AHL Franchise Histories

[HansH]

Okay, why does the Hamilton Bulldogs get split up because of an affiliation change while no other franchise does?

It wasn't just an affiliation change. Lyle Abraham MOVED the Bulldogs (version 1) to Toronto... but Andelauer (et al) acquired the former Quebec franchise and moved them into Hamilton as the Bulldogs (version 2). The timing worked out so that there was no break in hockey in the city, but they are actually separate franchises, even if it "looks like" the same team to the people in the stands.

It's like how in 1990, the IHL Fort Wayne Komets (v1) were moved to Albany to become the Choppers, but the Frankes acquired IHL Flint and moved them to Fort Wayne as the Komets (v2).

 

[NorthStar]

It's like how in 1990, the IHL Fort Wayne Komets (v1) were moved to Albany to become the Choppers, but the Frankes acquired IHL Flint and moved them to Fort Wayne as the Komets (v2).

Wait a minute.. I seem to remember in the Hockey News years ago that the Albany Choppers were classified as an expansion team... that I am sure of.. .will have to dig up more info somewhere but I am really sure I remember the Choppers were mentioned as expansion team...

One other thing.... Do I classify the AHL Texas Stars as an expansion team or the relocated old Iowa Stars or what?? I need to make that clear for my Excel and MS Word project for AHL teams and more.

 

[AdmiralPred]

Wait a minute.. I seem to remember in the Hockey News years ago that the Albany Choppers were classified as an expansion team... that I am sure of.. .will have to dig up more info somewhere but I am really sure I remember the Choppers were mentioned as expansion team...

One other thing.... Do I classify the AHL Texas Stars as an expansion team or the relocated old Iowa Stars or what?? I need to make that clear for my Excel and MS Word project for AHL teams and more.

I had thought the Choppers franchise had existed prior to Albany as part of the IHL's coast to coast expansion.

We can probably think of the Texas Stars as a "temporary" license granted by the AHL BoG. Initially, this temporary deal was to last only one year. The Iowa Chops franchise/license still remains property, so to speak, of the owners in Des Moines so the Texas Stars definitely would not be the relocated Chops. Temporary expansion might be the best classification. Anyone else agree?

 

[Majik1987]

I'll change it if there is an outcry, but we did call it a conditional franchise.

 

[Rumblick]

I'll change it if there is an outcry, but we did call it a conditional franchise.

Makes sense, as that's what this year's team is. If they do acquire the Iowa Chops (as seems likely), they can then be listed as a continuation of that franchise, but the 09-10 team will always carry the "conditional" tag.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Choppers

Wait a minute.. I seem to remember in the Hockey News years ago that the Albany Choppers were classified as an expansion team... that I am sure of.. .will have to dig up more info somewhere but I am really sure I remember the Choppers were mentioned as expansion team...

One other thing.... Do I classify the AHL Texas Stars as an expansion team or the relocated old Iowa Stars or what?? I need to make that clear for my Excel and MS Word project for AHL teams and more.

The Choppers were never a member of the AHL, they barely lasted that initial 90-91 season as they had several players that were w/ SPR, and CD (Which we know today as the Albany franchise, soon to be in Charlotte), honored the Choppers fanbase when it collapsed.

 

[RFA]

The Choppers were the relocated Ft. Wayne Komets, with the same owner (Bill Welker). They were not an expansion franchise, despite what Wikipedia (or any other source) says. The Choppers were in the old IHL, had several former Springfield Indians/New York Islanders players, and the CD Isles accepted (honored) unused Choppers tickets for their remaining games after the Choppers folded on Feb 14th, 1991 (midyear). The Choppers did have a decent loyal following, but did not have much (if anything) of group sales or casual walk-ups. Plus even 3,000 spread out in a 15,000 seat arena looks very, very empty.

