AHL Future in Binghamton

[go comets]

While Albany averaged roughly the same attendance as Bingo, Albany also has probably 4 times the population base as Bingo .

So to be entirely fair Albany's attendance should be measured against cities roughly the same size

And from what I have read, Albany could not support a double A baseball team. ( Just what I read, I'm not a baseball fan ) It just sounds like people like to do other things besides watch sports.

It is actually very puzzling as to why they struggle. But at least the Albany region has RPI and Union hockey to fall back on. Division 1 hockey is an outstanding product, just far less games.

I know when the ahl leaves Utica, I will have seasons for Colgate hockey.

 

[nickp91]

Binghamton Senators Booster Club President, Teresa Prozeralik says some people are upset. There's quite a few people that are a little upset because I think they were leaning towards having the Rangers here and if they are not coming. I don't know if they will remain season ticket holders.

 

[ZekeA]

Binghamton Senators Booster Club President, Teresa Prozeralik says some people are upset. There's quite a few people that are a little upset because I think they were leaning towards having the Rangers here and if they are not coming. I don't know if they will remain season ticket holders.

"Nickp#91":


Almost everybody wanted the Rags to return to Binghamton as their are a lot of Rag fans in the area...... Very few people here are fans of the Devil....... To make matters worse very few want the team to be called the Devil, they want them to be called the Dusters..... The name alone will keep some fans away, as they including me want them to be called the "Dusters".....

 

[Tommy Hawk]

I said Albany was not deserving when compared to other cities such as Bingo. Albany has a substantially higher population and an arena that seats 14,000 for hockey thus providing the capability to draw mush higher than the 3,500 people it does draw. I also went back to when they were the Capital District Islanders where they drew only 2500 per game.

Albany had THREE years where they drew more than 5,000 a game. Since that time they have drawn nothing though they have the potential to draw more. Did NJ ruin Albany for any team that comes after? Maybe. Albany also welcomed back the team that scorched the earth as well after the River Rats were sold.

So, read my posts and the links in them. And the AHL in its current structure, without someone being able to say 'attendance was low because they were competing with the IHL at that time' argument doesn't apply.

So, yeah I picked 01-02 not as some "magic number" but because that was the year that the AHL in its current structure started.

So bye-bye from Albany. And guess what, if the Chicago Wolves left, so be it. I saw my Dallas Freeze go away as well as my Ft. Worth Fire. Crap happens.

 

[ek93]

Binghamton Senators Booster Club President, Teresa Prozeralik says some people are upset. There's quite a few people that are a little upset because I think they were leaning towards having the Rangers here and if they are not coming. I don't know if they will remain season ticket holders.

I'd much rather have the AHL Devils than no team at all/ECHL hockey. I can't believe people are mad that we're getting another shot at having an AHL team just because they aren't the affiliate of their favorite team. And yes, I get how the Rangers and Devils can be seen as rivals. I'm a Sabres fan and still supported the B-Sens because they're our local team. If anything, I like Ottawa a lot more now because of all the great players I met when I worked for the team.

If the recent musical chairs in this league has shown us anything, it's that nothing is guaranteed to anyone, especially the small markets like Bingo. So what if they aren't the Rangers. It's not like you have to support the New Jersey Devils. They're the local team and it's probably the last chance at AHL hockey this area will get.

If they schedule our Saturday games for 5:00 like they did in Albany, then by all means be mad at things like that. But I don't see why anyone would be anything other than ecstatic at getting another AHL team. Especially those who remember how it felt to be left in the dust with a UHL team the first time NYR left.

 

[go comets]

I'd much rather have the AHL Devils than no team at all/ECHL hockey. I can't believe people are mad that we're getting another shot at having an AHL team just because they aren't the affiliate of their favorite team. And yes, I get how the Rangers and Devils can be seen as rivals. I'm a Sabres fan and still supported the B-Sens because they're our local team. If anything, I like Ottawa a lot more now because of all the great players I met when I worked for the team.

If the recent musical chairs in this league has shown us anything, it's that nothing is guaranteed to anyone, especially the small markets like Bingo. So what if they aren't the Rangers. It's not like you have to support the New Jersey Devils. They're the local team and it's probably the last chance at AHL hockey this area will get.

If they schedule our Saturday games for 5:00 like they did in Albany, then by all means be mad at things like that. But I don't see why anyone would be anything other than ecstatic at getting another AHL team. Especially those who remember how it felt to be left in the dust with a UHL team the first time NYR left.

