Atlanta to the AHL?
- Thread starter Atlantian
- Start date
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
How many AHL teams are even independently owned? By my last count, there was 11:
Charlotte
Chicago
Cleveland
Colorado
Grand Rapids
Hershey
Lehigh Valley
Milwaukee
Providence
Springfield
Syracuse
Some of these are pretty obvious no's.
Don Levin would rather die than sell Chicago.
Cleveland, Colorado, Grand Rapids, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, and Providence all have such a close business and geographical relationship with their affiliate to conclude they're not going anywhere.
Springfield has somehow become St. Louis's ideal match and has cheap, fast, and frequent direct flight to St. Louis.
That only leaves Syracuse, Milwaukee, and Charlotte. And out of them, Syracuse and Milwaukee both have pretty solid relationships.
Given Charlotte's loss of Carolina's affiliate and the possible ownership issues they face that resulted in Carolina dropping them, they're my top bet.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
A relocated franchise needs a home ice with suitable facilities & amenities in a location local fans can be enticed to visit. The latter in ATL translates to: "NOT in that damn city!" 
Not too mention Don Levin isn't the sole owner of the Wolves...he is just the public face of ownership.
I know it's seen as being away from the action but I'd like to see how an outlying community like Gwinnett would do in the A. They seem to be doing well in the ECHL - are they ready to take the next step?
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Gwinnett County and adjacent Fulton & DeKalb counties are the 2nd, 1st & 4th most populous counties in the Atlanta region per 2019 data; so Gwinnett isn't so "away from the action" as you might imagine. But the Gladiators' popularity according to attendance figures has been on a downhill slide since 2012-13 (with the exception of an outlier of 2018-19). Then there's the question of the suitability of Gas South Arena as an AHL home. Lots of challenges for a new AHL ownership to overcome, IMO, but enthusiasm sometimes overcomes logic - especially if those prospective owners are HFBoards members.
OK Thanks! I didn't know about the attendance thing or the size of the county.Gwinnett County and adjacent Fulton & DeKalb counties are the 2nd, 1st & 4th most populous counties in the Atlanta region per 2019 data; so Gwinnett isn't so "away from the action" as you might imagine. But the Gladiators' popularity according to attendance figures has been on a downhill slide since 2012-13 (with the exception of an outlier of 2018-19). Then there's the question of the suitability of Gas South Arena as an AHL home. Lots of challenges for a new AHL ownership to overcome, IMO, but enthusiasm sometimes overcomes logic - especially if those prospective owners are HFBoards members.
Does Gwinnett having an active youth hockey program?
With the lack of support currently in Stockton, a first place team that, with the exception of Teddy Bear Toss where they drew 4,000 (which included about 500 free tickets), has yet to draw more than 2,000 fans for any game, I could see Calgary moving there. Would be fitting that a Flames team would return to Atlanta.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
Unlikely. Calgary is in Stockton for the travel time for their prospects. As we all know, they only have so much time. The less time they spend in a bus and hotel room, the more time they spend on the ice, in the gym, and in their own beds. Whoever is in Atlanta will have some of the worst travel in the league. If Calgary were to relocate from Stockton, it would have to be to relocate them closer to home. They wouldn't move them further away to make for more difficult call-ups and worse travel and the lessened prospect development that comes with that.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Not sure what chicken you're trying to hatch with that egg, but ... Seems like there are more roller hockey opportunities in the area than ice hockey (it is the South after all). The 2-sheet Atlanta IceForum - former practice facility for the NHL Thrashers in Duluth, GA, Gwinnett Co. - does sponsor a youth program as well as adult hockey.
One thing teams try to do is establish youth hockey programs as a part of growing their base of fans and establish some interest in the community. If there's a strong hockey program in the community the chances of establishing a pro team may be improved.
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
Wish this could have happened earlier prior to the Canes/Checkers thing coming to an end (something I'm still not happy about). I kept wanting an opponent that was closer than Hershey, PA.
As for who this could be, well that's anyone's guess.
As for who this could be, well that's anyone's guess.
Ratitude
Registered User
- May 2, 2020
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One has to figure its only a matter of time before the AHL fortifies a more south eastern footprint with Georgia or Florida to go along with Charlotte. Jax and Orlando seem to do well with ECHL so it shouldn't be a surprise if the AHL has had more of the southeast on their radar eventually.
royals119
Registered User
Geographically it would seem that Syracuse makes the most sense. Gets the AHL team closer to the NHL team. 6.5 hour drive, so it is still a flight for players, and no coaches or GM are going to just pop in to watch practice on a day off, so I'm not sure how much of an advantage that really is. Still means the AHL team will have a lot more travel compared to staying in Syracuse. Haven't seen any news articles for a while, but wasn't the Syracuse owner trying to get the city to do some upgrades to the arena? Maybe if that effort has stalled he would look at selling?
Found the answer....One of the Atl defencemen is playing today for the chicago wolves so there's your Atl to the AHL.
CrazyEddie20
Hey RuZZia - Cut Your Losses and Go Home.
Right, because Charlotte's only been in the AHL for a decade, and the league hasn't done anything to "fortify a more southeastern footprint." In the meantime, their nearest rival (Norfolk) fell out of the AHL and two AHL teams (Houston and San Antonio) with direct flights to Charlotte also left the league.
Atlantian
Registered User
I had heard talks about the same time as the Westward swing before the 2015-16 season that the AHL had looked into the possibility of more southern teams as well, looking at cities including Atlanta, Orlando, and Estero.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
You're 3-1/2 years behind in your news updates ... https://nccnews.newhouse.syr.edu/8-5-millions-worth-of-renovations-at-the-oncenter-war-memorial-arena/
Centrum Hockey
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2018
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I believe Tampa has said they prefer the infrastructure that comes with having a team in the Northeast and Florida has said they have no interest in being a operator of AHL Franchise because they are losing enough money in sunrise already.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
The Aeros & Rampage didn't leave the AHL; their franchises relocated. Each to a city with non-stops to/from Charlotte. Not that Iowa nor Henderson are in Charlotte's conference, so the whole line of debate is moot.
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royals119
Registered User
CrazyEddie20
Hey RuZZia - Cut Your Losses and Go Home.
Fair enough, I should have worded that better and indicated that those teams relocated and those markets left the league.
For a while, San Antonio and Houston were in Charlotte's conference - even in the same division from 2012-13 to 2014-15, so I don't think that's moot. I think that the league's south/southeastern footprint largely evaporated - it just helps the Checkers that their arena is 20 minutes from an American Airlines and Delta hub, and they can get cheap commercial flights to almost any AHL city (except Utica, because Utica sucks.) That said, Henderson and Des Moines are a long f'n way from Charlotte, even non-stop.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
How dare you say that about Moneyinc.com's #5 Worst Place to Live in New York selection for 2021.
LetsGoIslanders
Registered User
(I had to look up the new name for the arena)
Downtown Atlanta can totally support an AHL team at the State Farm Arena. The Knights did fine in the Omni in the IHL.
Unfortunately the NHL allowed Don Waddell to ruin a franchise. How he has a job in the NHL still confounds me.
Downtown Atlanta can totally support an AHL team at the State Farm Arena. The Knights did fine in the Omni in the IHL.
Unfortunately the NHL allowed Don Waddell to ruin a franchise. How he has a job in the NHL still confounds me.
LetsGoIslanders
Registered User
I lived in the same subdivision as the guy who built The Cooler in Alpharetta. I played for the Atlanta Knights AA out of The Cooler. I also played house roller hockey. The owner didn't think that expanding a surface and building an NHL practice facility was going to pay off. As it turns out, he was 100% correct.