 

[takehisheadoff]

The Manitoba Moose use to be the Minnesota Moose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Moose

 

[Majik1987]

The Manitoba Moose use to be the Minnesota Moose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Moose

True, but they were the Minnesota Moose in the IHL. We limited the history to the AHL.

 

[Loosie]

If you are still keeping this up to date, you may want to put in Manitoba's move to St. John's Ice Caps, and Hartford's name change last year to the Conneticut Whale.

Edit: You are also missing The Oklahoma City Barons

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

If you are still keeping this up to date, you may want to put in Manitoba's move to St. John's Ice Caps, and Hartford's name change last year to the Conneticut Whale.

Edit: You are also missing The Oklahoma City Barons

Oklahoma City is as follows:

Hamilton-Toronto-Edmonton (lockout year) dormant then OKC

 

[RFA]

Albany TImes Union article on July 8th, 1990 reports the Capital District Islanders as the old Boston Braves franchise:

At the AHL's Board of Governors meeting in Bermuda two weeks ago, Cantanucci made a formal presentation and subsequently received unanimous approval to purchase the league's dormant Boston Braves franchise. According to Anziano, it was more than a matter of rubber- stamping Troy's application. The board had to be impressed, and it was.


"I thought it was one of the most outstanding presentations I've ever seen," Anziano said, "and I've been witnessing presentations for 23 years."

 

[Alpine]

The Moncton Hawks lost their affiliation with Winnipeg Jets at the end of the '94 season when the Jets moved to Phoenix.
The local owners sold the dormant franchise (I can't remember to who) when it was announced that the QMJHL was coming to town in '95
But under various affiliations/franchises AHL was in Moncton from 1978 to 1994 winning 1 Calder Cup and reaching the finals in 1994.
Franchise is hard because at the time local ownership was big and affiliations were the name of the game.
But didn't the Moncton Alpines become the Nova Scotia Oilers then the Cape Breton Oilers?
Moncton became the Golden Flames
Gotta add a team I never see on a defunct list but a team I remember is the Cinncinnati Swords a Buffalo affiliate and the Cleveland Barons

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Here is the Hartford timeline:

1926-1976: Providence Reds;
1976-77: RI Reds;
1977-80: Binghamton Dusters;
1980-97: Binghamton Whalers, then Rangers;
2010-13: Connecticut Whale;

1997-2010; 2013- Hartford Wolf*Pack

 

[adsfan]

Don't forget to add Peoria Rivermen to Utica Comets and Houston Aeros to Iowa Wild.

 

[MM658]

Interesting (in a sad way) to note that, by my interpretation, there are only four AHL-granted franchises (excluding the teams that came over from the IHL) that are still in their original location. And half of those will drop off that list in 2015-16.

Hershey Bears - in original location since 1938.
Springfield Falcons - in original location since 1994.
Norfolk Admirals - in original location since 2000 (soon to move to San Diego).
Manchester Monarchs - in original location since 2001 (soon to move to Ontario, CA).

 

[Hoodaha]

Oklahoma City is as follows:

Hamilton-Toronto-Edmonton (lockout year) dormant then OKC

Should we add next year's locations? They've already been announced and are happening...

OKC to Bakersfield
Adirondack to Stockton
Norfolk to San Diego
Manchester to Ontario (Reign)
Worcester to San Jose


Most of these names haven't been announced yet, except Ontario, but will be relatively soon (haven't heard on San Jose, but I believe the others are to be announced towards the end of this month).

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Should we add next year's locations? They've already been announced and are happening...

OKC to Bakersfield
Adirondack to Stockton
Norfolk to San Diego
Manchester to Ontario (Reign)
Worcester to San Jose


Most of these names haven't been announced yet, except Ontario, but will be relatively soon (haven't heard on San Jose, but I believe the others are to be announced towards the end of this month).

not really, and here's why, Hoodaha, except for the first two and Worcester, it's the 1st transfer of a franchise.... both Manchester and Norfolk were expansion teams when granted.

