NAHL 2017-2018 Thread

[Kapn Kaveman]

Kenai River is done:

http://peninsulaclarion.com/sports/...d-after-sunday-s-nahl-board-governors-meeting


Is Fairbanks far behind...

Rumored to be moving to Wausau Wisconsin

Click to read more...

 

[kij]

If Kenai goes so wI'll fairbanks. I don't think they could survive flying another 8 weeks of the year and teams won't enjoy flying to Alaska for just a 2 game weekend and fly home. Maybe a new Alaska team could pop up in Anchorage or Juneau but just one team up there can't work.

 

[Firecracker]

If Fairbanks does go it won't be because people don't go to their games. I think the ice dogs are just to successful to fold. They have a solid fan base and a good program. If there is going to be another NAHL team it won't be in Juneau since they don't have a rink that could support a NAHL team. Anchorage is a possibility thougj. The main problem with anchorage is that there is really only one rink on the city that would be viable. The Sullivan is probably to expensive and Olympic size which leaves Ben Boeke which can seat maybe 1000. They could try Wasilla again and actually have them play on the proper rink this time instead of the dump they use to play in.

 

[kij]

I doubt the Ben Boeke arena could work, teams really need to average close to 2,000 fans a game to be financially viable. Especially the Alaska teams. Buses and jet fuel are not cheap and only getting more expensive.

 

[Kapn Kaveman]

Kenai will cease operations after this year
http://peninsulaclarion.com/sports/2017-02-27/brown-bears-cease-operations-next-year

Will they move to Wisconsin?

Witchita Falls is supposed to cease operations for a year. Are they moving too?

Anyone have any news from the B.O.G Meetings last weekend?

 

[kij]

Witchita Falls is supposed to cease operations for a year. Are they moving too?

Please post a source for that.

 

[Kapn Kaveman]

Sorry ... my only source is families who are currently on the Team. The team has operated on a very limited budget this year.

 

[doncherrysgrill]

From what I've heard Fairbanks' owner has helped Kenai over the years because having another team in Alaska is obviously the best thing for them. Fairbanks does so well it'd be a shame to see them have to go too.

Have also heard the rumor about Witchita Falls but nothing concrete. Just rumblings. Have heard mixed things on teams in the East as well.

 

[kij]

From what I've heard Fairbanks' owner has helped Kenai over the years because having another team in Alaska is obviously the best thing for them. Fairbanks does so well it'd be a shame to see them have to go too.

Have also heard the rumor about Witchita Falls but nothing concrete. Just rumblings. Have heard mixed things on teams in the East as well.

All the East teams have at least done their due diligence on the USPHL NCDC and kicked the tires on potentially moving over. I heard they were given the chance to operate using the same financial structure they currently use but how much money can be saved by avoiding the Alaska trip, the Blaine, MN showcase, and league finals which also move around but are usually in the Midwest.

 

[Davegarri]

Could definitely see teams in the east moving to different leagues, at least the Titans. That team is running on a very low budget and it is pretty much impossible to even breakeven, even with the low budget.

It's a shame because there are some great people in that organization that I have a ton of respect for, but it doesn't really make sense for them financially to continue in the NAHL.

 

[kij]

On Wichita Falls, a friend from Wichita Falls told me that the team is nearly $30 million in debt and will be sold.

 

[Kapn Kaveman]

I had heard the possibility of a move... Washington DC/Baltimore, but just people talking.

 

[kij]

If the East division stays put Washington DC and Baltimore could potentially host teams. Large cities, far enough away from each other to not be competing for fans while potentially creating a great rivalry and they are relatively close to the rest of the east division teams.
The Capitals practice facility with minor upgrades will be suitable to host a team, just needs an additional 300 seats.
Baltimore may not have an acceptable arena anymore with Royal Farms Arena being way too big for junior hockey but some major junior teams make it work by only using the lower bowl of the arena.

 

[JungleJON]

On Wichita Falls, a friend from Wichita Falls told me that the team is nearly $30 million in debt and will be sold.

Is this a joke?

 

[Kapn Kaveman]

Not a joke ... At a minimum, they are shutting down for a year... I cannot tell you for sure what their losses are, but they have been operating on a very low budget all year.

