Eugene Upgrade (?)

[SemireliableSource]

Purely speculation but could we see Wenatchee re-join the NAHL along with possibly the addition of one or two other PNW markets and have them create a division with the Alaska teams?

As it stands, Eugene would be on an island like the Alaska teams but at least visiting teams have two opponents in Alaska they can visit.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Purely speculation but could we see Wenatchee re-join the NAHL along with possibly the addition of one or two other PNW markets and have them create a division with the Alaska teams?

As it stands, Eugene would be on an island like the Alaska teams but at least visiting teams have two opponents in Alaska they can visit.

Wenatchee is staying. They have much better travel in the BCHL than the NAHL could ever offer, even if they're given a fully stocked PNW division with Alaska. The NAHL also has the showcases and non-divisional games, which is what pushed Wenatchee well over the edge to seek for years to leave the NAHL.

It's easy to imagine that the NAHL continues their effort to make the NAHL a national league by expanding to the PNW as you mentioned. Some think the new arena planned in Idaho Falls actually might go to the NAHL. Even if they add them and Eugene and the two Alaska teams, they're well short of a division. They would have to stretch things out pretty far to add maybe Fresno and somewhere else just to make a division.

For teams West of the Mississippi River, geography is added to the usual three requirements of arena, market, and owner when determining feasibility. The West Coast just doesn't have many open arenas, open markets, or open owners in the right locations.

 

[PCSPounder]

The source belongs to a friend of mine, who regularly talks to people in the UO club program.

It's common knowledge, as noted here, that the people behind the Generals have been active trying to get something done in the interim.

***

Given the nature of what I'm calling the "rumor du jour," I'm going to throw out some cities here, generally on speculation.

Imagine building conversions in Eugene, Salem, Bend, Bellingham, maybe Olympia or Bremerton... and finally convincing the Sun Dome in Yakima to include an ice plant. Maybe even Coeur d'Alene, though that's a bit close to Spokane. That might be enough for the NAHL? That might sway Wenatchee as well?

 

[orhockey]

What I mentioned comes from the Generals coach...asked him about next year a few weeks back. I forgot to mention that either Tacoma or Olympia are in the process of trying to get a NAHL team as well; I can't remember which city though. Bend needs another rink bad and with the $ in that community, I could see that being an option.

I find it interesting that the Medford WSHL team can get a packed house, despite being a terrible team. The few Generals games I've been to seem sparsely attended.

 

[PCSPounder]

What I mentioned comes from the Generals coach...asked him about next year a few weeks back. I forgot to mention that either Tacoma or Olympia are in the process of trying to get a NAHL team as well; I can't remember which city though. Bend needs another rink bad and with the $ in that community, I could see that being an option.

I find it interesting that the Medford WSHL team can get a packed house, despite being a terrible team. The few Generals games I've been to seem sparsely attended.

Does Medford still get packed houses? The turmoil around that franchise in the summer and the resulting season to date makes me wonder. That's pretty much why I didn't include Southern Oregon in my speculation.

 

[orhockey]

Surprisingly yes, for the most part. I've only attended one game this year, but the stands and beer garden were mostly full.

 

[SharksFan1978]

What I mentioned comes from the Generals coach...asked him about next year a few weeks back. I forgot to mention that either Tacoma or Olympia are in the process of trying to get a NAHL team as well; I can't remember which city though. Bend needs another rink bad and with the $ in that community, I could see that being an option.

I find it interesting that the Medford WSHL team can get a packed house, despite being a terrible team. The few Generals games I've been to seem sparsely attended.

Yeah, with all the league upheaval and then Eugene going fully independent and spending half the season trying to punch above their weight against college teams, etc. there seems to have been a marked drop-off in attendance. I think this season off is going to hurt their already tenuous presence here in this market, and even more so if the hiatus extends for another year or two beyond this, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[SharksFan1978]

Has anyone heard anything further about any aspect of the Eugene Generals lately?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Has anyone heard anything further about any aspect of the Eugene Generals lately?

Last year, the NAHL announced the addition of expansion teams in late February. Wichita Fall's expansion for next year was announced in November. Kansas City's relocation was announced late February. The latest I've ever seen was April with Maryland. So whatever they have planned, they better get on it. The NAHL Draft is in 3 months, season starts in 5 months, and they've got a lot to get done. I'm willing to bet that nothing happens given the complete lack of news, the lack of any divisional infrastructure which includes no teams within a 20 hour drive and the financial problems that creates, and how little time they have left to create their organization.

