there more to this story?

What happens for parking for those attending the games, let alone the other facility locations in the building, such as the fields and the basketball courts inside the LEC?

I’m sure that management of the LEC has something in mind for this as long as they don’t close the fields so hockey fans can park cars on the premise.

The capacity of the LEC is 5,276, which is just a few short of the facility in Seattle which seats 6,025 and the Rockets building holds 6,007.

Some might mention that it’s too small but if you’ve been in the building you know that there is room behind the seats at the far end of the building to accommodate more seats, that apparently Toigo is “thinking” of.

We hear that the move will save the Giants $300,000 per year and for any business man/women makes sense.

So while the Giants have made this official, I am told they will still keep the training facility in Ladner as well as have the players billeted out of the area, given the closeness they work with Delta.

It’s possible that the Giants might still play a game or two out of the Coliseum, such as the “Teddy Bear Toss” in December, but if’s that the case have two “Teddy Bear Tosses”, cause after all – isn’t it FOR THE KIDS?

So the Giants have a new home, but still no word on a new Coach, but I expect that announcement to be made in the next short while and just maybe after the Memorial Cup Final played in Red Deer.

Sportswave wishes the Giants all the best with the new location and here’s hoping we can soon see a winning product on the ice, after all we’ve been waiting since 1970 for the Stanley Cup?

Oh yea – I am hearing that the Langley Rivermen of the BCHL will move to the George Preston arena, formerly the Langley Civic Centre dating back a few decades.

So if this moves the Rivermen, where do the Langley Knight of the PJHL play out of or will they move and if so, where too? Of course there is nothing posted on this site!!