Adirondack goes back to Saint John, 1993-2003, THEN went dormant as Calgary went to Lowell, reactivated in Omaha as the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights(Nebraska spelled backwards, in deference to the tribe that operated the team, then to QCSV and the team which replaced the Mallards which were later brought back in the CHL/ECHL, then Abbotsford, and Adirondack and Stockton.

Worcester began in the famed Rupp Arena backed by USA Hockey ownership in 1996, then has since been owned by San Jose since 2001, first in Cleveland, then Worcester.

 

[Hoodaha]

not really, and here's why, Hoodaha, except for the first two and Worcester, it's the 1st transfer of a franchise.... both Manchester and Norfolk were expansion teams when granted.

Adirondack goes back to Saint John, 1993-2003, THEN went dormant as Calgary went to Lowell, reactivated in Omaha as the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights(Nebraska spelled backwards, in deference to the tribe that operated the team, then to QCSV and the team which replaced the Mallards which were later brought back in the CHL/ECHL, then Abbotsford, and Adirondack and Stockton.

Worcester began in the famed Rupp Arena backed by USA Hockey ownership in 1996, then has since been owned by San Jose since 2001, first in Cleveland, then Worcester.

That makes no sense. Teams are moving, does that not add to their franchise history? Even if they were expansion franchises and will have only moved once, they will have two locations now.

The only question is if we should add it to the list now or at the end of the season when they actually move.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

That makes no sense. Teams are moving, does that not add to their franchise history? Even if they were expansion franchises and will have only moved once, they will have two locations now.

The only question is if we should add it to the list now or at the end of the season when they actually move.

I would recommend waiting until they actually moved.

 

[MM658]

Interesting (in a sad way) to note that, by my interpretation, there are only four AHL-granted franchises (excluding the teams that came over from the IHL) that are still in their original location. And half of those will drop off that list in 2015-16.

Hershey Bears - in original location since 1938.
Springfield Falcons - in original location since 1994.
Norfolk Admirals - in original location since 2000 (soon to move to San Diego).
Manchester Monarchs - in original location since 2001 (soon to move to Ontario, CA).

Fast forward to the summer of 2016, and Then There Was One.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Hoodaha]

I would recommend waiting until they actually moved.

...and now they've played a year. Add the Pacific teams to the list?

 

[Hammer9001]

Okay, why does the Hamilton Bulldogs get split up because of an affiliation change while no other franchise does?

I certainly could be mistaken, but from my understanding, it wasn't really an affiliate change but a replacement team that stole the branding. It was literally Edmonton was leaving, Montreal was coming in, so the ownership groups got together, exchanged a few players (but not many) and the Montreal group coming in bought all the branding to be the Bulldogs because the community group that was selling the Edmonton affiliate had a good relationship with Michael Andlauer and he felt keeping the history of the name helped build brand loyalty.

It's partly why he's kept the name and logo for the OHL team, albeit rebranded the colors from a fan contest, to say this is Hamilton's team, it's not an affiliate team anymore.

That all said, the Montreal affiliated Hamilton Bulldogs moved to St. John's for a season and became the Whitecaps and are now the Laval Rocket.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I certainly could be mistaken, but from my understanding, it wasn't really an affiliate change but a replacement team that stole the branding. It was literally Edmonton was leaving, Montreal was coming in, so the ownership groups got together, exchanged a few players (but not many) and the Montreal group coming in bought all the branding to be the Bulldogs because the community group that was selling the Edmonton affiliate had a good relationship with Michael Andlauer and he felt keeping the history of the name helped build brand loyalty.

It's partly why he's kept the name and logo for the OHL team, albeit rebranded the colors from a fan contest, to say this is Hamilton's team, it's not an affiliate team anymore.

That all said, the Montreal affiliated Hamilton Bulldogs moved to St. John's for a season and became the Whitecaps and are now the Laval Rocket.

Ice Caps, not White caps