possible new uhl teams?
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JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
mk80
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This new UHL is just going to be a re-branded FHL with maybe some other additional team or two.
While the frankes may like the idea of fully running their own roster again with their new lease I would say the staying with the echl for the next three yrs atleast & even though the echl has some issues I also think stability means more than anything Tailing the Komets: What the team’s new lease means | News, Sports, Jobs - News-Sentinel
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Assuming by "Bloomington" you mean the one in Illinois, it would take an extraordinarily patient ownership group to overcome past history with the city & the facility & the rapidly dwindling hockey fan base. As for St. Charles, MO, the St. Louis Metro area hockey fan base at large has made it clear for years that anything less than NHL hockey isn't hockey worth watching.
I'm sure the typical small/mid-size markets will be kicked around as potentials, with cities in the league that have previously had low/mid level minor league teams. I think the 90's and early 2000's minor league hockey boom pretty much hit the majority of available markets, at least for a time, in the ECHL, CoHL/UHL/IHL, CHL, etc. . The only ones not previously served by professional teams are likely out of the UHL 2.0 footprint, and still have had a hockey tenant of some sort at the junior level. Too bad the West is too spread out for a bus league, because if I had dollars to spend on minor league hockey, that'd be my footprint. The upper midwest/mid-Atlantic has had a bit too much of an economic decline to go there, IMO. All of those small market Michigan teams have chronically low attendance. Johnstown and Elmira were chronically low as well. I wouldn't invest a penny of minor league sports dollars into places like Huntington or Charleston WV, which I occasionally see kicked around as an idea. Only place in WV I'd consider is Martinsburg if they have an arena because there is so much DC overflow and dollars there. If teams don't shift, I really don't know where this league is going unless it's where it failed before.
In the UHL east markets which come to mind are markets with suitable arenas and their own sustainable populations. Places that first come to mind are Elmira, Jamestown, and Danbury. Watertown NY I am quick to have reservations because their arena while recently upgraded is still for all intense purposes a community recreation rink at best, I think city planners really dropped the ball but then again smaller upstate cities don't have the funds to get the upgrades. Years ago arena plans for a new civic center / arena fell through in the Pittsfield Mass area which was unfortunate because plans called for a 2500 to 3000 seat building which would have been perfect for that market. The FHL's Berkshire Battalion were decently supported in the area so there was positive interest. Hopefully those involved are taking a long look at past successes and failures, and carefully planting their franchises.
mk80
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I don't think Flint and Muskegon would leave junior hockey at this point. The costs are much less to run those franchises and the economics of those regions is not what it was in the former UHL days. Bloomington is barely clinging on to its USHL franchise (and I think there is a good possibility it doesn't last). St. Charles, while I would love to have that happen (give me a chance to work for the team), just look at the history there, even taking the Chill with a grain of salt since they were doomed to fail from the moment the CHL announced the franchise, minor league hockey buy and large has not worked out there, heck NAHL and USHL hockey has failed in suburban St. Louis.
This is a good topic. I've heard this will be a new league or it will be re-branding of the FHL. It really needs to be treated as a A or Low-A type league.
I think the following FHL markets are in play:
Port Huron
Danville
Winston-Salem
FHL wants these to work out, so these should be in play
Watertown, NY
Cornwall, ON
Markets already targeted:
Salisbury, MD
Florence, SC
Markets that should be targeted or seriously given a look - they have a good enough following to support a Low-A type team:
Richmond, VA
Elmira, NY
Johnstown, PA
Danbury, CT
Youngstown, OH
Muskegon, MI
Trenton, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ
Kingston, ON
Plattsburgh, NY
Portland, ME (if the ECHL doesn't get off their hands)
Columbus, GA (if SPHL doesn't get that sorted)
Albany, NY
Out:
Asheville - No ice plant
Augusta - No ice plant
Greensboro - Too big/lease too high
I think the following FHL markets are in play:
Port Huron
Danville
Winston-Salem
FHL wants these to work out, so these should be in play
Watertown, NY
Cornwall, ON
Markets already targeted:
Salisbury, MD
Florence, SC
Markets that should be targeted or seriously given a look - they have a good enough following to support a Low-A type team:
Richmond, VA
Elmira, NY
Johnstown, PA
Danbury, CT
Youngstown, OH
Muskegon, MI
Trenton, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ
Kingston, ON
Plattsburgh, NY
Portland, ME (if the ECHL doesn't get off their hands)
Columbus, GA (if SPHL doesn't get that sorted)
Albany, NY
Out:
Asheville - No ice plant
Augusta - No ice plant
Greensboro - Too big/lease too high
This is way too massive of a footprint for Low A.
