Minor League Hockey Shake-up...coming

[monkeypower]

Saskatoon is hard to get to by plane outside of coming from the major Canadian markets.

[sportstar1212]

Saskatoon would be perfect for a Jets farm team. Nice and close, and they have a huge arena.

I'm not sure about Thunder Bay, considering the lack of an arena that's a 60 year old dump. Also they've got the Junior A North Stars, and Lakehead University's team is pretty popular there.

[Cosmic]

Last I heard, they're guaranteed one more season in St John's, then they'll probably co-habitate in the MTS Centre for as long as it takes for Thunder Bay, Saskatoon, or an underserved US Midwestern market to emerge as a potential home.

I'm wondering if this is the Sharks' basic plan, too. There wouldn't be anywhere near the hard feelings if you move your AHL team from your NHL city after a couple of years when a good opportunity opens up.

[rams80]

Saskatoon is hard to get to by plane outside of coming from the major Canadian markets.

And also islanded from....everywhere in the league, really.

Granted Lord Thomson can afford the subsidy and airfare, but some teams may just have to settle for flying their prospects back home.

[Burkell007]

So I guess Idaho/Utah (AHL) and rapid city(echl) might be the best options for the jets right??

[Lee.]

Thunder Bay is well served by Toronto, Winnipeg, and Montreal. Getting to and from isn't such a big deal. The deal is, are they building that new arena or not?

If not, then its time to go to plan b and bb, which is Winnipeg then who the hell knows. I don't think the Blades or the city of saskatoon are in a hurry to vacate for the purposes of the single engine Jets, and there aren't a lot of Midwestern markets that aren't being served by the USHL that might be willing to accommodate another AHL team.

Another vacated AHL market, perhaps Utica (should Vancouver move the Comets to Abbotsford) could work temporarily, but it's really time for the Jets to figure out where their players are gonna be come 2016.

[Frylock]

It's probably my lack of sleep talking, but what if the Jets moved their AHL affiliate to Seattle? It's a helluva lot closer than the Great White Northeast, there's a vacant (yet, crappy America West/Barclay's configured) arena ready to move into, and they can play off the Jets/Sonics theme and don green & yellow sweaters. BAM.

[bosrs1]

Looks like the board of the AHL voted as expected and approved the west coast division. Norfolk has been sold to the Ducks and will be moved to San Diego. The other moves will occur as predicted. Formal announcement is on Thursday.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/ahl-oks-west-coast-division-ducks-will-move-admirals#

[Still MIGHTY]

And my application to work for the Gulls is submitted in 3... 2... 1....

[nash61]

Thunder Bay is well served by Toronto, Winnipeg, and Montreal. Getting to and from isn't such a big deal. The deal is, are they building that new arena or not?

If not, then its time to go to plan b and bb, which is Winnipeg then who the hell knows. I don't think the Blades or the city of saskatoon are in a hurry to vacate for the purposes of the single engine Jets, and there aren't a lot of Midwestern markets that aren't being served by the USHL that might be willing to accommodate another AHL team.

Another vacated AHL market, perhaps Utica (should Vancouver move the Comets to Abbotsford) could work temporarily, but it's really time for the Jets to figure out where their players are gonna be come 2016.

If they absolutely HAVE TO get out of St. Johns (great fanbase there, just terrible for travel), then I could see Hamilton as an option. Montreal is rumoured to be pulling out after next season (2015-16) and setting up shop in Laval.

[DustDevil61]

Condors' Twitter account mentions hockey in Bakersfield "for years to come"

With what we know, the Bakersfield-Norfolk-San Diego-OKC shuffle looks like this right now:

Step 1: Move Norfolk (AHL) to San Diego

Step 2: Move Bakersfield (ECHL) to Norfolk

Step 3: Fold OKC

Step 4: ????

Step 5: Team in Bakersfield!!

When should we be expecting this AHL news conference again?

OKC's not "folding" per se...they're moving to Bakersfield.

Yea, bad parsing of wordage there. "Ceasing operations" is not the same as moving teams. Granted, the Barons are ceasing operations in OKC, but the franchise itself won't be going away.

But that's another debate that's IIRC been discussed in another thread.

Looks like the board of the AHL voted as expected and approved the west coast division. Norfolk has been sold to the Ducks and will be moved to San Diego. The other moves will occur as predicted. Formal announcement is on Thursday.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/ahl-oks-west-coast-division-ducks-will-move-admirals#

So nothing else is new? Just the 5 California teams (San Diego, Bakersfield, Stockton, Ontario, and Sharks Jr.)?

Terrible move by the Sharks BTW...