Well first off, the Bingo people will be the ones setting game times. So the 5pm games should be over with.

Bingo fans better remove their heads from their butts immediately, and be thankful that there is an AHL team in town next year.

 

[mmazz22]

The Rangers were never coming back!!!!!! They need to get over that self made up rumor they created!
To not support the new team because there a Devils farm team is stupid!
I'm an Isles fan and supported the B Rangers! You support your home team if you love the game!
The Rangers are not EVER coming back! This is our last shot at AHL hockey .
The Ranger dream is frustrating and only hurts the new team. The name is Devils and they need to accept that to

 

[Devils Dominion]

Binghamton area fans have their home team to support next season.
Those players will represent the Binghamton community.

NHL teams 3 hours away ( Rangers/Devils/Islanders) do not represent Binghamton.

I'm a NJD fan from NJ who looks forward to visiting Binghamton.

If I resided in an AHL city I would fully support the home/local team.
A successful home team is good for the local economy and community as a whole.

 

[Devils Dominion]

"Nickp#91":


Almost everybody wanted the Rags to return to Binghamton as their are a lot of Rag fans in the area...... Very few people here are fans of the Devil....... To make matters worse very few want the team to be called the Devil, they want them to be called the Dusters..... The name alone will keep some fans away, as they including me want them to be called the "Dusters".....

Were they the Dusters when nyr was the parent club?

I'm confused why a city more than 3 hours away from Manhattan is so loyal to nyr.
NJD is actually a little close geographically.

Didn't nyr also
bail out on Binghamton in the 90s?

 

[Nightsquad]

Albany hosted over 7000 tonight against Rochester lol. Binghamton enjoy your Binghamton Devils next season, and probably 5pm starts every Sat. My relatives up in Saratoga whom are HUGE Ranger fans and their neighbors work at the arena in Albany have said the arena and county are going to work on getting the NY Rangers AHL team in fall of 2018. They will not pursue any other affiliate. Binghamton fans owe gratitude to Tom Mitchell for making the Binghamton Devils happen, congrats. To fans up in Albany tonight you showed alot of class to come out as you did, way to go.

 

[Nightsquad]

Were they the Dusters when nyr was the parent club?

I'm confused why a city more than 3 hours away from Manhattan is so loyal to nyr.
NJD is actually a little close geographically.

Didn't nyr also
bail out on Binghamton in the 90s?

Dude, the Devils have provided Albany decent hockey the last two years. Before that it wasnt even in the playoffs after the year 2000. The Jersey attitude Albany didnt matter was the reaaons for the apathetic fan support up in Albany. The NY Rangers are a better fit in Albany. You can take a train right into (literally) MSG from Albany. Lets see what happens and how it plays out. Albany goes next season without, hopefully can get its house in order and secures the Rangers. Binghamton stays AHL, Albany gets a chance at welcoming home to New York the Rangers, everyone is happy

 

[Nightsquad]

Binghamton area fans have their home team to support next season.
Those players will represent the Binghamton community.

NHL teams 3 hours away ( Rangers/Devils/Islanders) do not represent Binghamton.

I'm a NJD fan from NJ who looks forward to visiting Binghamton.

If I resided in an AHL city I would fully support the home/local team.
A successful home team is good for the local economy and community as a whole.

Economic impact is non existent, thats a fact. No hockey in Binghamton people will spend their money at the mall, movies, attend more events at SUNY Binghamton, or spend their dollars elsewhere around town. The Devils or any other arena team dont result in revenue for the "greater" Binghamton community, its just an option. Its more of an image, perception, for civic pride and quality of life for an entertainment option. Doesnt bring in a huge economic impact..

 

[Nightsquad]

While Albany averaged roughly the same attendance as Bingo, Albany also has probably 4 times the population base as Bingo .

So to be entirely fair Albany's attendance should be measured against cities roughly the same size

And from what I have read, Albany could not support a double A baseball team. ( Just what I read, I'm not a baseball fan ) It just sounds like people like to do other things besides watch sports.

It is actually very puzzling as to why they struggle. But at least the Albany region has RPI and Union hockey to fall back on. Division 1 hockey is an outstanding product, just far less games.

I know when the ahl leaves Utica, I will have seasons for Colgate hockey.