 

[SharksFan1978]

I'm willing to bet that nothing happens given the complete lack of news, the lack of any divisional infrastructure which includes no teams within a 20 hour drive and the financial problems that creates, and how little time they have left to create their organization.

This has more or less been my fear/guess for a while. We might as well be Hawaii for where we are in the hockey landscape, all things considered, especially with respect to the NAHL. Never say never, I suppose, but I'm low-key starting to think our franchise will just have to fold because I can't see them begging the WCHL to let them in, and I can't see how/why they'd go back to what they were doing the last season or two as basically an independent team punching way above their weight and not looking very good doing it. They've held out for so long, trying to latch on to some kind of league structure somewhere, but there's just nothing around us here, which is odd since Eugene/Springfield isn't exactly nowhere/nothing (~250K population, only a couple hours south of PDX and north of Medford).

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

This has more or less been my fear/guess for a while. We might as well be Hawaii for where we are in the hockey landscape, all things considered, especially with respect to the NAHL. Never say never, I suppose, but I'm low-key starting to think our franchise will just have to fold because I can't see them begging the WCHL to let them in, and I can't see how/why they'd go back to what they were doing the last season or two as basically an independent team punching way above their weight and not looking very good doing it. They've held out for so long, trying to latch on to some kind of league structure somewhere, but there's just nothing around us here, which is odd since Eugene/Springfield isn't exactly nowhere/nothing (~250K population, only a couple hours south of PDX and north of Medford).

Eugene isn’t special in this regard. The West Coast just doesn’t have the junior hockey infrastructure in depth that most of the rest of the country has. The population and towns are there, they’re just too spread out to support junior hockey. If it wasn’t for the WHL, Kennewick definitely wouldn’t have have hockey. Wenatchee would have folded if it weren’t for joining the BCHL and cutting their travel costs to a fraction of what they had for the NAHL.

There’s not very minor leagues in general that are solely in the western half of the country. It’s just geography and demographics. Eugene’s best hope is that others join them, because we’ve seen how NAHL teams on a travel island do.

 

[PCSPounder]

I’ve heard nothing lately.

My instinct now... it’s easier to bet on Northwest money being too realistic to make really bombastic leaps of faith. The virus makes 95% of the speculation in this thread quite bombastic. Wish this luck; it’s gonna need it.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I'd hate to rehash this because it looks impossible in the short-term and incredibly unlikely in the long-term, but former USA Hockey Board member Donna Kaufman expressed her passion for junior hockey and claims her Tacoma Twin Rinks is ready for junior hockey.

The rink is also junior hockey ready if a team happened to come to the Tacoma area.“We trying to do things that really aren’t being done in the Northwest,” Kaufman said. Kaufman continues to offer more and more opportunities for young players in her local area to get into hockey, while simultaneously helping open doors nationwide at the junior hockey level.

Helping Grow Junior Hockey Is A Passion For Donna Kaufman

Despite the rink's lack of suitability according to Google Images, her word choices make me think that she is part of a NAHL Pacific NW push. Opening doors nationwide would insinuate the national NAHL rather than a regional junior league. Doing things that really aren't being done in the Northwest would also insinuate that, since there is already lower levels junior hockey in the Northwest. Or I could be interpreting it incorrectly.

 

[SharksFan1978]

I'd hate to rehash this because it looks impossible in the short-term and incredibly unlikely in the long-term, but former USA Hockey Board member Donna Kaufman expressed her passion for junior hockey and claims her Tacoma Twin Rinks is ready for junior hockey.

The rink is also junior hockey ready if a team happened to come to the Tacoma area.“We trying to do things that really aren’t being done in the Northwest,” Kaufman said. Kaufman continues to offer more and more opportunities for young players in her local area to get into hockey, while simultaneously helping open doors nationwide at the junior hockey level.

Helping Grow Junior Hockey Is A Passion For Donna Kaufman

Despite the rink's lack of suitability according to Google Images, her word choices make me think that she is part of a NAHL Pacific NW push. Opening doors nationwide would insinuate the national NAHL rather than a regional junior league. Doing things that really aren't being done in the Northwest would also insinuate that, since there is already lower levels junior hockey in the Northwest. Or I could be interpreting it incorrectly.

I'm trying to visualize where exactly this is. For years I went to a church on South 84th St. and on the other side of I-5. Seems like an odd location, but that would be cool if she is indeed part of such a push and if it came to fruition. I would laugh if they resurrected the Tacoma Sabrecats--that was some great fun right there, especially seeing games at the Tacoma Dome!

