Minor League Hockey Shake-up...coming

[bosrs1]

17 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

Granted, I've not been at the SD Sports Arena since 2005, but what happens if/when they ask for facility improvements?

 

Seeing as the Gulls spent several million improving the place when they moved in including new locker rooms, new dasher boards, new scoreboards, new sound system, new club area, new suite areas and new concessions... As well as improvements right before they moved in such as new lower half of the lower bowl seating I'd imagine they're quite pleased with it for now.

[mcj882000]

On 20/01/2017 at 11:21 PM, bosrs1 said:

San Diego continues to prove it was a good idea. 

 

 

A sellout of 12,920 tonight vs San Jose

That's good to see. Of all of the California AHL relocations I think San Diego was the only one I was fully, 100% on-board with. I'm glad to see it's going so well.

[bosrs1]

1 minute ago, mcj882000 said:

That's good to see. Of all of the California AHL relocations I think San Diego was the only one I was fully, 100% on-board with. I'm glad to see it's going so well.

 

To be fair Ontario has been doing quite well too and are only a couple of spots below San Diego on the attendance chart. The only clear mistake so far is San Jose who despite their attendance number are doing terribly (their attendance number is HIGHLY inflated). Tucson also isn't exactly inspiring, but to be fair it's still only halfway through their first year. But I wonder how long those two will last before their parents consider other options.

[-kj]

Huh.  A friend offered me a ticket for that game, but I was feeling the need to stay in and chill.

[bosrs1]

15 hours ago, Mockba said:

Huh.  A friend offered me a ticket for that game, but I was feeling the need to stay in and chill.

 

Snooze you lose?
 

In all honesty this was only their second true sell out since opening day last year. But they've had quite a few 10,000+ games so far. It's a great time for a good price. To the Gulls credit, they know they're in a "major league" city (even if less so since last week), and they run the franchise as close to an NHL squad as they can.

[-kj]

Are you calling me loose?

The SD Sports Arena is definitely an older building, but they've done a good job with what they have available.

[Cosmic]

6 hours ago, Mockba said:

Are you calling me loose?

The SD Sports Arena is definitely an older building, but they've done a good job with what they have available.

No, I think he meant to say "louse". 

[bosrs1]

14 hours ago, Mockba said:

Are you calling me loose?

The SD Sports Arena is definitely an older building, but they've done a good job with what they have available.

 

Second time in a week I've done that. Channeling my inner Dan Quayle...

[BeerGuyJordan]

19 hours ago, bosrs1 said:

 

To be fair Ontario has been doing quite well too and are only a couple of spots below San Diego on the attendance chart. The only clear mistake so far is San Jose who despite their attendance number are doing terribly (their attendance number is HIGHLY inflated). Tucson also isn't exactly inspiring, but to be fair it's still only halfway through their first year. But I wonder how long those two will last before their parents consider other options.

Tucson's average attendance has been slowly climbing. You're right that it isn't great (just over 3,800) but a desert team that is a feeder for the least popular major sport in the state is going to have an uphill battle.The proximity, for call-ups, is the primary reason for the move to Tucson. 

 

The Calder Cup playoffs are going to be crucial to building their fanbase. A deep run would be huge. Seating caps at 7,000. I think an average of about 5,500, eventually, would be a figure they'd be happy with.

[Wings]

Other options for the San Jose Barracuda:

 

Stockton

Unfortunately this is Calgary's affiliate unless a deal is made

 

Oakland

Oracle Arena will need dates to fill after the Warriors leave for SF in 2019. Return of the Oakland Seals anyone! Oracle does seat 17,200 for hockey.

 

Daly City

History of minor league hockey and the Sharks for 2 seasons but the Bay Area doesn't support minor league sports that well. 

 

-The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento wasn't built for hockey I believe and I'm not sure if the Chase Center in SF will. 

[bosrs1]

10 minutes ago, Wings said:

Other options for the San Jose Barracuda:

 

Stockton

Unfortunately this is Calgary's affiliate unless a deal is made

 

Oakland

Oracle Arena will need dates to fill after the Warriors leave for SF in 2019. Return of the Oakland Seals anyone! Oracle does seat 17,200 for hockey.

