Why I Wish the Abbotsford Heat Stayed

       So now you know. I am from Abbotsford, a city not known for it's hockey obsession. Even though most of the people I know are hockey crazy. That's probably why I know them. So why go to an Abbotsford Heat game if the Canucks are next door? The Abbotsford Heat moved early this summer, and now the excessive amount of money the city spent on the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre will go to waste. What will we use it for? Sure, it's a good concert venue, but is that really something to have the building's fate riding on? (Although when Christian hip-hop artist tobyMac came to town on his Hits Deep Tour, the AESC did have it's largest attendance ever).

 Every so often, the Abbotsford Heat played host to a Legend of Hockey, such as Lanny McDonald, Kirk McLean, Mike Bossy, or Grant Fuhr. Half an hour prior to the game, these legends had an autograph session, where you were allowed to bring one item to be signed.

Unfortunately, I only made it to the Grant Fuhr session, but I gave two cards to my companions, and kept one for me to be signed, therefore getting three cards with a graph. Being the generous sort, I gave one to my friend for his birthday, and I traded another away. I still have the oldest Grant Fuhr that I got signed that day, a 90-91 Upper Deck, now with a nice, clean graph, written in blue sharpie, which goes along with the Oilers colours at that time.
If only people in Abbotsford cared about our local team a bit more. The only time we got good attendance was when the 'Nucks affiliate came. Alas! Woe is the Heat.