Sodboy13 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Quad City is probably destined for the USHL at this point, assuming hockey doesn't just up and die there. Since the Mallards were reborn, I think the team has had different ownership every single season. They were league-owned for the first couple months of this season and were playing their games in practice uniforms. It's pretty dire. On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 That's too bad. Looked good to have four Illinois teams + Milwaukee. Decent arena, AHL-sized population base, should have worked. Thought they cared about hockey there. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illwauk Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Speaking of mid-sized Upper Midwestern towns in relative proximity to Chicago, what does everyone think of the AHL in Green Bay? They have a relatively new (10 years old) 8,700-seat arena, a history of successful hockey in the USHL and hosting the NCAA tournament, and literally nothing else going on in a metro area of 300,000+ after the Packers seasons' are over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 You know what, it just might work. The only concern I'd have is travel costs, if Milwaukee to Peoria and Grand Rapids is the limit for reasonable bus travel, but Green Bay is a bus too far, but that's a reach. And what do they do there for college hockey? NCAA and AHL don't co-exist well, e.g. LowellEDIT: oh yeah and Omaha ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 This is assuming the Gamblers leave town, right? Because otherwise, it would be Omaha all over again. On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 That's too bad. Looked good to have four Illinois teams + Milwaukee. Decent arena, AHL-sized population base, should have worked. Thought they cared about hockey there.They did. Or at least they cared about the Mallards (specifically) choke-slamming the bejeezus out of whatever financially derelict UHL team that showed up in the arena that night. Unfortunately Calgary was too cheap to adopt the Mallards moniker and there are far fewer financially derelict teams to choke-slam in the AHL, so that killed a lot of the interest. The subsequent ownership tailspin really isn't helping either. 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illwauk Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 You know what, it just might work. The only concern I'd have is travel costs, if Milwaukee to Peoria and Grand Rapids is the limit for reasonable bus travel, but Green Bay is a bus too far, but that's a reach. And what do they do there for college hockey? NCAA and AHL don't co-exist well, e.g. LowellEDIT: oh yeah and OmahaThe only local NCAA hockey is D3 St. Norbert... granted, it's arguably the best D3 program in the country, but it's criminally under-appreciated locally. In fact most people go to Gamblers games thinking they're a higher level of hockey. Of course, the AHL would essentially replace the Gamblers in this scenario. They'd probably also do well to revive the old Bobcats name that Green Bay used the last time they directly competed against the Admirals. It's also a fitting name for a Wild affiliate, which would probably be their ideal parent club and give them an excuse to wear green & gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I think the Wild have an ownership stake in the Houston Aeros, though. How d'you feel about taking in the Oilers? Perhaps the Calgary Fl--never mind, we want this thing to work.And seeing how the Gamblers' current logo is a bobcat holding a playing card, a return to the Bobcats name seems natural. On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadragon76 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 the AHL.I feel the same way after the Iowa Chops left town to become the Texas Stars... I wish Des Moines would get another chance in the AHL (preferrably without Calgary getting anywhere near it... I know what they did to Omaha and the Quad Cities)dude they used the team as collateral to get a $2 million loan. that was strictly against AHL rules, of course they got the team taken awayDon't remind me. I thought it was massively retarded on the owner's part to even do that. I just think Des Moines would be a good place for the AHL. It's close enough for the Wild to put there team in if they ever got tired of Houston.Just keep Calgary far away as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Des Moines has that sparkling, pro-capacity rink, but I wonder if they also have The Omaha Problem to some degree - competing at a higher price point with a well-established junior club.I do miss the I-Stars. On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illwauk Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I think the Wild have an ownership stake in the Houston Aeros, though. How d'you feel about taking in the Oilers? Perhaps the Calgary Fl--never mind, we want this thing to work.And seeing how the Gamblers' current logo is a bobcat holding a playing card, a return to the Bobcats name seems natural.I don't think you'd have to try too hard to get hockey fans in Northern Wisconsin to embrace a Canadian teams' farm club.What's the deal with the Wild's ownership stake in the Aeros anyway though? I can't imagine they're happy about sending prospects clear across the country when they could have them right next door (if not in Green Bay, then definitely Milwaukee) where they could expand their fanbase, too.The Wings could also set up shop in Green Bay and have a built-in fanbase thanks to all the transplanted Yoopers, but I can't imagine a scenario where the Wings would want to give up Grand Rapids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadragon76 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Des Moines has that sparkling, pro-capacity rink, but I wonder if they also have The Omaha Problem to some degree - competing at a higher price point with a well-established junior club.I do miss the I-Stars.Not exactly. The team in Des Moines would be playing at Wells Fargo Arena while the Bucs play in Urbandale, which is west of Des Moines. The numbers also show that an AHL team in Des Moines could be semi-successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Needschat Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 You know what, it just might work. The only concern I'd have is travel costs, if Milwaukee to Peoria and Grand Rapids is the limit for reasonable bus travel, but Green Bay is a bus too far, but that's a reach. And what do they do there for college hockey? NCAA and AHL don't co-exist well, e.g. LowellEDIT: oh yeah and OmahaIn the Capital Region of New York there are two AHL franchises: Adirondack and Albany. Within the same region, there are two Division I hockey programs: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union. All four thrive, which is odd for a market that is just shy of 1 million people. Oh what could have been.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 In the Capital Region of New York there are two AHL franchises: Adirondack and Albany. Within the same region, there are two Division I hockey programs: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union. All four thrive, which is odd for a market that is just shy of 1 million people.You have an awfully interesting definition of "thriving". On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Well, Albany's the Devils affiliate. New Jersey is almost as bad as Calgary when it comes to running a minor league team. 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigboy1083 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Also, Adirondack will be moving to Allentown, PA in a year or two. Adirondack (Glens Falls) was just a place holder for the Phantoms (Flyers) after the Spectrum was torn down. Thanks KaTo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEW.ERA Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Anyone ever figure out a reason to why Calgary has been "ruining" AHL markets since we left Saint John? I can't find an answer anywhere. JETS|PACK|JAYS|NUFC|BAMA|BOMBERS|RAPS|ORANJE| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I don't understand the question. What's to be "figured out"? The Flames don't put a premium on developing prospects (Rockford, Griffins), nor do they play to compete within the AHL (Wolves, erstwhile Moose), so they run crappy scrimmages on a shoestring budget, which alienates fanbases that couldn't give a damn about the Calgary Flames in the first place. There's nobody to see and no reason to see that nobody. No wonder they leave a path of destruction. You gotta give people something.Serious AHL people: which teams are the best at striking the happy medium between competition and development? Seems like it was the Moose when they were around, which is part of why they no longer have to be around. The Hershey Bears seem to be doing something right. The Chicago Wolves are a model organization in terms of getting people in the building and winning games, but ask the Atlanta Thrashers how they enjoyed working with the Wolves oh yes that's right I can't. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMac Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Also, Adirondack will be moving to Allentown, PA in a year or two. Adirondack (Glens Falls) was just a place holder for the Phantoms (Flyers) after the Spectrum was torn down.You think they'll move to the Lehigh Valley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigboy1083 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Also, Adirondack will be moving to Allentown, PA in a year or two. Adirondack (Glens Falls) was just a place holder for the Phantoms (Flyers) after the Spectrum was torn down.You think they'll move to the Lehigh Valley?I know they will. They started building the new arena in November. The arena is supposed to be done in 2014 for the Phantoms to move into. They even have a website setup for the arena, and the team is going to be called the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. http://phantomsarena.com/News.html Thanks KaTo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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