ECHL affiliate
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robertmac43
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My guess is MLSE brings a team closer to the GTA. Make it a little easier to bring players up and down and lessen the travel costs.
There's not a lot of movement between the NHL and ECHL.
I don't think it would hurt to put their ECHL affiliate in another market.
I don't think it would hurt to put their ECHL affiliate in another market.
Would put an echl team in the ricoh.
Having an echl team in toronto would be a huge selling feature when attracting free agents. Also marlies players (specifically goaltender) wouldn't mind starting in a lower league if its in the same building.
Keep the tickets cheap, have afternoon games during the week for elementary school trips, and on friday nights since the marlies usually play on Saturday and Sunday.
Having an echl team in toronto would be a huge selling feature when attracting free agents. Also marlies players (specifically goaltender) wouldn't mind starting in a lower league if its in the same building.
Keep the tickets cheap, have afternoon games during the week for elementary school trips, and on friday nights since the marlies usually play on Saturday and Sunday.
keonsbitterness
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Eternal Leaf
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ECHL team in the GTA would be attractive.
Good for free agents and helps integrate prospects into the city/team/AHL.
Good for free agents and helps integrate prospects into the city/team/AHL.
Maple Leaf
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Stephen
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That sounds like a bad deal. Not sure how profitable the Marlies are but they’re a nice draw for families and kids and you get a pretty steady stream of future NHLers that you wouldn’t in the ECHL.
Over the years I’ve seen Jacob Markstrom, Braden Holtby, William Nylander, Hyman and that 2015 crop of Leafs. Lots of randoms up close and personal. Would be a big loss for Toronto.
I have seen that tweet, to me it makes zero sense to move their team AHL team from the building they manage to Hamilton while bringing in a ECHL team where there would be very very few fans going to the games
i believe it’s predicated on the city of Hamilton/Copps footing the entire upgrade bill for the arena/amenities, so not a guarantee…but that idea has absolutely been floated and discussed as a real possibility.
I didn’t get it from a tweet and will kind of leave it at that, but that’s not a surprise it came out to social media. Was it someone plugged in or was it more of a random musing?
RE: Moving the Marlies to Hamilton - to me it doesn't make sense.
While it's only an hour drive, you look at some of the "things" that the Leafs are able to do when assigning players to the AHL like they did with Robertson and Samsonov this year training with Leafs coaches, and having the team in Hamilton would prevent that.
Having them share a practice facility, and a practice dressing room hallway, makes a ton of sense from an integration and development standpoint.
As for where an ECHL team is to go, I suspect the challenge is that the Leafs don't really want to own it, or have managerial involvement, or else they would have bailed out the Growlers in the first place... so it will be up to whomever wants to make a deal with the Leafs, where they think they can make an ECHL team work.
When you consider the geography of the league, up and down the eastern seabord, and how flying out to Newfoundland isn't exactly the most central, wouldn't suprise me to see one pop up in / around upstate NY, PA, or Ohio.
While it's only an hour drive, you look at some of the "things" that the Leafs are able to do when assigning players to the AHL like they did with Robertson and Samsonov this year training with Leafs coaches, and having the team in Hamilton would prevent that.
Having them share a practice facility, and a practice dressing room hallway, makes a ton of sense from an integration and development standpoint.
As for where an ECHL team is to go, I suspect the challenge is that the Leafs don't really want to own it, or have managerial involvement, or else they would have bailed out the Growlers in the first place... so it will be up to whomever wants to make a deal with the Leafs, where they think they can make an ECHL team work.
When you consider the geography of the league, up and down the eastern seabord, and how flying out to Newfoundland isn't exactly the most central, wouldn't suprise me to see one pop up in / around upstate NY, PA, or Ohio.
robertmac43
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For sure. As long as the other market is well connected to the rest of the ECHL. Part of the problem with the Growlers was their location. They needed to fly everywhere which is a big financial ask for an ECHL team .
Stephen
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I’ve seen the topic floated around here and there but for my sensibilities it doesn’t make sense to downgrade the Toronto experience for a Hamilton upgrade and then stick an inferior ECHL product on home turf. Not saying it can’t happen but it doesn’t make sense.
Cams
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There is very likely availability in Windsor - we have 6600 seat arena that currently hosts the Spitfires who usually play on Thursday nights, so as long as no conflict....why couldn't it work. It's a lot closer than where the Growlers were playing, and close to a lot of ECHL teams (Toledo, Fort Wayne, Indy, Kalamazoo, Cincinnatti).
Not sure how competition with the Sptifires would go over, but just a talking point to consider.
Not sure how competition with the Sptifires would go over, but just a talking point to consider.
acrobaticgoalie
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I say a random musing, I didn't make much of the tweet because it was from a random person, I thought it a bullshit tweet because of the reasons I said that the leafs manage cola cola coliseum and they would shooting themselves in the foot by putting a inferior product ECHL into a building they manage, the only way this makes sense is if they are cancelling the management contract with the city
Both Mississauga and Brampton have lost teams. Its time they accept the sunk cost and move it back home.
The AHL and ECHL will always be a loss leader in toronto but worth it from a development perspective. In toronto they'll have access to all of the same resources/facilities the leafs do which only a handful of nhl teams actually do.
Stephen
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It also makes sense with their west end Ford Centre of Excellence around Kipling and recallability of Marlies. Plus you’re not sending AAAA tweeners like Martin Jones to Hamilton. They can enjoy Toronto whether they play with the big club or on standby.
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I don't think an ECHL affiliate in Brampton or in the GTA would draw well. The Beast struggled and I realize they were the Habs affiliate which didn't help being in this market. But it's not like the Marlies sell out. I think if people want cheaper hockey, they'd pick the Marlies where the players are better known and one step closer. Or the Steelheads where they can catch top jr prospects.
It would fit from a geographic perspective (teams in Toledo, Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne...), but I don't think MLSE will be keen to compete or supplant established OHL franchises. At least I hope they won't.
Close to Toronto, I think the best (and really the only) options are either Hamilton or Brantford. Ownership will have to decide whether the ECHL or OHL fits Hamilton better with Brantford getting the other team.
Further afield, I do wonder if perhaps the ECHL would be a fit for Thunder Bay. A bit out there, but not as out there as Newfoundland. It has multiple daily flights to Toronto on Porter and Air Canada (as well as flights to Winnipeg & Ottawa) and is a fairly large market with no other high level hockey.
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