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Minor League Hockey Shake-up...coming


JackieMoon

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The Tucson AHL team will have an identity unveiling/pick your seat event at Noon, Pacific on June 18th.

 

Also, the Springfield AHL team is holding a name the team contest that ends today.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Springfield went with Thunderbirds.

Thunder Bay Lynx - International Hockey Association (2 seasons, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2018 Xtreme Cup Champions) | Houston Armadillos - Major League Hockey (2 seasons, 2016-18) | Minnesota Muskies - North American Basketball Association (1 season, 2017-2018) | Louisville Thoroughbreds - United League of Baseball (1 season, 2017, 2017 United Cup Champions) | Las Vegas Thunderbirds - International Basketball League (1 season, 2016-17, 2017 Champions) 

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1 hour ago, dfwabel said:

SLC is closer to Las Vegas than Reno. Heck, metro ABQ could have a team revived by expansion.

 

SLC is the closest of the three you mentioned, and it could work, but the Grizzlies are the current ECHL team for the Ducks.

 

I would think that the team would try to capture a more solid market than Reno has been, historically. Though, the close proximity might put it over the edge. 

 

ABQ has proven their response to hockey to be...tepid. It could still be worth a shot to them, and isn't really that much further away than Reno, even though it seems like it is.

 

Without sacrificing geographic proximity, I can't think of any other candidates. It's worth pointing out that pretty much any option for Vegas is going to require a plane ride for call-ups, though.

Thunder Bay Lynx - International Hockey Association (2 seasons, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2018 Xtreme Cup Champions) | Houston Armadillos - Major League Hockey (2 seasons, 2016-18) | Minnesota Muskies - North American Basketball Association (1 season, 2017-2018) | Louisville Thoroughbreds - United League of Baseball (1 season, 2017, 2017 United Cup Champions) | Las Vegas Thunderbirds - International Basketball League (1 season, 2016-17, 2017 Champions) 

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4 hours ago, lilben777 said:

Unless they buy out Utah, it's not gonna happen. The owners are verry happy in the echl. That's why I suggested Reno. But would Sacramento be a option?

 

Pretty much this. Granted, if a Las Vegas NHL team is indeed reality (damn you for not going to Quebec also, Bettman and BoG), the shortest timeframe puts their arrival at a little more than a year out, and a lot can happen in that time. Dave Ellmore and Donna Tuttle could grow weary of the ECHL team, Foley could buy them out, or the AHL and NHL could wait another couple years to provide an AHL affiliate for the Las Vegas Skating Bootstrappers, but I'd say that at this time it's just not likely.

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4 hours ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

 

SLC is the closest of the three you mentioned, and it could work, but the Grizzlies are the current ECHL team for the Ducks.

 

I would think that the team would try to capture a more solid market than Reno has been, historically. Though, the close proximity might put it over the edge. 

 

ABQ has proven their response to hockey to be...tepid. It could still be worth a shot to them, and isn't really that much further away than Reno, even though it seems like it is.

 

Without sacrificing geographic proximity, I can't think of any other candidates. It's worth pointing out that pretty much any option for Vegas is going to require a plane ride for call-ups, though.

Albuquerque's problem is that the city arena is falling apart and the new arena is a Glendale situation.

On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
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So with Vegas being added, that means the ECHL needs to add 6 teams to have an affiliate for every NHL club to have an affiliate, since they don't allow dual affiliations anymore.

 

Raiding the SPHL could work, as there are some nice markets available including Pensacola, Peoria, Huntsville. Portland Maine could be an ECHL option as they lost the AHL but could be suitable for ECHL. 

 

Not sure where else could be a possibility.

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I can tell you for a fact, the ECHL wants Pensacola. I won't comment on much else other than saying, it's not happening any time soon.

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4 hours ago, Geoff said:

I can tell you for a fact, the ECHL wants Pensacola. I won't comment on much else other than saying, it's not happening any time soon.

That's really too bad, the market seems to have great potential.

