Moving East

The building you see in the picture above is going to be the future home of a WHL team starting next season. In a move that actually makes sense from an attendance perspective, the Vancouver Giants are moving east to Langley, BC and will begin playing in the Langley Events Centre next season.

In recent years, the Giants have been defined by a dysfunctional front office and rather dismal attendance numbers in the Pacific Coliseum, 3,000 fans attending, according to some sources. Langley Events Centre holds around 5,000 people, which will at least cover the Giants' issues with attracting people. The obvious problem is that the Giants are moving about 27 miles east, which takes them past Surrey and before they hit Abbotsford. Given that Langley is one of the more pristine areas of the Vancouver area, it is possible that pricing could be an issue...more so. However, playing in a smaller, yet newer arena should provide a breath of fresh air compared to the much more cavernous and older Pacific Coliseum located around the notorious neighborhood of East Hastings. Time will tell if the move to Langley will either be a franchise saving move or if it's a precursor to the team becoming extinct.