AHL West in 2015-16?
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No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
Moving parts... Like making sure the teams moving have a franchise. If I'm not mistaken, COL, ANA, and PHX don't own their affiliate. Who out east are willing to sell?
The AHL will not have seen such a siesmic shift of teams since absorbing the IHL 6 and subsequent shuffling.
The AHL will not have seen such a siesmic shift of teams since absorbing the IHL 6 and subsequent shuffling.
6 teams is 20% of the league, as stated, going to be interesting to see who wants to move.
canucks and flames are no brainers as they own teams. ducks,kings sharks and coyotes would be top canidates. i think the sharks own their ahl team also. so utica, glens falls, portland, worcster, norfolk, and manchester... winipeg is also supposed to move but im not sure if its connected.
Kings own Manchester, and San Jose owns Wor so they are both gone for sure. Leaves a beautiful building in Manchester open for one of us small market east teams to be gobbled up. Gonna be a crazy year that is for sure. Would Flames bolt to the west and where after one year in ADR? Would Van leave Utica and hop to Abbotsford? What is thier deal with Esche? What markets in the west are open? So as we all know the talk of the western teams liking their farm teams in the east so they can practice more is irrelevalnt. Even in a west division you are still going to have what 40 something games out of division? Still lots of travel for teams out there...
That's a rumored lineup. Of those teams, Colorado, Anaheim, and Phoenix do not own their AHL affiliates. So who's selling to allow the move?
Also, nothing says the AHL couldn't pull an ECHL type move and let the six teams play with themselves all season, then making them travel come playoffs.
I have a feeling that the ECHL Western Conference will disappear, to be replaced by this new AHL West Division (mostly based in California).
Tommy Hawk
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- May 27, 2006
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Funny thing is Winnipeg is not further west than Dallas and we already know they are moving to Thunder Bay which is not further west than Des Moines or Cedar Park or OKC.
Quite honestly it will be lucky if it lasts five years. The east teams will not travel out there, and that means those teams will be playing each other a lot(12-16) times a year. The fan base will get sick of watching the same opponents all the time. Some of the mid west teams will go out. But those teams will have a lot of expenses and competing with the nice weather for fans. Lond cold winters makes the north east work for the ahl.
JungleJON
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- May 10, 2011
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I've been checking and have not found where the City of Thunder Bay has given the go ahead on building the proposed arena. And if they do, they have stated it will be at least five years before the project is completed.
So could see Winnipeg looking for another city close by to put their team if the AHL West Division comes about.
With the Midwest teams, they can go East or West. So the teams in the West would not have to get stuck playing the each other over and over.
Latest I could find on TB arena
They're looking at a 2017 opening, but there is a possible snag:
Time will tell.
They're looking at a 2017 opening, but there is a possible snag:
Time will tell.
No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
Um, yeah - call me when you've got something solid.
Being skeptical's definitely a good attitude to have given the obvious potential magnitude of the news, but I would have to imagine that Andrews wouldn't have opened his yap on a subject like this if at least the groundwork wasn't already laid out already.
Not seeing a practical reason to say something about this if the AHL didn't have the intention to do it (and reason to believe it could actually be done).
That being said, it does raise a lot of questions about which teams may move, which teams would be sold, which western markets would be open for a team (Abbotsford is the obvious option, maybe Sacramento as well, and possibly a place like Ontario jumps from the ECHL to the AHL, but there are also barriers like the existence of junior hockey in the Pacific Northwest likely blocking potential landing spots for teams), and what, if any, role that teams in Texas and possibly Thunder Bay would have on the new conference/division.
A whole lotta questions...
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Tao Jersey Jones
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http://www.pennlive.com/sports/inde...s_tells_marek_vs_wy.html#incart_river_default
Includes: "LINK TO 'MAREK VS. WYSHYNSKI' PODCAST (JUNE 11 EDITION)"
Frank Booth
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I spoke with Len Komoroski not too long ago and he said that there is no way you would see Lake Erie not be in the AHL. The Cavaliers need to have a second tenant as per their contract with Cuyahoga County to run the building. Back in 1992 when the Muskegon Lumberjacks were planning to move to Cleveland they had an agreement in place with the Cleveland State convocation center, including adding ice. But at the last minute the Cavs swept in and they played two years at Richfield before moving to the new arena.
When the Jacks folded the Gund's bought the Thoroughblades and they became the Barons. After both the Cavs and Sharks were sold, the lease they drew up was a detriment to the Sharks, so off to Worcester they went. But as that was happening, Andrews was helping Gilbert and Komoroski buy the dormant Grizzlies, who then became the Lake Erie Monsters we know today. One thing he was a lot less forthcoming about is the affiliation with Colorado. They are not at all happy with the Avs and the fans are furious after six of seven years outside the playoffs. So the Avs might try to find another franchise to affiliate/and or buy. And not too many people in NE Ohio would be sorry to see the Avs go bye bye. If anyone has ever been to Quicken Loans Arena you would see how much Monsters' branding there is. The affiliation will (hopefully) go, but the franchise will be in Cleveland for a long time.
Agalloch
EliteProspects
Columbus has a multi-year agreement w/ Springfield, I believe, and the Falcons have turned that franchise around, in the last 3 years.
wildcat48
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Agalloch
EliteProspects
Agree. I would also think its a virtual lock for 2015-2016. While the logistics are daunting, there is no way the AHL can have 6 teams in lame duck status for 2 seasons. That would be a disaster for business.
Makes you wonder what other moves are on the table. Such as fortifying those teams out east that are good and or stable like Manchester etc. Also makes you wonder if portland had any heads up on this before the whole arguing and crap started and ended on the area lease.
I could see some possible moving around of affiliations etc like maybe say....Albany being sold to the Manchester group or whatever.
I could see some possible moving around of affiliations etc like maybe say....Albany being sold to the Manchester group or whatever.
PCSPounder
Stadium Groupie
I'm of the mind anymore that you literally don't count the existence of an arena until it actually opens. Even then...
Tommy Hawk
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- May 27, 2006
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Where did the Thunder Cats play?
It will be interesting to see how many teams actually move the teams. Also, maybe Colorado gets a team and moves it to say Colorado Springs.
It will be interesting to see how many teams actually move the teams. Also, maybe Colorado gets a team and moves it to say Colorado Springs.
How about 3 or 4 teams move for one season and the other 1,2 or 3 move the next season? That would work without the pioneers playing each other 22 times each.
so are the Coyotes, what's your point, wildcat
this is why 2015-16 is ludicrous as it stands I can see 2018 or later based off arena leases
I also now don't see LA abandoning Manchester after 2016, after what they've accomplished there the lasst 3 seasons, either
I wish that the newcomers to this board here think and research before posting their opinions, even if they haven't seen some of these teams, tbth, because it's making those true AHL Fans defensive and cynical without knowing what the league or its teams are willing to reveal to their fanbases.
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