Fort Wayne Komets

[Sports Enthusiast]

The QC Flames became the Abbotsford Heat for a few years, then after that Canadian city got sick of subsidizing the huge losses, the franchise was relocated to Glen Falls, NY as the Adirondack Flames, and now is playing in California as the Stockton Heat. One gets very dizzy trying to follow where Calgary's AHL team plays every season.

Lencheski did have NASCAR dealings on his resume through his company, SKI Motorsports. Here's a story about his involvement with a Smith & Wesson sponsorship back in 2005. His involvement with NASCAR predated his tenure as Quad City Mallards owner in 2009...

http://www.crash.net/nascar/news/89047/1/busch-smith-wesson-to-sponsor-team.html

What was the reason the Flames wanted out of the Quad Cities? Was it just because they were trying to move West?

I'm surprised with his brief sponsorship in NASCAR that he didn't make some decent cash that hr could have the money to operate a team. I heard NASCAR actually has a lot of money in it.

 

[Nightsquad]

You're referring to Chris Lencheski. He was my favorite of the post-Flames owners, but I don't think he really had the financial arsenal to fund minor league hockey in a struggling market like the Quad Cities. His heart was in the right place, he just didn't have the wallet to back it up.

Our current owners have massive financial resources. I doubt they're turning a big profit, but the iWireless Center is desperate to remain relevant, so the Mallards are getting use of the building dirt cheap. The arena was highly successful in the 1990s, and as a result, was able to pay for itself a long time ago. If Scott Mullen (the iWi's director) had insisted on a market-rate lease, we would have lost pro hockey after the Flames' epic collapse in 2009.

The iWireless Center became something of a graveyard for minor pro sports franchises. We lost the CBA Quad City Thunder in 2001, and the AF2 Steamwheelers in 2010. If the Mallards ever disappear, that building would be completely devoid of any sports tenant.

Quad Cities's story is living proof a few bad years can ruin a market if things aren't fixed quick. I remember the Quad City Mallards of the old Colonial and United Hockey League. Back in the 1990s the Mallards at The Mark were the flagship franchise of the league, the Hershey Bears of the UHL. Jumping to a higher league is NEVER a promise that success will follow. When you start to climb up in leagues, especially today's AHL there are things done so much out of the control of the local ownership and things done to the dislike of the fans. If you don't have local stake in a team it can spell disaster. Once the luster wears off in a season or two it can really be a support killer at the minor league level. Sometimes it's better to be that big fish in a little pond over just being a small to even average fish in a lake or ocean. Ever since the AHL Flames left Saint John NB it's been bouncing around all over and has not been well supported. Their ECHL team in Glen's Falls has been a major disappointment in terms of fan support despite having an excellent organization in place and doing very well. The fans feel burned by the Flames, let alone the prices they are charging in Glen's Falls for the ECHL in a city used to paying less for the AHL was a major blunder...

 

[mfrerkes]

What was the reason the Flames wanted out of the Quad Cities? Was it just because they were trying to move West?

Not at all. The QC Flames were jointly owned with Calgary's organization by a local group called QCSV. They signed a five-year deal to house Calgary's AHL squad in Moline. Under the terms of the agreement, QCSV would pay for all the team's travel and daily operational expenses, while Calgary would cover the salary costs of any AHL player under contract with Calgary.

The Quad Cities was not very supportive of AHL hockey. Many fans didn't like the idea of Calgary's NHL prospects trying to move up and away from the area. QC hockey fans were used to the UHL model, where winning (not player development) was the primary goal, and players wished to stay in the local community during their careers.

Attendance was poor, and running an AHL operation was very expensive. After the first season, rumors began to circulate that QCSV was losing over a million dollars per year. By the middle of the second season, Abbotsford had already announced Calgary was in talks about moving the Flames to BC. Shortly thereafter, QCSV announced they were pulling out of the five-year deal in March 2009, which cleared the way for Calgary to relocate.

 

[rj]

What was the reason the Flames wanted out of the Quad Cities? Was it just because they were trying to move West?

I'm surprised with his brief sponsorship in NASCAR that he didn't make some decent cash that hr could have the money to operate a team. I heard NASCAR actually has a lot of money in it.

Auto racing just sucks up money. For the people that are in it normally it's something where you accept you're going to lose money and do it because you enjoy it. Few have it entirely paid for by someone else and fewer come out making a profit. His team was on the lower end of the field so they may have not lost money but they weren't making a heavy profit either.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Not at all. The QC Flames were jointly owned with Calgary's organization by a local group called QCSV. They signed a five-year deal to house Calgary's AHL squad in Moline. Under the terms of the agreement, QCSV would pay for all the team's travel and daily operational expenses, while Calgary would cover the salary costs of any AHL player under contract with Calgary.

The Quad Cities was not very supportive of AHL hockey. Many fans didn't like the idea of Calgary's NHL prospects trying to move up and away from the area. QC hockey fans were used to the UHL model, where winning (not player development) was the primary goal, and players wished to stay in the local community during their careers.