Edited January 26, 2015 by DustDevil61

[bosrs1]

Condors' Twitter account mentions hockey in Bakersfield "for years to come"

With what we know, the Bakersfield-Norfolk-San Diego-OKC shuffle looks like this right now:

Step 1: Move Norfolk (AHL) to San Diego

Step 2: Move Bakersfield (ECHL) to Norfolk

Step 3: Fold OKC

Step 4: ????

Step 5: Team in Bakersfield!!

When should we be expecting this AHL news conference again?

OKC's not "folding" per se...they're moving to Bakersfield.

Yea, bad parsing of wordage there. "Ceasing operations" is not the same as moving teams. Granted, the Barons are ceasing operations in OKC, but the franchise itself won't be going away.

But that's another debate that's IIRC been discussed in another thread.

Looks like the board of the AHL voted as expected and approved the west coast division. Norfolk has been sold to the Ducks and will be moved to San Diego. The other moves will occur as predicted. Formal announcement is on Thursday.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/ahl-oks-west-coast-division-ducks-will-move-admirals#

So nothing else is new? Just the 5 California teams (San Diego, Bakersfield, Stockton, Ontario, and Sharks Jr.)?

Terrible move by the Sharks BTW...

Don't think anyone expected anything new. These were the moves that had been long rumored. 5 teams coming at once is a lot. And of course there's still the potential for a few more teams like Arizona and Vancouver to move their AHL affiliates west later. But 5 is definitely a good start. And I agree, all the cities chosen make good to great sense... except whatever San Jose is up to. But I suspect San Jose is only doing this short term. There are plenty of potential options that will be forthcoming in Sac, Oakland, San Francisco or even San Jose itself that make more sense long term with the forthcoming arena shuffle in NorCal with the new SF and Sac arenas coming soon, the small arena proposed in San Jose at the Sharks practice facility, and Oakland becoming available after the Warriors bail.

[JackieMoon]

Hmm, so looks like the ECHL will have another realignment for 15-16

[TBGKon]

Hmm, so looks like the ECHL will have another realignment for 15-16

I think you would see some affiliation shifts too as with the Central-ECHL merger left some teams without affiliates and some with 2 affiliates.

[DaRadniz29]

I'd be very happy with the Sharks moving downtown and leaving the Shark Tank to a minor-league team. It's getting old, and relative to its contemporaries in Chicago, Anaheim, and St. Louis, I wouldn't exactly say it was built to last. I haven't seen anything that suggests that the new Warriors arena will accommodate a full hockey bowl, though. Have you? I was afraid it was going to be basketball-specific.

bosrs, I think he's saying that the Bakersfield ECHL team, having been evicted by Edmonton's AHL affiliate, will move to Norfolk to replace Anaheim's AHL affiliate, which is moving to San Diego. Gotta love trans-continental bi-league musical chairs!

Nothing official. Did see an article in last June that the Warriors could still make their new arena hockey ready, but no word on if they are contemplating it. The city of San Jose really loves the Sharks, but the potential for a new, more lucrative deal could lure Plattner away from San Jose. So far though, he hasn't mentioned anything, just read it in a few news articles, including a Mark Purdy article, which I've found and you can read here. Make your own conclusion about the article. Also for S&Gs (or to ruin your day, read the comment section of the article - I personally find most of them hilarious - especially the ones about moving the Sharks to Seattle.

Wait, maybe I shouldn't laugh I don't know if I could root for the Seattle Sharks that play across the street from the Seahawks.

The last news I've heard was talks between higher ups at Comcast in Philadelphia and Bettman to the Sharks a better TV deal weren't fruitful/have stalled".

[bosrs1]

I'd be very happy with the Sharks moving downtown and leaving the Shark Tank to a minor-league team. It's getting old, and relative to its contemporaries in Chicago, Anaheim, and St. Louis, I wouldn't exactly say it was built to last. I haven't seen anything that suggests that the new Warriors arena will accommodate a full hockey bowl, though. Have you? I was afraid it was going to be basketball-specific.

bosrs, I think he's saying that the Bakersfield ECHL team, having been evicted by Edmonton's AHL affiliate, will move to Norfolk to replace Anaheim's AHL affiliate, which is moving to San Diego. Gotta love trans-continental bi-league musical chairs!

Nothing official. Did see an article in last June that the Warriors could still make their new arena hockey ready, but no word on if they are contemplating it. The city of San Jose really loves the Sharks, but the potential for a new, more lucrative deal could lure Plattner away from San Jose. So far though, he hasn't mentioned anything, just read it in a few news articles, including a Mark Purdy article, which I've found and you can read here. Make your own conclusion about the article. Also for S&Gs (or to ruin your day, read the comment section of the article - I personally find most of them hilarious - especially the ones about moving the Sharks to Seattle.