Kingston has the OHL. There's no way of getting into that market.
Johnstown turned down the FHL already and has found success with the NAHL. They have no incentive to switch.
Youngstown and Muskegon already have USHL.
Arena in Albany is way too big.
No suitable arena in Plattsburgh, plus the market is already served by NCAA D3.
The ECHL is officially a go for Portland.
Plattsburgh has it all in their Cardinals DIII team. The Stafford Arena is a small great arena with stadium style seating, seamless glass, and stools along the railing with places to sit your drink and food. The Plattsburgh DIII is always strong, and if your haven't been to a game against rival Oswego State or Norwich University I suggest you add to your bucket list. The OHL didn't have success here, sharing the college rink wasn't feasible, and the ice I believe is gone at the Crete Civic Center down in town by the lake shore.
Albany's arena is just way too big like the previous post said. Most AHL cities other then Chicago, San Diego, Hershey, or Providence's attendance wouldn't even sell out Albany's arena so in reality its not only too big for a smaller city like Albany its way too big for a class A level team. I do think though too many people overlook that Albany's lower bowl seats 6500 and the upper level has a curtain system. Albany figures that into the lease agreements so the 6500 seats is doable for the AHL/ECHL. Couple weeks ago Albany hosted two local colleges in a non conference neutral site game which they drew just under 8000. Albany though looks to be cautious about stepping into the Adirondack Thunder's market, especially at a time when they are entering the arena football league and will depend on fans from nearby Glens Falls and Saratoga.
mk80
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I doubt this gets off the ground in all honesty, the only way it will is when the FHL Soskin teams transfer over and ruin the UHL name. The league website has looked like this since before Christmas and I doubt there is any actual website construction taking place, also no social media presence or activity since October!
Exactly.
Kingston, Youngstown, and Muskegon already get to see future NHLers. Why would they want to watch a league that only recently came to the realization that using the name of the league from Slap Shot was a bad idea?
Heck, even Johnstown would probably see a drop in talent level going to the UHL.
Yes Cleveland to lol, I wasn't omitting Cleveland on purpose. Maybe I should just have said no average attendance in the AHL would even be a sell out in Albany's arena. An arena that seats almost 14,000 for hockey in a city of only 90,000 people is absolutely nuts but the area is a solid stop for large name concerts given Albany's geographical location.
No problem. I assumed it wasn't a deliberate omission. It just stuck out to me since I live in Cleveland.
Ok, so new UHL or fixing FHL, either way, it is the same thing.
Low-A, break into 2 or 3 divisions to contain travel cost:
West
Port Huron
Danville
Chatham, ON
having trouble on ideas here - Lexington, Louisville, Huntington, Findlay, Lima
North
Cornwall
Watertown
Elimra
Utica
Jamestown
Danbury
Fredricton, NB
South
Trenton
Atlantic City
Winston-Salem
Florence
Salisbury
Richmond
Johnstown - I know everyone here says no.... but maybe
Low-A, break into 2 or 3 divisions to contain travel cost:
West
Port Huron
Danville
Chatham, ON
having trouble on ideas here - Lexington, Louisville, Huntington, Findlay, Lima
North
Cornwall
Watertown
Elimra
Utica
Jamestown
Danbury
Fredricton, NB
South
Trenton
Atlantic City
Winston-Salem
Florence
Salisbury
Richmond
Johnstown - I know everyone here says no.... but maybe
This arena is a dump incapable of hosting anything higher than Junior B. If the arena is ever replaced, the market will go to the OHL.
Arenas are way too big.
No ice plant.
The arena closed.
Ohio? Do they even have an ice rink?
If indeed you place teams in cities with real arenas like Trenton, there's no way a team could survive in this tiny rec rink.
Are the Comets disappearing?
There are issues in getting a lease to the arena. If those issues go away, the QMJHL will swoop in. Regardless, this is pretty distant from your other suggestions.
No.
mk80
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Again before we suggest teams, and yes I realize its exciting to speculate but look at the league's online presence, website non-existent for 3 months, social media- no activity since October. Not good prospects when trying to drum up interest in a sports league
JungleJON
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- May 10, 2011
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What success has Johnstown found in the NAHL? Their attendance has dropped each year and they will probably avg. less that 2,000 this season. The teams which they beat up in years past are now way better that they are. The owner won't spend money for a decent coach and goes on the cheap side. The people want a winner and looks like that won't happen anytime soon. I have been to a few games when back in town - BORING! A lot of the Jets/Chiefs fans won't waste their time going to see low junior hockey. I wish they would go to the SPHL, but that will never happen.
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