Your Ideal AHL Structure

[Nerdlinger]

What would your ideal AHL look like? What would the teams be, how would they be aligned, who would they be affiliated with, what would be the structure of the season schedule and the postseason? Post your full proposals here!

Here's mine, although I could be easily persuaded to change things around:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Northeast Division
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Laval Canadiens (MTL)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Rochester Americans (BUF)
Springfield Falcons (NJD)
Syracuse Crunch (HAM)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)
Trois-Rivieres Draveurs (QUE)

Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYR)
Charlotte Checkers (CAR)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Lake Erie Monsters (CBJ)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)
Nassau Islanders (NYI)
Orlando Solar Bears (TBL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division
Chicago Wolves (CHI)
Colorado Eagles (COL)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Iowa Wild (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (STL)
San Antonio Rampage (NSH)
Texas Stars (DAL)
Thunder Bay Bombers (WPG)

Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors (EDM)
Fresno Firebirds (SJS)
Las Vegas Wranglers (POR)
Ontario Reign (LAK)
Reno Renegades (SEA)
Sacramento Comets (VAN)
San Diego Gulls (ANA)
Stockton Heat (CGY)

Here I'm also basing the alignment on my ideal NHL alignment, wherein the league has expanded by two and relocated the Coyotes and Panthers. This gives the NHL teams in Seattle, Portland, Hamilton, and Quebec.

Schedule
76 games per season (for all teams)
4 games x 7 division opponents = 28 games
2 games x 24 other teams = 48 games

Point distribution
3 for a regulation win
2 for an overtime/shootout win
1 for an overtime/shootout loss
0 for a regulation loss

Postseason
The same format as the NHL has now

~~~~~~

Share your ideal AHL too!

And here's the link the ideal ECHL thread if you're interested: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1930631

Click to read more...

 

[Disengage]

Isn't this like the 5th alignment post this offseason?

 

[Nerdlinger]

Isn't this like the 5th alignment post this offseason?

I dunno. Do you have a proposal to share?

 

[Disengage]

I dunno. Do you have a proposal to share?

Nope. No real point. This season is set and no one has any idea what will happen for next season at this point.

 

[Nerdlinger]

Nope. No real point. This season is set and no one has any idea what will happen for next season at this point.

Well, it's about what you would prefer the league to look like. I tried to make mine at least somewhat realistic, but others don't necessarily have to.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Break it up into regions and while they operate under the same structure of rules they are each their own league by region. No point in having 30 team leagues when a lot of teams don't play each other in season.

 

[Rumblick]

You should re-title the thread "My fantasy AHL alignment", because it really has no basis in reality whatsoever.

 

[Nerdlinger]

You should re-title the thread "My fantasy AHL alignment", because it really has no basis in reality whatsoever.

Care to elaborate?

And do you have an ideal AHL of your own to share?

 

[210]

Care to elaborate?

Not to speak for Rumblick, but I believe "it really has no basis in reality whatsoever" is self-explanatory.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Not to speak for Rumblick, but I believe "it really has no basis in reality whatsoever" is self-explanatory.

"No basis in reality" in such as 2 NHL teams that do not exist are on the list, several AHL locations that do not exist are on the list, several current ones are not on the list, etc.

So this is a "If I could any NHL league structure and any AHL league structure this is what it would look like" but to title it Your Ideal AHL Structure kinda leads to think current AHL with current NHL teams, not just adding teams wherever you please.

I think you forgot about the European teams that may join the NHL who would then need an AHL affiliate in Europe.

 

[Rumblick]

Not to speak for Rumblick, but I believe "it really has no basis in reality whatsoever" is self-explanatory.

Can't add a lot to that right there, but the mere fact that you've got Tommy, 210 & myself on the same side of a discussion (which may be a first in the history of this board) says it all.

That said, my "ideal AHL" is one where there's an AHL team in my vicinity.

 

[adsfan]

Count me in with the other three. It will be Quebec and Las Vegas, not Seattle.

Why would Nashville change their affiliation from Milwaukee to San Antonio?
What advantage would be gained by moving after 17 years of bliss?

Nashville to Milwaukee is 568 miles. Nashville to San Antonio is 937 miles, only 369 miles farther away than what they have now. A 14 hour drive versus 9 hours.

I really don't get that part.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Care to elaborate?

And do you have an ideal AHL of your own to share?

Ugh. Stop with the passive aggressive stuff. Every other week you seem to have another "proposal" about how things should be. I think after the first few we got your points. It seems to me you just want to display how much geography you know.

Some people seem more obsessed with stuff like alignment and attendance than they are the actual game.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Because the actual product has declined for like 10-15 years the more the NHL has gotten involved. In the beginning people thought NHL ownerships were cute.

 

[go comets]

There is really no way to predict anything that happens in the AHL. There will always be cities that deserve a team that will not have one, and cities that people point to and say how are they still in the league?? Really pointless........

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Like Binghamton. League passed them by years ago really. Even Springfield.

 

[axecrew]

Add me to the list with Tommy and the others....There is NO real Ideal ahl structure since the league is extremely fluid and always changing. Plus I'm sure, being the worldly wise scholar that you obviously are, you know that little term or phrase that says you play the hand you're dealt? Well the hand the ahl has been dealt is the one we currently see and to start adding teams that don't even exist isn't based in reality.

 

[scRIbe]

Here is how I would have aligned the league for 2015-16, knowing where every team will be located:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
New England Division: Bridgeport, Hartford, Portland, Providence, Springfield

Empire State Division: Albany, Binghamton, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica

Atlantic Division: Charlotte, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, St. John's, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Great Lakes Division: Chicago, Grand Rapids, Lake Erie, Milwaukee, Toronto

Central Division: Iowa, Manitoba, Rockford, San Antonio, Texas

Pacific (or Golden State) Division: Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

It is hilarious how not every team in NY is in the same division lol

 

[210]

It is hilarious how not every team in NY is in the same division lol

You mean like last season? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that?

Hell, until this upcoming season they all hadn't been in the same conference for over a decade.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

You mean like last season? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that? And the season before that?

Hell, until this upcoming season they all hadn't been in the same conference for over a decade.

I know all that. Doesn't make it any less ******** though. But what do you expect from minor leagues? They have no logic or basis for anything they actually do.

 

[210]

I know all that. Doesn't make it any less ******** though. But what do you expect from minor leagues? They have no logic or basis for anything they actually do.

And the reason why all the New York teams aren't in the same division in the NHL is...?

 

[Rumblick]

It is hilarious how not every team in NY is in the same division lol

I've got to be missing something. All the NY teams are in the same division.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

And the reason why all the New York teams aren't in the same division in the NHL is...?

Because travel and divisions aren't as important in the top pro leagues because they pretty much fly everywhere. Where as minor league teams bus almost everywhere. Its all about travel costs. Minor league teams don't have nearly the funds those spoiled brats in the NHL do.

The only one who isn't is buffalo and I mean when you consider upstate and downstate are pretty much two separate states of their own it makes sense. The islanders and rangers are much closer to teams like Washington, philly and pitt than buffalo is. Plus in other sports these teams sort of have rivalries(especially in the NFL minus pitt fitting in)

 

[210]

I've got to be missing something. All the NY teams are in the same division.

You ruined it...that was going to be next after he dug himself deeper.