 

Daly City

History of minor league hockey and the Sharks for 2 seasons but the Bay Area doesn't support minor league sports that well. 

 

-The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento wasn't built for hockey I believe and I'm not sure if the Chase Center in SF will. 

 

Chase Center is going to be basketball only like Golden 1 Center.

 

Oracle is also mainly basketball so you'd similarly need an off center set up like Barclay's Center and would need to reinstall the ice plant. Now the off kilter arrangement might work for an AHL team given the smaller crowds and it would be cool to see the Seals return. But I just don't see it happening.

 

Stockton would have made the most sense if Calgary hadn't beat them to the punch.

 

Daly City (ie: the Cow Palace) is where minor league hockey teams go to die. I wouldn't recommend it. No one goes there for very good reason, it's in one of San Francisco's roughest neighborhoods and it's a pit that charges WAY too much for rent.

[BeerGuyJordan]

Stockton would be ideal, but it would mean the Heat moving out. Now, with their attendance not being great since moving in (an average of about 4,500), maybe they might move, if a more ideal location popped up. I have no idea where, though.

 

Aside from that, maybe Oracle, but it does have its own roadblocks.

[BeerGuyJordan]

I've been looking at this season's attendance figures and a couple of thoughts:

 

Bridgeport is averaging down to just over 3,600. There has been a steady decline, over the past five seasons. I would be surprised if they didn't move to the newly renovated Nassau. Bridgeport isn't a bad close proximity, but a Uniondale move would better capitalize on being the Islanders' AAA team.

 

Albany's attendance is atrocious, averaging well under 3,000. Now, the Devils are there primarily for ease of call-ups, not ticket sales, but I think they would be likely to take over, in Bridgeport, if the Sound Tigers moved.

[Sodboy13]

Albany's been in the attendance dumper ever since the Devils came to town, though. New Jersey's as good at tanking minor-league markets as Calgary.

[bosrs1]

55 minutes ago, Sodboy13 said:

Albany's been in the attendance dumper ever since the Devils came to town, though. New Jersey's as good at tanking minor-league markets as Calgary.

 

Calgary hasn't exaclty tanked Stockton. Stockton's attendance last season (their first in the AHL with Calgary) was a few people better on average than their last year in the ECHL.

 

And while Stockton is down a few hundred this year, Stockton's attendance has been in a steady decline since they lost their ECHL affiliation with the Sharks in 2012. In this case it's not so much Calgary's fault as it is the fact that they're no longer affiliated with the closest NHL team and the luster of "hockey" has worn off since the ECHL debut in 2004-05. And of course that's a problem that predates both the AHL and the Flames ownership.

 

It's harder to appeal to a market when the vast majority are all fans of another NHL team, the Sharks. That's an issue Ontario and San Diego for example don't have as Ontario is in the Kings extended market, and San Diego was more or less an open market where everyone just wanted to watch hockey live (both those that are extended market Ducks fan, and the majority who are simply displaced fans of other NHL teams (transplants)).

[JQK]

[BeerGuyJordan]

Here's the full article on the potential move to Binghamton, for the A-Devils.

 

http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Sources-Albany-Devils-leaving-for-Binghamton-10884403.php

 

 

[Burmy]

Rumor has it that the team most recently known as the Evansville IceMen has been bought by a new ownership group and will move to Jacksonville, Florida to play at the Veterans Memorial Arena for 2017-18.

 

If that turns out to be the case...BRING BACK THE LIZARD KINGS!!!

 

[bosrs1]

14 hours ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

Here's the full article on the potential move to Binghamton, for the A-Devils.

 

http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Sources-Albany-Devils-leaving-for-Binghamton-10884403.php

 

 

 

So moving from the lowest attended AHL market to the second lowest attended AHL market...

[The_Admiral]

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Rangers swap Hartford for Albany now that UConn hockey is up and running.