It's Official...

[pooter]

Three different articles.

No hockey in Cincinnati

Hockey could be gone for long time

No 2006-07 season for RailRaiders

BY RYAN ERNST | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Cincinnati RailRaiders, a minor-league hockey franchise without a coach or players, won't have a 2006-07 season either.

The American Hockey League franchise announced Wednesday it did not reach its goal of 2,000 deposits on season tickets and will not be able to secure a National Hockey League affiliation for the upcoming season.

The franchise had been trying to replace its previous AHL team, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, who were moved to Portland, Maine, after the 2004-05 season by their NHL parent club, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

The RailRaiders ownership group is headed by the Robinson family, which also owns Cincinnati Gardens. Pete Robinson, the team's president and CEO, said the future of hockey in the city is up in the air. The ownership group has been contacted by other leagues, and Robinson said selling the AHL franchise is a possibility.

"Everything was geared toward the relaunch for this season," Robinson said. "The campaign was nine months long. We worked really hard, but we weren't able to reach our goal.

"... It's about stability. Every team in the NHL has to develop players in a place where local ownership can make a go of it. We're not able to do that."

The most recent hockey tenants at the Gardens were the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Because the Robinsons still owned rights to an AHL franchise, the ownership came up with a new team name and logo after the Ducks departed, and began selling tickets for 2006-07, hoping to attract a club.

More than 80 percent of the ticket-sales goal was reached, the team announced. Team officials said the 2,000 season-ticket number was the benchmark for making an AHL team financially viable in Cincinnati.

AHL franchises, which compete at the highest level of hockey under the NHL, have until May 15 to declare themselves active or inactive.

"Obviously, we're disappointed that the goal was not met," said Don Helbig, the team's communications director.

Helbig said the biggest loss for local hockey fans would be not seeing professionals passing through town on their way to the NHL.

"That type of player will never come back to Cincinnati again," he said.

Josh Pichler contributed.

[MisterE]

That's disapointing. I guess we won't be seeing the first team to be named the Railraiders for a while. At least we got to see the logos. It's sad that a major city like Cincinnati can't hold on to an AHL team, none the less a minor league hockey team. If my town of 71,000 can get a team, it seems like a town of 371,000 could get one. I do realize it's more of a challenge of selling that many tickets in a city and arena that large but it seems like a major city in the northern half of the US should have a team. Cincy's a nice city and if I lived there, I'd be attending around 15 games a year.

[Sodboy13]

Helbig said the biggest loss for local hockey fans would be not seeing professionals passing through town on their way to the NHL.

"That type of player will never come back to Cincinnati again," he said.

Man, what happened to the Cincinnati fan base that once supported two minor league teams? As an AHL fan, this is really disappointing news. I hope that sometime in the near future, Cincy becomes a home for top-tier minor hockey again. Hopefully, Mr. Helbig's announcement of the demise of Cincinnati hockey is greatly exaggerated.

All that said, as a member of this board, I feel no loss in regards to the RailRaiders identity never seeing the light of day. Maybe one of these years, the Cyclones, Stingers, or Swords will find their way back to the ice. I certainly hope so.

[-Helix-]

A new arena would really help them. And I'm sure over time the team would've done better as the Cincy fans became more comfortable with the new team and felt that they were stable.

But obviously that won't be the case for awhile. Looks like Cincy might have to settle for ECHL or go the Indianapolis route and go all the way down to junior hockey. USHL anyone?

[Mings]

A new arena would really help them. And I'm sure over time the team would've done better as the Cincy fans became more comfortable with the new team and felt that they were stable.

But obviously that won't be the case for awhile. Looks like Cincy might have to settle for ECHL or go the Indianapolis route and go all the way down to junior hockey. USHL anyone?

The USHL team is better than any UHL or CHL whatever league it was pro team we had. And they look better too, thanks to Flynn.

[pooter]

Helbig said the biggest loss for local hockey fans would be not seeing professionals passing through town on their way to the NHL.

"That type of player will never come back to Cincinnati again," he said.

Man, what happened to the Cincinnati fan base that once supported two minor league teams? As an AHL fan, this is really disappointing news. I hope that sometime in the near future, Cincy becomes a home for top-tier minor hockey again. Hopefully, Mr. Helbig's announcement of the demise of Cincinnati hockey is greatly exaggerated.

