2013-2014 - NAHL - what teams are leaving and what new teams are joining?

JungleJON

Registered User
May 10, 2011
306
10
Since last season there has been a lot of news about the NAHL and what teams are leaving and what new teams are planning to join.

Can anyone please let me know if any of the following is true or false?

I heard that Soo and Jamestown were not planning to return (Kalamazoo has already folded).
There was news of a few new teams in the east joining from another junior league - have heard no word since (this was posted on another junior hockey site).
Someone said that St. Louis is planning to come back?
We have heard that Wenatchee is planning to move to Rio Grande -
Ft. Worth from the CHL might drop down to the NAHL, same being said about Tulsa.
Lubbock looking to return in the future.
Looking to put a team in the suburb of Houston.
Is Fresno now going to stay since they will have their practice rink to use?
Are there going to be any more teams on the West Coast, heard that they were looking at a city in Montana and another in California.

If anyone has any info. please let me know. There might even be some news/rumors that I have not heard of.
 

Capitals03

Registered User
Nov 29, 2011
143
28
Since last season there has been a lot of news about the NAHL and what teams are leaving and what new teams are planning to join.

Can anyone please let me know if any of the following is true or false?

I heard that Soo and Jamestown were not planning to return (Kalamazoo has already folded).
There was news of a few new teams in the east joining from another junior league - have heard no word since (this was posted on another junior hockey site).
Someone said that St. Louis is planning to come back?
We have heard that Wenatchee is planning to move to Rio Grande -
Ft. Worth from the CHL might drop down to the NAHL, same being said about Tulsa.
Lubbock looking to return in the future.
Looking to put a team in the suburb of Houston.
Is Fresno now going to stay since they will have their practice rink to use?
Are there going to be any more teams on the West Coast, heard that they were looking at a city in Montana and another in California.

If anyone has any info. please let me know. There might even be some news/rumors that I have not heard of.

Wenatchee Wild is trying to get into the BCHL in Canada, but arena issues could have your information to be correct.
 

Slowe

Registered User
Feb 8, 2003
379
4
Chicago
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Welcome to the off season. If anyone tells you they can answer those true or false, they are probably lying.

It does seem like a particularly chaotic off season though. You have a lot of things factoring into this, like the ongoing trouble of the CHL, the virtual collapse of the western NAHL, the fact that the entire east coast junior hockey world is in upheaval due to the EJHL / USPHL split.

I think everyone is checking their options and nothing is set right now. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
 

JungleJON

Registered User
May 10, 2011
306
10
Just read on the NAHL website where the St. Louis Bandits franchise has been bought by a group in Minnesota - they will be known as the Minnesota Wilderness. They currently play in the SIJHL, having won the league championship three years in a row. They will play out of Cloquet, MN.
 

OutdoorJoe

Registered User
Apr 15, 2012
19
0
The Wenatchee Wild are staying in the NAHL, but are relocating to Hidalgo,TX & will be called the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
 

tornadowarning

Registered User
May 15, 2013
13
0
New teams in the NAHL and their origins

Minnesota Magicians will play in Ritchfield MN. This is the dormant New Mexico Mustangs franchise which was purchased and moved to MN.

Minnesota Wilderness will play in Cloquet, MN. This team approval by the league is contingent on the purchase of the dormant St Louis Bandits franchise and moving it to MN. The Wilderness has fielded a SIJHL Canadian Tier II junior team which has won the league the past three seasons.

Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees will play in Hidalgo, TX. This is the relocated Wenatchee Wild franchise. The Wild made it as far as the NAHL National Championship Game this season. Here is an article on the move. http://toomanymenonthesite.com/2013/05/15/nahl-wenatchee-wild-move-to-rio-grand-valley/


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tornadowarning

Registered User
May 15, 2013
13
0
I don't think you will see the Soo Eagles going anywhere. This was their first season in the league and their attendance averaged 33 per game more than in the highest season they had while playing in the NOJHL for seasons.
 

tornadowarning

Registered User
May 15, 2013
13
0
Well with Wenatchee now moving to the Rio Grande Valley the South will jump to seven teams and as has been pointed out there would be only 3 West Div teams. I can see the league potentially going back to a three division league as it was in the past.

That would mean Fairbanks and Kenai River moving back into the South Div and I see the potential for Fresno moving out of the league. The addition of the two Alaska teams would make the South 9 teams.

With the Minnesota Magicians and Minnesota Wilderness joining the league the Central Division grows to 8 teams.

With Kalamazoo going dormant the North Division would drop to 7 teams.
 

JungleJON

Registered User
May 10, 2011
306
10
On the Junior Hockey News site, they are claiming that Fresno is now moving their team to Wenatchee, Wash. - I asked them where they got this info. from and apparently the newspaper in Wenatchee has reported this.
Also, Jamestown might have a new owner, so they could be back this season. They are hoping to have word by tomorrow.
As far as Ft. Worth & Tulsa joining - no news as of yet, but word is that Wichita has bought the Tulsa franchise to keep them in the CHL so the league doesn't fold. Waiting to see if this is just a rumor.
 

snovalleyhockeyfan

I'm just the messenger.....
May 22, 2008
1,521
131
North Bend, WA
On the Junior Hockey News site, they are claiming that Fresno is now moving their team to Wenatchee, Wash. - I asked them where they got this info. from and apparently the newspaper in Wenatchee has reported this.
Also, Jamestown might have a new owner, so they could be back this season. They are hoping to have word by tomorrow.
As far as Ft. Worth & Tulsa joining - no news as of yet, but word is that Wichita has bought the Tulsa franchise to keep them in the CHL so the league doesn't fold. Waiting to see if this is just a rumor.

Here's the story from the Wenatchee World on the Fresno move to Apple Country:

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/may/23/hockey-makes-a-quick-comeback-arena-board-signs/

With respect to the Junior Hockey News, is this the article you are referring to?

http://www.juniorhockey.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=79280

If yes, I have a question that anyone who is familiar with the NAHL can answer. What was this incident called "Drunk Bus" they are referring to in that story involving this new owner? I do not follow the NAHL, I am a WHL follower so I am not familiar with this at all.
 

JungleJON

Registered User
May 10, 2011
306
10
Thanks for posting the link to the article in the Wenatchee newspaper - I was looking for it and could not find it online.
I don't know much about the drunk bus incident, but I assume they are saying that some of the liquor that was bought found its way on the team bus, is what I make of it - not sure, so maybe someone else can give us the low down.
 

JungleJON

Registered User
May 10, 2011
306
10
Hopefully they will schedule Rio Grande for a visit to Wenatchee this season - would be interesting to say the least.
 

tornadowarning

Registered User
May 15, 2013
13
0
The "drunk bus" incident referred to by Heisler (take anything he posts with a big grain of salt) related to the Fresno owner purchasing alcohol at a Safeway store in Wenatchee and loading it in the luggage hold of the team bus headed back to Fresno.

There is no evidence or first hand reports of the bus stopping and the alcohol being brought out for the players, but that is exactly what Heisler is claiming. The league investigated the incident and cleared the team and owner.

Heisler has made his site the National Enquirer of the Jr Hockey world and uses sensationalism and "unnamed sources" which can not be verified to drive traffic to his site and increase revenues.
 

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