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ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs relocating

stolilv87

By stolilv87
in Sports In General

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stolilv87

stolilv87

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Johnstown's Tribune-Democrat and Greenville WYFF are reporting that the Johnstown Chiefs, a founding member of the East Coast Hockey League and the only team that has remained in the ECHL since the league's founding without relocating, may likely be moving to Greenville, SC and play at the BI-LO Center.

Greenville's arena board will be meeting on Monday to discuss a lease. Right now it looks 75-25 considering the problems that have been facing the Chiefs over the last few years.

Here's the link to the Tribune-Democrat article: "Rumors continue about Chiefs relocation"

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rams80

rams80

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This seems like one of the more inevitable things in minor league hockey. Kind of like Edmonton setting up shop in OKC next year and the not-IHL dropping a couple of franchises.

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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agentrygraphics

agentrygraphics

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Didn't the Grrrowl have attendance problems? Why would The E give Greenville a second chance when a viable market, like Richmond, sits without a team?

Is this the E's version of "why nashville has an NHL team while Winnepeg sits vacant" -type of scenario?

"This isn't just the Oregon Ducks, it's Football's Future Turf Soldier War Hero Steel Robot Tech Flex Machine Army." -CS85

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rams80

rams80

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Didn't the Grrrowl have attendance problems? Why would The E give Greenville a second chance when a viable market, like Richmond, sits without a team?

Is this the E's version of "why nashville has an NHL team while Winnepeg sits vacant" -type of scenario?

No. It's because Richmond has, since the ECHL left Greenville, gone through one not-IHL franchises and one SPHL team.

In short-there are understandable doubts about Richmond's viability.

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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Mac the Knife

Mac the Knife

Posted
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Didn't the Grrrowl have attendance problems? Why would The E give Greenville a second chance when a viable market, like Richmond, sits without a team?

Is this the E's version of "why nashville has an NHL team while Winnepeg sits vacant" -type of scenario?

The simple answer? The team appears to have a potential buyer that would put the team in Greenville, but none that will place it in Richmond.

The Chiefs have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for over the past decade or so. The people of Johnstown aren't to blame at all; they supported the team as well as they possibly could. The ECHL as a league essentially outgrew the Chiefs, and as a result a revolving door of team owners came and went, each holding it for between 1 and 3 years before realizing they couldn't make the financial numbers work. I was part of a small group that was in talks to buy the team back in the early 1990's, but were ultimately unsuccessful (got outbid and the head of the group couldn't find additional patsies, ehr, partners).

That said, Johnstown should immediately start to seek out a team in a lower-level league. The costs of operating an ECHL club in the 2010's far exceed what markets such as Johnstown can handle. It's been an amazing 20-something year run though.

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Burmy

Burmy

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To answer your question on "why Greenville"? The answer is this simple:

The BI-LO Center is too big to host an SPHL team (several other former E cities in the South have succeeded with the lower level, but their arenas have all been much smaller). Ditto for Greensboro and Richmond (though the new SportsQuest arena could be very viable for them).

I already heard that GullsHockey.com has been registered by the Checkers' owner, hinting at signs that the ECHL team could be moving to San Diego and take back the traditional name. With certain other teams in trouble and the E's new priority on the West and South, I think we could see teams back in Greensboro, Richmond, and maybe even Fresno (potential Monsters move up from NAHL to ECHL) before too long...

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crashcarson15

crashcarson15

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To answer your question on "why Greenville"? The answer is this simple:

The BI-LO Center is too big to host an SPHL team (several other former E cities in the South have succeeded with the lower level, but their arenas have all been much smaller). Ditto for Greensboro and Richmond (though the new SportsQuest arena could be very viable for them).

I already heard that GullsHockey.com has been registered by the Checkers' owner, hinting at signs that the ECHL team could be moving to San Diego and take back the traditional name. With certain other teams in trouble and the E's new priority on the West and South, I think we could see teams back in Greensboro, Richmond, and maybe even Fresno (potential Monsters move up from NAHL to ECHL) before too long...

Honestly, do you have any clue what the NAHL is? If there's going to be an ECHL franchise in Fresno, it's not gonna be with whoever owns the Monsters. Plus, the Falcons folded all of last year...

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Burmy

Burmy

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It's official, pending approvals from Greenville and the ECHL, the Chiefs will be leaving Johnstown and heading to Greenville for 2010-11.

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/sports/local_story_045202110.html

Johnstown should land a franchise in another league...I've always thought that there should be an A-level hockey circuit in the Northeast like there is for the pseudo-IHL and the SPHL...Johnstown, Utica, whichever team is the odd one out in the AHL team shuffle (Albany, Binghamton, Lowell, or Bridgeport), Danbury, Glens Falls (after the Phantoms find a permanent home), Atlantic City, Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Upper Marlboro could make a good base for a start-up Northeast league (the NEHL/EPHL/FHL/QRSTUV or whatever they're called now has FAILED at it so far)

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Texasrangers13

Texasrangers13

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Need not be worried, SportsQuest aims to bring a team in (thankfully without Allen Harvie involved) for the 2011-2012 season.

Damn it. This is where I wish Richmond could drop in on this opportunity. We've been wanting to obtain an ECHL franchise for a long time now. I don't know how hockey is in Greenville, but in Richmond it's beloved. We need it back, NOW!

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credit: Logodawg86

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rams80

rams80

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It's official, pending approvals from Greenville and the ECHL, the Chiefs will be leaving Johnstown and heading to Greenville for 2010-11.

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/sports/local_story_045202110.html

Johnstown should land a franchise in another league...I've always thought that there should be an A-level hockey circuit in the Northeast like there is for the pseudo-IHL and the SPHL...Johnstown, Utica, whichever team is the odd one out in the AHL team shuffle (Albany, Binghamton, Lowell, or Bridgeport), Danbury, Glens Falls (after the Phantoms find a permanent home), Atlantic City, Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Upper Marlboro could make a good base for a start-up Northeast league (the NEHL/EPHL/FHL/QRSTUV or whatever they're called now has FAILED at it so far)

This operates under the assumption that there are enough arenas in that part of the world still willing to give that level of hockey a shot after said collapses.

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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rvrdgsfn

rvrdgsfn

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Well, no E in Richmond or San Diego yet, in fact, no expansion, this was at the Winter BoG meeting

The Mid-Season ECHL Board of Governors Meeting was officially concluded and adjourned on Feb. 17.

The following items were approved by the Board of Governors:

Johnstown's Move to Greenville Approved

The Board unanimously approved the transfer of home territory for the Johnstown membership to Greenville, S.C. to begin play in the 2010-11.

Charlotte Checkers Move Up To AHL

The Charlotte Checkers received unanimous approval from the Board to move up to the American Hockey League for the 2010-11 season and will relinquish their membership in the ECHL at the end of the current season.

Voluntary Suspension Extended For Columbia

The Board unanimously approved the extension of the voluntary suspension for Columbia, S.C. for the 2010-11 season as the work on plans to construct a new arena in Lexington County, S.C.

With these moves, the ECHL will operate with nineteen teams in the 2010-11 season. Work is under way on the 2010-11 playing schedule.

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