Attendance was poor, and running an AHL operation was very expensive. After the first season, rumors began to circulate that QCSV was losing over a million dollars per year. By the middle of the second season, Abbotsford had already announced Calgary was in talks about moving the Flames to BC. Shortly thereafter, QCSV announced they were pulling out of the five-year deal in March 2009, which cleared the way for Calgary to relocate.

I can get their sentiment somewhat. Though my view would be on that more in the ECHL over the AHL. Atleast in the AHL you get some real quality talent that will go somewhere. In the ECHL not so much for the most part. I see attendance is better now. I wonder if its because they brought back the Mallard name? Of course I'd rather play to win than develop atleast in regards to AA. I think the ECHL way overvalues that aspect. The AHL is a true developmental league. Its why NHL teams are becoming more involved and have somewhat ruined the product a bit for some. I'd still take it over AA though if the option were presented. It'd be cool to way I saw that guy play in person.

 

[ac9er]

Been living in Fort Wayne for 3 years now and have gone to maybe 8 Komets games now. Enjoy them and the city gives the team good support. (It gives the Tincaps in Single-A baseball good support too, only the D-League Mad Ants seem to struggle.)

First game I went to was a first date for me and my now-wife. 40 seconds into the game and the Komets score and then this unexpected-to-us shower of stuffed animals hit the ice. It was right before Christmas and was part of a toy drive the team was doing.

Questions for other locals: how good is the HS ice hockey in the city? I know there's 5 to 6 teams that play at the Ice Plex but didn't know if it's teams with good numbers or they're just scraping to get enough guys that know how to skate right.

Not sure how good they are. It is not a state sanctioned sport through the IHSAA. It is "club" basically that uses some form of the near high schools' names. I know one kid my brother goes to school with is on the Bruins team that is affiliated with Northrop. He doesn't not attend Northrop and hardly anyone around here can skate let alone play hockey. However I believe he has been playing for quite some time.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Komets obliterated the Cyclones 5-1 last night. They are a fast, big and skilled group. The Cyclones haven't looked like they belong on the same ice surface as the Komets the last two times I've seen them play one another.

I left after the 2nd period to go do something more fun I'll be back for more punishment tomorrow as the two teams meet again.

 

[goalie41]

Ah, yes. Quacky and I had some epic internecine battles. Those were back in the Dark Ages of QC Hockey, when ownership was changing hands every 9.5 months. It was a truly awful time to be a Flames/Mallards fan.

Things are significantly better now, but I'll never be wearing the rose-colored glasses most QC fans on ITB seemed to have on at all times. Some of them couldn't admit that Fort Wayne simply had a better organization and a more stable history in minor league hockey. It absolutely killed them to show even the smallest bit of respect to the Komets, and their fans.

I like the fact Fort Wayne and QC are battling for the division lead right now. It was a good rivalry back in the UHL days. Mallards hockey isn't my 100% of my life (unlike some Mallards fans I could mention) so if the Komets do well, no big deal. I just hope QC can be competitive down the stretch.

Quacky, that old bag! mfrerkes, you and I(vdojaq) had quite a few rounds of back & forth back then.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Quacky, that old bag! mfrerkes, you and I(vdojaq) had quite a few rounds of back & forth back then.

ITB wasn't good for quality info but it sure made a day at the office entertaining.

 

[hoopla]

komets play by play blows!

these two clowns are mixing up the players' names, numbers etc,

 

[Scoutin1]

Quad Cities's story is living proof a few bad years can ruin a market if things aren't fixed quick. I remember the Quad City Mallards of the old Colonial and United Hockey League. Back in the 1990s the Mallards at The Mark were the flagship franchise of the league, the Hershey Bears of the UHL. Jumping to a higher league is NEVER a promise that success will follow. When you start to climb up in leagues, especially today's AHL there are things done so much out of the control of the local ownership and things done to the dislike of the fans. If you don't have local stake in a team it can spell disaster. Once the luster wears off in a season or two it can really be a support killer at the minor league level. Sometimes it's better to be that big fish in a little pond over just being a small to even average fish in a lake or ocean. Ever since the AHL Flames left Saint John NB it's been bouncing around all over and has not been well supported. Their ECHL team in Glen's Falls has been a major disappointment in terms of fan support despite having an excellent organization in place and doing very well. The fans feel burned by the Flames, let alone the prices they are charging in Glen's Falls for the ECHL in a city used to paying less for the AHL was a major blunder...

Look, here's the thing: The Mallards won big early and often. It made the Mallards the cool place to be. But the reality was simple: The building was full of new fans who really didn't understand hockey, they just knew that the Mallards won and winning is fun. But rare is the team that can maintain a level of winning that the young Mallard franchise achieved. When the winning stopped, it was no longer cool to be at Mallard games. They were a very poor man's LA: Fickle fans who could easily be swayed to something else once the shine of winning hockey ceased to be.

