to recruit talent to the proposed Major League Hockey organization lists a franchise in the Fraser Valley with either an arena deal pending or one in place for the league's inaugural season in 2024-25.
However, The News reached out to the top venues in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and 91原创 鈥� who all said they have had zero contact with any representatives from the MLH.
Very interested to know where the MLH team in Fraser Valley, BC will be playing
鈥� Ben Lypka (@BenLypka)
The new league is hoping to become a challenger brand to the National Hockey League and play with a three-on-three format. The MLH would include 16 teams in North America and the brochure states that a 56-game schedule would run from October through April. The league would also play two 24-minute halves of action.
Fraser Valley, Vancouver and Victoria would be the initial B.C. markets to get teams. Saskatoon, Greater Toronto, Quebec, Moncton and Nova Scotia would be the other Canadian locations. American teams would consist of Los Angeles, West Valley (Ariz.), Fort Worth, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Kansas City, New England and New York.
All teams would be owned by the league and have a $30 million pay roll. The MLH would be hoping to attract both NHL, AHL and talent from European and junior leagues. The brochure goes on to make other claims, including that each team would have a $150 million annual budget and each team would be valued at $2.5 billion. The MLH was revealed by YouTuber Steve Dangle on social media in May.
Each roster would have 14 players and teams would get $100,000 for each win. Victoria resident Max Chambers is identified as the league's CEO, with his son Auzzie Chambers serving as the role of senior vice-president and director of player personnel. The Chambers were a potential buyer of the BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies in 2020, but that sale did not go through.
Max Chambers is the man behind Major League Hockey. He's currently offering contracts to players. Those who have dealt with him in the past have warnings. He has a history of saying he's a big-money man and not delivering. Story:
鈥� Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF)
The Fraser Valley's largest arena is the Abbotsford Centre, which is managed by the Canucks Sports and Entertainment Group. The Abbotsford Canucks are the venue's primary tenant and AC officials stated they have not heard from anyone at MLH. It would also be challenging to fit another team that plays in a similar time frame as the Canucks.
"It would be tough to coordinate another team playing out of our venue as the AHL takes a big piece of our ice time and the FV Thunderbirds eat up the majority of the rest," said the AC's general manager Rick Comeau.
Two venues in Chilliwack also told The News that they have not heard from MLH officials.
The Chilliwack Coliseum, that city's largest arena, houses the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs and holds around 5,000 seats. Barry Douglas, vice-president of business operations for the Chiefs, said he has not heard from anyone related to the MLH. The News also reached out to the City of Chilliwack about the possibility of MLH officials contacting them to use the Sardis Sports Complex 鈥� they had not.
The 91原创 Events Centre, home of the WHL's Vancouver Giants and the CEBL's Vancouver Bandits, told The News that they have also not been contacted. The Giants would likely occupy the building for many of the dates that a proposed MLH team would require.
MLH does not have contact details for more information, but do state on their website that they are hiring people to work with the league. Three-day free agent camps for players are set to occur in Toronto and Minneapolis in September.