Wait, maybe I shouldn't laugh I don't know if I could root for the Seattle Sharks that play across the street from the Seahawks.

The last news I've heard was talks between higher ups at Comcast in Philadelphia and Bettman to the Sharks a better TV deal weren't fruitful/have stalled".

Yeah and a new arena isn't going to change the TV situation for the Sharks. The big thing though, is that the Sharks have full management control of the Shark Tank in San Jose. And they get a cut of everything that goes on there. The same wouldn't be true at the Warriors arena in SF. They'd simply be a tenant of the Warriors and would lose all that ancillary revenue. It's a prime reason the Sharks won't be moving to SF beyond the fact their monied corporate sponsors and season ticket base are also in the South Bay (not to mention the bulk of their ownership).

That and despite someone's assertion above that the tank wasn't built to last, it really was. It's still a gorgeous venue today that has all of the bells and whistles the Sharks need. And it has been updated pretty regularly since it opened. But I imagine the Sharks will come asking for a larger renovation or a replacement in the next decade or so. And San Jose, being as happy as they have been with the arena as it exists today, will oblige if the Sharks are willing to put in their share. Which is where the "little" arena at Sharks Ice makes no sense to me. Why would they waste money on something like that knowing it has little purpose...

[bosrs1]

Hmm, so looks like the ECHL will have another realignment for 15-16

Yeah we're all focused on the AHL aspect of it... but the ECHL is going to be as equally realigned after next year with a fair chunk of the western division moving east too. And it won't be over for 15-16 either with Winnipeg, Arizona, Vancouver and Colorado all with the potential to follow the other western teams in moving their AHL affiliates west. Makes me wonder how long a team like Alaska in the ECHL can hang on with the entire Pacific time zone worth of teams now gone from the ECHL. And the potential for one or more of the lower 48 western ECHL teams to be gone next off season.

[the admiral]

That and despite someone's assertion above that the tank wasn't built to last, it really was. It's still a gorgeous venue today that has all of the bells and whistles the Sharks need. And it has been updated pretty regularly since it opened. But I imagine the Sharks will come asking for a larger renovation or a replacement in the next decade or so.

The arena is fine, except for the part about how it's not really going to be fine much longer. Geez, does any organization get more blowjobs for less than the Sharks?

[bosrs1]

That and despite someone's assertion above that the tank wasn't built to last, it really was. It's still a gorgeous venue today that has all of the bells and whistles the Sharks need. And it has been updated pretty regularly since it opened. But I imagine the Sharks will come asking for a larger renovation or a replacement in the next decade or so.

The arena is fine, except for the part about how it's not really going to be fine much longer. Geez, does any organization get more blowjobs for less than the Sharks?

Arenas and stadiums that are fine (and really don't need to be replaced) are replaced all the time. Lest you believe a place like Turner Field actually needs to be replaced? Fact is the Shark Tank is a fine venue, and the Sharks continue to make bank off of it as it is the only arena in the largest city in the Bay Area (or for 50 miles in any direction), and will continue to do so if it is renovated further. They won't get that kind of sweetheart deal in San Francisco since the Warriors will be too busy paying off their private financing.

Speaking of replacing arenas that are worn out pieces of crap however... how's Calgary doing replacing the Saddledome?

[NEW.ERA]

That and despite someone's assertion above that the tank wasn't built to last, it really was. It's still a gorgeous venue today that has all of the bells and whistles the Sharks need. And it has been updated pretty regularly since it opened. But I imagine the Sharks will come asking for a larger renovation or a replacement in the next decade or so.

The arena is fine, except for the part about how it's not really going to be fine much longer. Geez, does any organization get more blowjobs for less than the Sharks?

Arenas and stadiums that are fine (and really don't need to be replaced) are replaced all the time. Lest you believe a place like Turner Field actually needs to be replaced? Fact is the Shark Tank is a fine venue, and the Sharks continue to make bank off of it as it is the only arena in the largest city in the Bay Area (or for 50 miles in any direction), and will continue to do so if it is renovated further. They won't get that kind of sweetheart deal in San Francisco since the Warriors will be too busy paying off their private financing.

Speaking of replacing arenas that are worn out pieces of crap however... how's Calgary doing replacing the Saddledome?

Terrible.

Never going to use public money, which is fair. The Flames have three billionaires in their ownership group. The mayor has gone on record say, you pony up the money for land, and we'll work on the prospects of getting shovels in the ground. Years of rumored designs have come and gone with nothing. The city is one more catastrophic flood from being completely screwed. On the brightside they have narrowed down a couple spots around the city that would be serviceable for a new rink. It's becoming more and more likely that the rink won't be on the stampede grounds.

Also, good to be back!