 

[InwoodBlueNYC]

When I was a little boy, living in the Bronx, I was able to listen to the Komets on my wood cabinet, cloth grille Andrea radio (tubes) at night on WOWO. I thought it was exciting.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Is Bob Chase still calling games? God he's brutal.

 

[crimsonace]

Is Bob Chase still calling games? God he's brutal.

Still going strong at age 90. And he's Doc Emrick's mentor/inspiration, so we all have him to thank for that.

 

[buzzworthy]

With the rabid fan base, why hasn't Fort Wayne moved up to the AHL? They out draw most of the teams in the AHL.

 

[crimsonace]

With the rabid fan base, why hasn't Fort Wayne moved up to the AHL? They out draw most of the teams in the AHL.

Fort Wayne likes the independent concept of having players it can control who stay there for a long time (although it grudgingly accepted affiliation after missing the playoffs as an indie one year, and now have more players under AHL contract that any team in the league - about half the roster). They also prefer the local traditional rivalries with other Midwestern teams that hearken back to the CHL/UHL/IHL - Indy, Kalamazoo, Toledo, Cincinnati and Quad Cities.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Hasn't interest in Fort Wayne sort of actually declined the last few years? I mean they were used to always winning. Now that's less in their control.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

With the rabid fan base, why hasn't Fort Wayne moved up to the AHL? They out draw most of the teams in the AHL.

The cost of operating an AHL team is much greater than operating a AA team. The Komets would realize very little, if any, extra revenue from moving up a level. It also costs, I'll guess, at least $3 million to secure an AHL franchise IF you can get one. I suppose an NHL team could operate a team in Fort Wayne and maybe lose a little less money on it than they might in another location, but the $1 to 2 million a year an NHL team drops on their AHL operations is just a cost of doing business.

Also, don't believe Fort Wayne's announced figures. They are exaggerating their numbers by a lot. Their announced 7600 per game is probably in the 5000 range of actual attendees. Anyone who has been to a game there in the last few seasons can attest to dramatically inflated numbers. The standard "the announced is tickets distributed and they are all no shows" that many do when it's obvious that the actual amount in the building is far less than the announced figure doesn't cut it with respect to FW Komets attendance.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Is Bob Chase still calling games? God he's brutal.

He's 90 for crying out loud. I'll be dead for probably 20 years by the time I get to his age Harry Carry, Joe Nuxhall and Ernie Harwell all announced well beyond their prime and the hometown fans loved them. Rene Rancourt, who sings the anthem for the Bruins, is dreadful now. But, the fans go nuts when he sings. At the end of the day, it's show business and if people love 'em, they're going to stay. Even if they're awful. Kanye West for example

I saw him up in the press area announcing at a recent Cyclones-Komets game. It was neat seeing a legend there-even if his announcing skills aren't what they used to be.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

He was never really good even when he wasn't this ancient. Plus he got away with a racist remark!

 

[Scoutin1]

With the rabid fan base, why hasn't Fort Wayne moved up to the AHL? They out draw most of the teams in the AHL.

It's simple: The Frankes make plenty of money at the AA level. They've got the structure for AAA, but if your market is satisfied with the current product, why change?

 

[Scoutin1]

Also, don't believe Fort Wayne's announced figures. They are exaggerating their numbers by a lot. Their announced 7600 per game is probably in the 5000 range of actual attendees. Anyone who has been to a game there in the last few seasons can attest to dramatically inflated numbers. The standard "the announced is tickets distributed and they are all no shows" that many do when it's obvious that the actual amount in the building is far less than the announced figure doesn't cut it with respect to FW Komets attendance.

I agree with this sentiment. But consider: The number of corporate sponsors and the allotment of tickets they get per game. It's easily believable that those tickets -- whether comp'd or reduced in price -- yield a number significantly greater than the actually count at the door on game night. Whether you agree with this type of attendance accounting is up to you, but it's certainly not unique to Fort Wayne... not by a long-shot. It's standard practice.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

It's simple: The Frankes make plenty of money at the AA level. They've got the structure for AAA, but if your market is satisfied with the current product, why change?

Isn't there a difference between satisfied with winning and then the product? Granted I don't think either product is "strong" these days. They are rather similar.

 

[Scoutin1]

[QUOTE
=Sports Enthusiast;114340209]Isn't there a difference between satisfied with winning and then the product? Granted I don't think either product is "strong" these days. They are rather similar.[/QUOTE]

Well, I guess you have to determine: Is it good at the Fort Wayne level... or is it good at the Quad City level...?

P.S. Quad City sucks.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

[QUOTE
=Sports Enthusiast;114340209]Isn't there a difference between satisfied with winning and then the product? Granted I don't think either product is "strong" these days. They are rather similar.

Well, I guess you have to determine: Is it good at the Fort Wayne level... or is it good at the Quad City level...?

P.S. Quad City sucks.[/QUOTE]

I just think having seen it now for 8 years it was way better in 07-08 then now. Granted I I was kinda spoiled getting to watch Steve Martinson hockey.