CHL going into Brampton? No, not that CHL....

[No Fun Shogun]

... the Central Hockey League, a single-A minor league constantly being rumored to be on the verge of death and eventually absorption by the ECHL.

http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/news/?article_id=9177

The closest teams to Brampton are both in Illinois, the Quad City Mallards and the Bloomington Blaze.

.... so.... uh.... thoughts? Honestly quite surprised at the news, not the least because I was just expecting the CHL.... Central Hockey League to collapse already, not overextend itself even more. Figured that I'd post this in here, as Brampton's OHL turf and this is clearly a replacement for the soon-to-be-gone Battalion.

Click to read more...

 

[Inkling]

Definitely surprising. If few people in Brampton were willing to watch junior hockey (probably the second highest profile league in Canada after the NHL), who will go watch the Central Hockey League?

 

[Mightygoose]

This could actually make sense. If the CHL team is affiliated with the Leafs, it will add to the team's developement giving the organization more places to develop their own players.

The team itself will be be money pit but if it's made of Leaf prospects, this is a good move

 

[Loosie]

Definitely surprising. If few people in Brampton were willing to watch junior hockey (probably the second highest profile league in Canada after the NHL), who will go watch the Central Hockey League?

That's my thought...the Battalion couldn't draw and it's Major Junior...third tier Minor Pro is going to draw even less. I give the team one year...maybe two (yes this is pretty much what I posted in the Minor Pro forum)

 

[No Fun Shogun]

That's my thought...the Battalion couldn't draw and it's Major Junior...third tier Minor Pro is going to draw even less. I give the team one year...maybe two (yes this is pretty much what I posted in the Minor Pro forum)

That's funny.... that's about as long as I expect the CHL to last.

But yeah.... just not getting it. Maybe, just maybe if they somehow manage to convince the Leafs to sign on as affiliates, then they might just eek out some interest from folks that want to see third tier prospects, but.... even that's a stretch. Road costs are going to be immense.

Then again, who knows? Maybe they're hoping for enough of a niche to attract ECHL interest?

 

[Loosie]

That's funny.... that's about as long as I expect the CHL to last.

But yeah.... just not getting it. Maybe, just maybe if they somehow manage to convince the Leafs to sign on as affiliates, then they might just eek out some interest from folks that want to see third tier prospects, but.... even that's a stretch. Road costs are going to be immense.

Then again, who knows? Maybe they're hoping for enough of a niche to attract ECHL interest?

The league itself has been around for a while, and although there's been a lot of fluctuation with the teams I don't see the league itself folding. In fact they are in thier 20th season. I just don't see a team in Brampton drawing and surviving very long at all.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

The league itself has been around for a while, and although there's been a lot of fluctuation with the teams I don't see the league itself folding. In fact they are in thier 20th season. I just don't see a team in Brampton drawing and surviving very long at all.

I agree. However, if I happen to in the GTA during the season, I might head up to see a game. Then again I am weird that way and enjoy seeing minor league games and oddball teams and leagues.

 

[NHL Fanatic]

This team won't survive. This is one of the dumbest moves. There is a reason why smaller market teams can't survive in the GTA. The Steelheads are not even sure how many fans they will draw competing with the Leafs, Raptors, Marlies, Blue Jays, minor midget etc. These people don't understand that smaller market close knit places like London, Sudbury, Cornwall, Windsor are places those teams should be apart of.

 

[Nbr-17]

City of Brampton brings some much-needed hilarity to the hockey scene

 

[Inkling]

But, does 'affiliating' really mean anything when it's the CHL that we're talking about. With the AHL, you go to see your team's prospects. How many people playing on a CHL team realistically have a chance of making it to the NHL? You could probably count them on one hand for the entire league. Affiliation is probably as much of a marketing strategy than anything; eventually you can't pull the wool over fans' eyes.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Looks like the team will be known as one of the following....

Brampton Bandits
Brampton Beast (why not plural?)
Brampton Blizzard
Brampton North Stars
Brampton Renegades
Brampton Vipers
Brampton Wolverines

In case anyone cares.
http://hockeybrampton.com/vote.html

Seriously though, why not pluralize "Beast?" Brampton Beasts actually sounds decent.

 

[Taoiseach]

...who will go watch the Central Hockey League?

Us... Once... To cheer for Garrett Clarke's team.

 

[cujoflutie]

will this CHL team actually affiliate with the leafs? I guess in a round about way they could since the CHL is the farm league for the ECHL but rarely do NHL have CHL affiliations.

 

[Mightygoose]

Apparently Basketball is going to fill the void in Brampton as well. The NBL Canada is moving in

http://www.mississauga.com/sports/article/1599646--pro-basketball-team-planned-for-brampton

Anyone care to make a freindly wager on which one (NBL vs CHL) team folds first?