Inglewood JACKets
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With the talk of NHL expansion how do they get there farm clubs? Does the AHL expand or are there current AHL teams without an NHL affiliate? How does this work?
An nhl team doesn't HAVE to have an ahl team right?
Isn't St. Louis management getting rid of the rivermen?
I have to imagine the financial requirements for an AHL expansion would be a massive sink on any new franchise. The AHL isn't all that profitable as it is and a lot of teams have to move around to try and break even.
Maybe 3-4 years down the road the two new teams get their affiliates in place somewhere. This is probably a better discussion for the business section though, those guys might have an idea of the financial implications of expanding in the AHL and if there are any places that could sustain a couple more franchises.
Outside of the few teams that own their affiliates, my understanding is that the AHL affiliates actually are the ones who pay NHL clubs for the affiliation agreement... So yeah that would be a sink on a new AHL club. It might make more sense to 'promote' an ECHL club or two depending on location? Then you have an existing franchise that gets to step into a slightly bigger league... and I believe that's happened once or twice before?
I am surprised that Gwinnett has not made the jump to the AHL. They have a great arena and with Charlotte and Norfolk, would make some great regional rivalries.
I am surprised that Gwinnett has not made the jump to the AHL. They have a great arena and with Charlotte and Norfolk, would make some great regional rivalries.
The Arena itself is indeed a nice place but the management at the arena screwed up bigtime this year by not holding playoff dates for the team. Thus Gwinnett had to play 5 straight games(if necessary) in Cincinnati
Well if I recall they missed the playoffs the last 2 years, guess I couldnt blame them.
There is no "jumping". They would have to buy a current AHL franchise. If the NHL expanded to 32 team the AHL would most likely grant 2 new AHL franchise licenses.
Expansion NHL teams have affiliated since day 1 with a minor league team Nashville with Milwaukee, Atlanta with Orlando.
A new AHL team would moist likely not be stocked with prospects from the parent NHL team but would go out and sign a bunch of players from the lower leagues or draft picks not signed by the NHL team that drafted them.
You could find 18-20 decent non contracted guy(especially for vets that are career minor leaguers)the real problem with it is the finances around operating costs and a roster. It could work in the short term I believe. A team like Hershey might be the exception and could do it long term.
There is no "jumping". They would have to buy a current AHL franchise. If the NHL expanded to 32 team the AHL would most likely grant 2 new AHL franchise licenses.
Expansion NHL teams have affiliated since day 1 with a minor league team Nashville with Milwaukee, Atlanta with Orlando.
A new AHL team would moist likely not be stocked with prospects from the parent NHL team but would go out and sign a bunch of players from the lower leagues or draft picks not signed by the NHL team that drafted them.
Can we please not open up this discussion again? A "new" AHL team cannot operate as an independent team that would they stock their lineup with free agents. Per the sticky thread about a team losing their NHL parent club and my direct email to the league
"Can a team not affiliated with an NHL parent club operate in the American Hockey League? In other words, could an independent team purchase an AHL franchise and operate without an NHL affiliation? Along the same lines, could a team that has an AHL franchise and loses its parent club (for example, if Washington and Hershey ended their affiliation), operate without a parent club?"
The answer I received was
"To answer your question, as part of the application for membership for an AHL franchise, a potential AHL owner must have evidence of an affiliation agreement in place.
The league's constitution, by-laws, regulations or policies do not necessarily prevent an existing franchise from operating independently should it lose its NHL affiliate, but considering (a) there are 30 National Hockey League teams who need an environment in which to develop their top prospects; (b) there is not a surplus of AHL franchises relative to the number of NHL franchises; (c) the additional costs that would be incurred if an AHL owner had to pay all of its players' salaries and other expenses; and (d) it would likely be difficult to ice a competitive product using a talent pool that doesn't include NHL-contracted players while still being guided by the AHL's development rule; I don't think it's likely we would see it happen."
Since the veteran rule doesn't apply to goalies you could easily get 2 very good vet goalies, but it would be very difficult to field a competitive team with unsigned low level draft picks and free agents.
However, I will disagree with you that it could work in the short term. If anything I think a team like this would be better in the long term as said unsigned low level draft picks and free agents could develop chemistry over years of playing together that today's AHL teams lack given the roster turnover season after season. I liken this to some of the smaller NCAA Division I basketball teams that do well in the NCAA tournament because they can keep their players for 4 seasons rather than losing blue chip prospects to the NBA after 1 or 2 seasons.
Where did I EVER mention the new franchises would be independent?? Fact - I DIDN'T!!!
I mentioned that the NHL team may not be able to provide ALL the players since they may not have that many initially to send to the AHL. If the NHL team had only 35 on their roster and kept 22, that means sending only 13 to a new AHL affiliate.
The next year the NHL team would probably be able to send more players. Economically speaking, the new NHL team could expect a lower affiliation fee to offset the increased cost to the new AHL team.
Since the veteran rule doesn't apply to goalies you could easily get 2 very good vet goalies, but it would be very difficult to field a competitive team with unsigned low level draft picks and free agents.
However, I will disagree with you that it could work in the short term. If anything I think a team like this would be better in the long term as said unsigned low level draft picks and free agents could develop chemistry over years of playing together that today's AHL teams lack given the roster turnover season after season. I liken this to some of the smaller NCAA Division I basketball teams that do well in the NCAA tournament because they can keep their players for 4 seasons rather than losing blue chip prospects to the NBA after 1 or 2 seasons.
Oh no doubt I agree long term as far as chemistry and what not went it could work. I meant finanancially. I think such a team would have a hard time lasting to the point where that chemistry and what not could even get a chance to kick in.
Might depend on where they did it. In Hershey or Chicago, places where attendance isn't a real issue, it could be done. You would have the added advantage of players becoming a bigger part of the community if they knew they'd be there longer, so it'd almost feed on itself.