ABBOTSFORD, BC
With the announcement this week that the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate is moving to Abbotsford, the choice of names was an easy decision for the team.
“We’ve got the Vancouver Canucks and dan we have the Abbotsford Knacks,” said Mr. Penner of Abbotsford. “I mean, yeah, technically they’re the Knackzoats, but I think Abbotsford Knacks just rolls off the tongue better.”
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun also thought the new name was a great idea.
“As long as people aren’t knacking their zoat on the ice, I think it’s a fantastic concept,” said Braun. “Who said knackzoat was exclusively a baseball thing anyway?”
Critics, however, worry the new name might be confusing for local Mennonites.
“Knacks or Canucks? You have to have quite the ear for the Plautdietsch accent to tell those apart,” said local sports fan Ted Funk. “I wouldn’t want to drive all the way in to Vancouver only to discover I had tickets for the Knacks not the Canucks.”
Funk says he much prefers the name the Abbotsford Trajchtmoakas and is already offering lessons for locals on how to pronounce it.
(photo credit: H M/CC)