It was a journey with plenty of patience, some close calls and even some outside luck that brought the Western Hockey League back to Victoria this season.

As the Royals host their first league game against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday (7:05 p.m. at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre), it marks the end of a process that began 11 years ago.

B次元官网网址淎 long, long process,B次元官网网址� said Dave Dakers, president of RG PropertiesB次元官网网址� sports and entertainment division, which owns the Royals and runs Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

When the Cougars left Victoria for Prince George in 1994, rumours of the WHLB次元官网网址檚 return to Victoria waffled until Victoria city council finalized a move to replace the antiquated Memorial Arena in 2000.

Vancouver-based RG Properties won the contract to build and operate the new rink, just as it does with KelownaB次元官网网址檚 Prospera Centre.

But getting a WHL team wasnB次元官网网址檛 easy. In 2004 the new ice arena was nearing completion and RG had 7,400 seats to fill.

It turned to the ECHL, a minor pro league enjoying success in California after many years on the East Coast.

B次元官网网址淭he ECHL was a great option but it didnB次元官网网址檛 have the same reach into the community the WHL does,B次元官网网址� Dakers said.

Still, the ECHLB次元官网网址檚 Victoria Salmon Kings had its share of highlights during its time here from 2004 to 2011.

In 2008-09 the Salmon Kings averaged just under 5,000 fans per game, ninth in the ECHL. That number would have been seventh in the WHL the same year.

Despite the Salmon KingsB次元官网网址� success, RG was adamant to get major junior franchise.

B次元官网网址淲e went to the (WHL) and got word weB次元官网网址檇 have a team available to us by 2012-13 at the latest, whether it was through expansion, relocation or even by rent, but we were assured,B次元官网网址� Dakers said.

And by the powers of the hockey gods, it came even sooner.

The American Hockey League stepped on the WHLB次元官网网址檚 toes in 2009 setting off a chain of reaction thatB次元官网网址檚 led to the Royals being here today.

The Calgary FlamesB次元官网网址� affiliate Quad-City Flames relocated from Moline, Ill., to Abbotsford as the Heat. It was just 20 minutes down the highway from the Chilliwack Bruins, a team only three years old.

A territorial battle erupted over the hockey market of the upper Fraser Valley.

Bruins attendance plummeted from 4,041 fans per game in 2008-09 (15th in the league) the season before the Heat arrived, to 3,260 in 2009-10 (17th) and 3,357 in 2010-11 (16th).

B次元官网网址淲e lost 800 season ticket holders the summer (the Heat arrived),B次元官网网址� said Daryl Porter, part of the BruinsB次元官网网址� ownership group.

B次元官网网址淚 know through database analysis where those fans came from. We went from 1,200 fans per game from outside of Chilliwack to 300 overnight. (The Heat is) struggling as well. The fan base was split.B次元官网网址�

Ironically, rumours of the AHLB次元官网网址檚 desire to bring even more teams west had already convinced some that Victoria would soon become home to its own NHL farm team, likely the CanucksB次元官网网址� Manitoba Moose, if not another team.

Turns out the rumours were true, partly.

B次元官网网址淎 number of AHL opportunities came to us over the years but we couldnB次元官网网址檛 find the right business model,B次元官网网址� Dakers said. B次元官网网址淲hen you add it all up the city of Abbotsford is giving the Heat a $2-million subsidy in rent and expenses. I wish them well, but itB次元官网网址檚 not likely going to work without that deal.B次元官网网址�

Regardless, it prompted the WHL to take action.

B次元官网网址淭he WHLB次元官网网址檚 board of governors agreed in 2009 to relocate a team to Victoria and last January, the majority owners of the Bruins made their team available,B次元官网网址� WHL commissioner Ron Robison said.

Common sense pointed to teams with lagging attendance such as the Prince George Cougars over the newly established Bruins. But the Brodsky family B次元官网网址� who moved the team from Victoria in 1994 B次元官网网址� remains unswayed in its belief in Prince George.

In the end it was the BruinsB次元官网网址� majority owners of Porter and Glen Sather, who wanted out. Porter cited financial losses as the primary reason. Minority partners Moray Keith and Jim Bond didnB次元官网网址檛 want out, but couldnB次元官网网址檛 stop the sale and relocation from happening.

By withdrawing from Chilliwack the WHL left an embittered fan base, dissolved an unhappy ownership group and possibly staved off a potential western front by the AHL by locking up the most desirable hockey market in Western Canada.

And despite the process spanning 11 years, RG got its WHL team.

Relocation was preferred over expansion, said Robison.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 want to expand the WHL any further. We wanted to stick with (the current) 22 teams to be that much more competitive to win Memorial Cups,B次元官网网址� Robison said. B次元官网网址淭he WHL is already bigger than the Ontario (20 teams) and Quebec leagues (17 teams).B次元官网网址