 

[kij]

Not a joke ... At a minimum, they are shutting down for a year... I cannot tell you for sure what their losses are, but they have been operating on a very low budget all year.

Junior hockey is very rarely a profitable venture now. Best case scenario is a wealthy, philanthropic owner who will take the losses and use them as a tax write off to keep the profits from his other businesses.

Hiring and subsequently firing Tony Curtale probably cost a pretty penny as well.

 

[JungleJON]

Not a joke ... At a minimum, they are shutting down for a year... I cannot tell you for sure what their losses are, but they have been operating on a very low budget all year.

They might be shutting down, but if they lost $30 MILLION - I would have shut it down about 15 years ago.

 

[cmh329]

I have also heard the rumor of a DC area team coming innext year to the East division from someone who works at USA Hockey. Aston is definitely back for at least one more year, Jersey still up in the air, decision has to be made soon.

 

[kij]

I have also heard the rumor of a DC area team coming innext year to the East division from someone who works at USA Hockey. Aston is definitely back for at least one more year, Jersey still up in the air, decision has to be made soon.

I heard Wilkes-Barre and Titans definitely out. Likely choosing USPHL NCDC for the fact that the travel budget is a fraction of what it is in the NAHL. No round trip flight to Alaska, spending a week in a hotel there, and going back. No 4 days in Blaine, Minnesota. Furthest trip would be a weekend set in New Hampshire (~5-6 hour trip).

For the Titans the 2 nearest teams are simple day trips, no need for a hotel.

 

[ADK34]

Lewiston, Maine is a possible expansion target,

 

[doncherrysgrill]

Lewiston has been discussed a million times. Also hearing they're a target for USPHL and QMJHL again but until someone announces anything I won't believe any of it.

Have heard so many mixed things on NAHL East teams, one day it's that they're all moving/folding, the next day they're all committed to keep going with the experiment. Who knows.

 

[kij]

I got to thinking about the Wisconsin teams and would it be viable to move Coulee Region or Janesville to Milwaukee? Neither team draws a very large crowd. Coulee gets under 300 and Janesville around 700. The Admirals draw fairly well averaging over 5,000 fans a game. With 1.5 million people in the Milwaukee metro area there could be a market.
Any comments?

 

[JungleJON]

Maybe now that the Jackals are done in the ECHL, the NAHL could put a team in Elmira.
Arena was sold to a local owner, but team is folding.

 

[ckg927]

Maybe now that the Jackals are done in the ECHL, the NAHL could put a team in Elmira.
Arena was sold to a local owner, but team is folding.

Could, but there are other options, too: Elmira College's D-3 squad could enter, as are the FHL and its kinda sorta feeder league the IDHL(a pay-to-play league for those who've used up their college eligibility). If you think about it, Elmira would be a perfect fit for the NAHL and would have a built-in rivalry with Johnstown(they're only 3 and half hours away).

 

[JungleJON]

WB-Scranton Knights to EHL?

Does this mean Wilkes-Barre Scranton is leaving the NAHL? They have an ELITE team listed as well.

EHL Announces Teams in Each Division
BOSTON, MA -- The Eastern Hockey League (EHL) is pleased to announce the 2017-18 divisional structure for the Premier Division and the Elite Division.

PREMIER DIVISION (16 TEAMS)

Boston Jr. Rangers (Tewksbury, MA)
Connecticut Oilers (Hamden, CT)
Connecticut RoughRiders (Norwalk, CT)
East Coast Wizards (Bedford, MA)
New England Wolves (Laconia, NH)
New Hampshire Avalanche (Hooksett, NH)
New York Applecore (Brewster, NY)
New York Bobcats (Kings Park, NY)
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (West Chester, PA)
Philadelphia Little Flyers (Aston, PA)
Philadelphia Revolution (Warwick, PA)
Total Athletics Seahawks (Hyannis, MA)
Valley Jr. Warriors (Haverhill, MA)
Vermont Lumberjacks (Burlington, VT)
Walpole Express (Walpole, MA)
Wilkes/Barre Scranton Knights (Pittston, PA)