All that said, as a member of this board, I feel no loss in regards to the RailRaiders identity never seeing the light of day. Maybe one of these years, the Cyclones, Stingers, or Swords will find their way back to the ice. I certainly hope so.

One word...greed.

-The ECHL Cyclones moved up to the IHL. Good move.

They were averaging 7,000-8,000 a night in the ECHL. They stayed in the building, The Gardens for the first couple of years.

Their heads got too big and they brought some guy (I forget his name.) who had big plans:

-Buy a soccer team (Cincinnati Silverbacks). Bad move.

-Buy and renovate the Riverfront Coliseum and move the IHL team there to play. Bad move.

-Change the logo and add different colored jerseys. Bad move.

-Open the door for the AHL Ducks to move into The Gardens. Bad move.

(Now there are 2 minor league teams in the city.)

-The guy that started this whole mess that they brought in with the big plans, left the team and went to some minor league baseball team.

This split the hockey fan base in Cincinnati, bitterly. You were either a 'Clones fan or a Ducks fan. Not both. The Ducks could survive on what Disney was subsidizing. The 'Clones could not.

Cincinnati had it's own little nuclear hockey war and not only did both sides lose but they killed off too many fans to have a chance to rebuild.

[Dilbert]

One of the reasons for no team is lack of season ticket sales. They said they needed 2000 to affiliate with the NHL. The former Cincinnati Mighty Ducks never had 2000 season ticket holders. Also many people did not want to put down $25 deposits until they found out they were going to have a team. Next prices went up on everything. They were even going to start charging for parking. Finally who would want to cheer for a team called the RailRaiders? This actually sucks for me as Iam a big hockey fan. My idea is to get a team in the ECHL or UHL. I dont think we would be willing to support Junior league hockey. Also dont put a team at US Bank Arena.They are very expensive at that arena and teams usually dont last long. They would be much better at the Cincinnati Gardens.

[pooter]

Finally who would want to cheer for a team called the RailRaiders?

As I read it on another board, there were hockey fans in town that weren't going to cheer for any team that wasn't named the Cyclones or the Stingers.

I don't know why the owners of the various franchises don't give the people what they want. Spend the money for the name and call them the Stingers.

My idea is to get a team in the ECHL or UHL. I dont think we would be willing to support Junior league hockey.

Ehen the Cyclones came in 1990, they had a market ripe for the picking. A marketing scheme geared toward the blue-collar crowd with a blue-collar team. They went over big and had lots of sellouts. But when they wanted to go upscale and get flashier, that is when they lost a lot of fanbase. Then they moved to USBank Arena and that dwindled the numbers even more. If they renew that approach for the "working class stiff", I bet they would be just as successful with another ECHL/CoHL/CeHL/USL team.

Also dont put a team at US Bank Arena.They are very expensive at that arena and teams usually dont last long. They would be much better at the Cincinnati Gardens.

Agreed. Too bad we can see it and not the owners of the franchise.

[ROCHitman]

I saw this coming since they announced Cincinnati was back in the market for an AHL franchise. I bet the fans really wish they had the Ducks still. Portland just won a division title.

Penguins, Pirates clinch division crowns

[wildwing64]

I saw this coming since they announced Cincinnati was back in the market for an AHL franchise.

I'm suprised the former Cincinnati Mighty Ducks didn't think of this *before* the affiliation with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim expired. If only they began designing their new logos, etc during the 2004-05 season, then unveiled them during the offseason. That way, they may still have had a team this, and next season instead of failing to sell 2000 season tickets.

[pooter]

I saw this coming since they announced Cincinnati was back in the market for an AHL franchise.

I'm suprised the former Cincinnati Mighty Ducks didn't think of this *before* the affiliation with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim expired. If only they began designing their new logos, etc during the 2004-05 season, then unveiled them during the offseason. That way, they may still have had a team this, and next season instead of failing to sell 2000 season tickets.

Those nimrods at The Gardens (who owned the building and the franchise) probably thought that there was just going to be another affiliation was going to drop in their laps.