 

[SharksFan1978]

I’ve heard nothing lately.

My instinct now... it’s easier to bet on Northwest money being too realistic to make really bombastic leaps of faith. The virus makes 95% of the speculation in this thread quite bombastic. Wish this luck; it’s gonna need it.

Yeah, this isn't happening anytime soon, if I have to guess, and obviously there are more important things going on right now, but when one year off likely become two years off, this is going to put even more of a dent in what little hockey fervor (comparatively speaking) actually exists in Eugene and throughout Lane County as a whole.

 

[SharksFan1978]

Yeah, this isn't happening anytime soon, if I have to guess, and obviously there are more important things going on right now, but when one year off likely become two years off, this is going to put even more of a dent in what little hockey fervor (comparatively speaking) actually exists in Eugene and throughout Lane County as a whole.

Has anyone heard anything about Eugene's plans going forward?

 

[GrizzGreen]

Wenatchee isn't coming back to the NAHL. BC fits their style of play and operational structure better. They're a USHL program without a midwest presence.

Eugene would need to overhaul their rink to do anything related with a higher level of play, badddddddd ice, unsuitable locker-rooms, etc.

 

[PCSPounder]

Someone on the WHL board knows someone who is talking about a shuttered JC Penney in, probably, a mall in Bend.

Which means, not much. More important than our capacity for speculation is the speculative nature of any potential investment.

Really, I want to see someone go public with whatever’s going on before I actually get interested.

But if you’re looking at Eugene, Tacoma, and Bend for whatever plan you have, you’re halfway to something.

 

[JMCx4]

Oh, @PCSPounder, how I've so missed this topic.

 

[mk80]

Someone on the WHL board knows someone who is talking about a shuttered JC Penney in, probably, a mall in Bend.

Which means, not much. More important than our capacity for speculation is the speculative nature of any potential investment.

Really, I want to see someone go public with whatever’s going on before I actually get interested.

But if you’re looking at Eugene, Tacoma, and Bend for whatever plan you have, you’re halfway to something.

So talking about converting a space occupied by a JC Penny to an arena?

It's been done before, the new arena the North Iowa Bulls moved into occupies a former mall department store (See Below). In terms of the WHL adding Eugene as a team I'm more skeptical about that part of it.

 

[PCSPounder]

Make no mistake... the WHL thing in Bend is currently hallucinatory speculation from “someone who knows someone.” I think this is lower level talk... or maybe a currently non-existent pro league.

 

[JMCx4]

Make no mistake... the WHL thing in Bend is currently hallucinatory speculation from “someone who knows someone.” I think this is lower level talk... or maybe a currently non-existent pro league.

Under those conditions, why are we still chewing the fat over this in the "All other USA Amateur, USHL, NAHL, USNTDP etc." forum?

 

[PCSPounder]

Under those conditions, why are we still chewing the fat over this in the "All other USA Amateur, USHL, NAHL, USNTDP etc." forum?

Because the chances of this being pro are probably less than 50-50. The rumor has been insanely flexible from the get-go, which is one of many good reasons for skepticism. NAHL has seemed like the most likely target, but rest assured there’s probably an investor or two that might be trying to push higher.

 

[SharksFan1978]

I'd forgotten about this conversation (or lack thereof) for the past couple months and now I come back to some chatter about it!

So, while this news story is not necessarily anything, it could be the start of something. The interesting part is the very last paragraph.

And in another article, there is a Eugene Generals-specific angle in the penultimate paragraph. Maybe this is all part of the Generals' plan to effectively move up to the next level (whatever it may be—I still find the WHL to be unlikely, but I'd love to be wrong about that) if the Localis proposal is selected and they can find a way to partner with them to achieve specifics that work for whatever league they are trying to break into. That said, it still doesn't solve the conundrum they find themselves in regarding how they would function as a team in the interim because you have to think between the approval process and everything that goes along with that, in addition to construction, etc., you can't be looking at a viable hockey stadium solution until the 22-23 season (and that's probably only if they frontload a schedule with away games, which would be a nightmare, and only if the approval/construction process goes as smoothly as possible at every level imaginable, which we all know is not going to happen), if not the 23-24 season.

At any rate, this could be a wrinkle worth keeping an eye on. I get the sense the Localis proposal is likely to be the less popular of the two options, but you never can tell with these things.

 

[JMCx4]

I'd forgotten about this conversation (or lack thereof) for the past couple months and now I come back to some chatter about it! ...

This topic is like a recurring case of indigestion. If you keep coming back to the buffet, you'll always have that bad taste in your mouth.