The Plymouth Whalers could be on the move. Metro Detroit’s Ontario Hockey League team looks to be on the verge of re-location, citing poor attendance numbers for years.
Here is ESPN’s Craig Custance on the issue:
Spoke with Peter Karmanos who said he's targeting small Canadian city for relocation of Plymouth Whalers: "Hopefully, Chatham."
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) December 8, 2014
Karmanos on the struggles in Plymouth: "It was continually a battle to break even there, no matter how good we did as a team."
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) December 8, 2014
The Whalers have struggled to get fans into the Compuware Arena for years, competing in a tough market that includes an NHL team, college hockey teams, and other OHL teams (Saginaw & Windsor) nearby. The Whalers have only sold out 1 game this season, and have only had a crowd of more than 3,000 on two occasions this season. A move to Canada seems to make the most sense for the financially struggling franchise.
USA Hockey is taking over the Compuware Arena to use for it’s Under-17 team and Under-18 team, which hinted that the Whalers could be on the move.
Other than Plymouth, there are only 2 other United States-based teams in the OHL (Erie Otters and Saginaw Spirit). Notable Whaler alumni include Tyler Seguin, David Legwand, James Neal, and Stephen Weiss.