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19 hours ago, AstroBull21 said:

So with Vegas being added, that means the ECHL needs to add 6 teams to have an affiliate for every NHL club to have an affiliate, since they don't allow dual affiliations anymore.

 

Raiding the SPHL could work, as there are some nice markets available including Pensacola, Peoria, Huntsville. Portland Maine could be an ECHL option as they lost the AHL but could be suitable for ECHL. 

 

Not sure where else could be a possibility.

Not really, in 2017-2018, the ECHL will have 29 teams (Worcester joins next season, and the IceMen will be back the year after that, when their arena is ready).

 

They only need to add 2 teams. There are currently 4 independent ECHL teams (Alaska, Colorado, Wichita and Worcester). Acouple of those will probably pick up an affiliate, on their own, with the new single-tie rule. The NHL isn't likely to force affiliations on AA hockey, not yet, at least. They got by without for years, so I think they'll let the smoke clear on one team-affiliation, first.

 

As for those two markets, Portland, ME seems pretty likely. If the Hurricanes relocate (which is starting to look more and more probable), Raleigh could be a candidate.

 

It baffles me why Baltimore doesn't have a minor league team. Especially since it shares a metro area with DC, it seems like a no-brainer for the Caps.

 

As for Pensacola, it is certainly attractive, but the SPHL is actually doing pretty well, and the Ice Flyers are one of their most successful teams, both on the ice and at the gate. (Plus I'd hate to see that logo go).

Thunder Bay Lynx - International Hockey Association (2 seasons, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2018 Xtreme Cup Champions) | Houston Armadillos - Major League Hockey (2 seasons, 2016-18) | Minnesota Muskies - North American Basketball Association (1 season, 2017-2018) | Louisville Thoroughbreds - United League of Baseball (1 season, 2017, 2017 United Cup Champions) | Las Vegas Thunderbirds - International Basketball League (1 season, 2016-17, 2017 Champions) 

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45 minutes ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

 

Not really, in 2017-2018, the ECHL will have 29 teams (Worcester joins next season, and the IceMen will be back the year after that, when their arena is ready).

 

They only need to add 2 teams. There are currently 4 independent ECHL teams (Alaska, Colorado, Wichita and Worcester). Acouple of those will probably pick up an affiliate, on their own, with the new single-tie rule. The NHL isn't likely to force affiliations on AA hockey, not yet, at least. They got by without for years, so I think they'll let the smoke clear on one team-affiliation, first.

 

Make that 3.


Alaska signed on with Vancouver yesterday.

 

Columbus, Florida, New Jersey, Ottawa, and St. Louis are the only NHL teams without a current 2016-17 ECHL affiliation. (Ottawa is just a technicality as they have an agreement with the Evansville/Owensboro IceMen. They're reportedly looking for a stopgap team in the interim.)

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34 minutes ago, Still MIGHTY said:

 

Make that 3.


Alaska signed on with Vancouver yesterday.

 

Columbus, Florida, New Jersey, Ottawa, and St. Louis are the only NHL teams without a current 2016-17 ECHL affiliation. (Ottawa is just a technicality as they have an agreement with the Evansville/Owensboro IceMen. They're reportedly looking for a stopgap team in the interim.)

Good catch, I hadn't seen the news on that yet. Staying up on the ECHL takes so much more attentiveness than the other two.

 

I figured that if anyone snatched up the Aces, it would likely be Vancouver.

Thunder Bay Lynx - International Hockey Association (2 seasons, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2018 Xtreme Cup Champions) | Houston Armadillos - Major League Hockey (2 seasons, 2016-18) | Minnesota Muskies - North American Basketball Association (1 season, 2017-2018) | Louisville Thoroughbreds - United League of Baseball (1 season, 2017, 2017 United Cup Champions) | Las Vegas Thunderbirds - International Basketball League (1 season, 2016-17, 2017 Champions) 

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3 hours ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

 

It baffles me why Baltimore doesn't have a minor league team. Especially since it shares a metro area with DC, it seems like a no-brainer for the Caps.

 

 

No arena worth sticking a team in.

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On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
Today, we are all otaku.

"The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert

POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010

The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy)

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