Rogers Forum - Abbotsford Canucks
- Dave Cottenie
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 18
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Abbotsford Centre 33800 King Rd. Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M85
Year Opened: 2009 Capacity: 7,000
Home of Johnny Canuck
Johnny Canuck is a fictional cartoon character that dates back to 1869. He gained prominence as a World War II comic strip hero akin to Uncle Sam. Johnny Canuck was adopted by the original Vancouver Canucks of the Pacific Coast Hockey league as part of their logo.
In 1999 the new Canucks brought the logo back to the NHL team. Vancouver treated Johnny as a secondary logo, behind the current orca logo. In 2021, the Canucks moved their AHL affiliate from Utica, New York to Abbotsford, British Columbia and Johnny was made the primary logo. The lineage of the Abbotsford Canucks dates back to the 1932 Quebec Beavers.
In 1935 they moved to Springfield which were followed by moves to Syracuse, back to Springfield, Worcester, Peoria and Utica. The team was purchased by Canucks Sports and Entertainment in 2013 when they were the Peoria Rivermen. The desire was to move the team to Abbotsford, however, the farm team of the Calgary Flames, the Abbotsford Heat, was already there. The Heat moved to Glens Falls, New York the following season.
Home for the Canucks is Rogers Forum. Built in 2009 as the Abbotsford Centre, the city-owned arena signed a naming rights deal with Rogers Communications in 2025 and renamed Rogers Forum. At the time of the Heat, Abbotsford was fairly isolated from the rest of the AHL. However, with the increasing importance of the farm team’s proximity to the NHL team and a few AHL franchises a bit closer, Abbotsford is now a solid location for an AHL affiliate.
Food & Beverage 4
Rogers Forum is operated by Canucks Sports & Entertainment, so many of the concession options found at Rogers Arena in Vancouver are also found in Abbotsford. The selection of concession items is great and of high quality. Some highlights include premium sandwiches from Crave including the Lumberjack, Prime Rib, Smoked Meat and Pulled Pork as well as premium hot dogs from Dirty Dog. Pepsi products are the soft drink of choice at Rogers Forum and Molson products comprise the main beer options.
Atmosphere 3
The main entry for the Rogers Forum is on the east side. The exterior features brown siding with a glass entry way with plenty of Abbotsford Canucks markings. A giant goalie mask welcomes fans and is perfect for pictures and a DJ spins tunes in the back of an Abbotsford Canucks pickup truck as fans enter.
Inside Rogers Forum, fans are led into the main concourse, which is fairly non-descript and does not feature too much that is interesting. The Canucks have a smallish team store which also features a number of items for the Vancouver parent club.
Inside the seating bowl, the ice is south-north oriented. A picture of the centre ice logo should be taken from the east side. The seating bowl is a simple design with a single seating level and suites above the east and west sides. The concourse opens at the south end to create a large social area.
This is the most interesting part of the arena as large murals for the 2025 Calder Cup winning team can be found here, below the banners for the Calder Cup and Western Conference. A four-sided video board hangs above centre ice and LED ribbons are found above the east and west suites. Abbotsford does have a dedicated board with live 50/50 tracking and makes use of LED lights.
The gameday production at a Canucks game is very simple. The in-game host keeps the program moving. Youth hockey players welcome the Canucks as they enter the ice and stand with them for the National Anthems.
Neighbourhood 4
Rogers Forum is located in the Abbotsford Central neighbourhood of Abbotsford, 70 km southeast of Vancouver. There are some spots for pre and post-game food and drink. Some options include Field House Brewing, Restaurant 62, Bavaria Restaurant, Anne Marie’s Cafe, Paliotti’s, Lou’s Grill and Old Yale Brewing.
There is not much in the way of other sporting options. University of Fraser Valley is found in Abbotsford and the UFV Cascades compete in USports. Other tourist options in the area include The Reach Gallery, Mennonite Heritage Museum as well as a number of parks and wineries. The proximity to Vancouver and Whistler is also advantageous.
For fans wishing to stay in the area, the Best Western and Ramada are close options.
Fans 3
At the time of writing, in the 2025-26 season, the Abbotsford Canucks averaged over 3,800 fans per game. This ranked them 25th out of 32 teams in the AHL. This is also coming off of a championship season which saw the team average over 4,100 fans and ranked them 23rd in the league. This is an improvement from where the Abbotsford Heat were, however in a building that holds 7,000, there is plenty of room for improvement. The fans in attendance are fairly reserved and quiet.
Access 4
Rogers Forum is located in the Abbotsford Central neighbourhood on the south side of King Road, between College and University. The arena is just ¼ km from the Trans-Canada Highway, so getting to the arena is very easy. It is adjacent to the university and parking is conveniently shared between the school and arena. Fans who drive to the game will need to pay for parking at a kiosk. For fans who wish to take public transit to the game, there are buses that run on King Road. Fans should consult the BC Transit, Central Fraser Valley website for fares, maps schedules.
Getting in and around Rogers Forum is not very difficult and the washroom facilities are good for the venue. A curious aspect of the seating in Rogers Forum is that not all of the seats are the same size. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to this and seats of one size are not organized in a particular section. Seats in the same row may actually be different sizes.
Although security protocols for Rogers Forum are not complicated, Stadium Journey strongly encourages consulting the Rogers Forum and Abbotsford Canucks for the most up to date information regarding security procedures including bag policy and prohibited items. Rogers Forum is a cashless facility.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets for the Abbotsford Canucks start at $31 for the No Alcohol section. The next price level up is $45 and tickets go up to $100. Considering the average attendance, it may be that the Canucks have missed their price point. Parking will go for $15 and concession prices are on the high side. Fans will have a good time at a Canucks game, but the experience is fairly simple and a bit on the expensive side.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the revival of Johnny Canuck as the logo for Abbotsford, one of the best in the entire AHL.
An extra mark for Abbotsford’s close proximity to the parent Vancouver Canucks.
An extra mark for the smart green and blue colour scheme enjoyed by the Abbotsford Canucks.
Final Thoughts
The Abbotsford Canucks are now providing the parent Vancouver Canucks with an ideal affiliate location. The AHL club has brought historic Canadian character, Johnny Canuck to the forefront of the league and present a good AHL experience for fans.
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