They have single A Valley Cats baseball for ten years and it draws great. The double A team left town because they county wouldnt spend money to upgrade the stadium, not due to fan support.

The team over at Union College steals the show from the Devils. When they play in Albany's arena they are a huge draw. They won the National Championship few years ago and.currently sit at #5 in the nation. You can catch NCAA hockey for less then $15, why would you pay almost $30 to see the AHL Devils, shell out money to park, then have to put up with the Devils organization wanting 5pm start times every Saturday afternoon so players can rest lol

 

[GarbageGoal]

Binghamton Senators Booster Club President, Teresa Prozeralik says some people are upset. There's quite a few people that are a little upset because I think they were leaning towards having the Rangers here and if they are not coming. I don't know if they will remain season ticket holders.

They need to get over it.

I do agree a name change would be good. But the Devils have shown for some bizarre reason they don't do that.

 

[Devils Dominion]

They need to get over it.

I do agree a name change would be good. But the Devils have shown for some bizarre reason they don't do that.

Every minor league team should have a unique nickname that is connected to s city's history or folklore IMO.

I'm a NJD fan but would prefer a unique name for the Binghamton affiliate.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Economic impact is non existent, thats a fact. No hockey in Binghamton people will spend their money at the mall, movies, attend more events at SUNY Binghamton, or spend their dollars elsewhere around town. The Devils or any other arena team dont result in revenue for the "greater" Binghamton community, its just an option. Its more of an image, perception, for civic pride and quality of life for an entertainment option. Doesnt bring in a huge economic impact..

There are many studies that dispute your claim.
I won't go as far as saying huge economic impacts but ahl teams absolutely help the economies of their cities and especially the service industry and it bars/eateries.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Albany hosted over 7000 tonight against Rochester lol. Binghamton enjoy your Binghamton Devils next season, and probably 5pm starts every Sat. My relatives up in Saratoga whom are HUGE Ranger fans and their neighbors work at the arena in Albany have said the arena and county are going to work on getting the NY Rangers AHL team in fall of 2018. They will not pursue any other affiliate. Binghamton fans owe gratitude to Tom Mitchell for making the Binghamton Devils happen, congrats. To fans up in Albany tonight you showed alot of class to come out as you did, way to go.

You must be mistaken. You said Albany doesn't seat more than 6500 for hockey.

 

[RowdyFan42]

"Nickp#91":


Almost everybody wanted the Rags to return to Binghamton as their are a lot of Rag fans in the area...... Very few people here are fans of the Devil....... To make matters worse very few want the team to be called the Devil, they want them to be called the Dusters..... The name alone will keep some fans away, as they including me want them to be called the "Dusters".....

These were two of the problems in Albany as well. There's a large contingent of Rangers fans here who simply will not support anything Devils-related, and there was a lot of resentment of the Devils' decision to dump the River Rats name and go with the Albany Devils. Personally, even though I also loved the Rats brand, I thought it was necessary, that the Devils needed to sink or swim on their own merits rather than trying to wring out whatever good feelings fans still had for the Rats.

If Binghamton fans insist upon having an AHL team to root for, they're going to have to get used to an identity and a parent club that may not be optimal. Otherwise, they can get used to the ECHL... assuming they'll even let you have a team with Elmira only an hour away.

 

[RowdyFan42]

I said Albany was not deserving when compared to other cities such as Bingo. Albany has a substantially higher population and an arena that seats 14,000 for hockey thus providing the capability to draw mush higher than the 3,500 people it does draw. I also went back to when they were the Capital District Islanders where they drew only 2500 per game.

Albany had THREE years where they drew more than 5,000 a game. Since that time they have drawn nothing though they have the potential to draw more. Did NJ ruin Albany for any team that comes after? Maybe. Albany also welcomed back the team that scorched the earth as well after the River Rats were sold.

1. Please stop using our arena size against us. It's not our fault our politicians got greedy (literally; the county executive at the time ended up doing almost 4 years in federal prison for conspiracy, bribery and extortion related to the arena's construction) and built an arena with at least 5,000 seats too many. Am I honestly supposed to believe that you'd be less critical of the fanbase if the arena only held 6000 to 10,000 people?

2. Albany did not welcome the team back. In fact, I believe that's exactly what you've been criticizing us for. The ARENA welcomed them back with open arms because they had dates to fill. The diehards were willing to give them a chance because they'd rather have Devils hockey than no hockey, but I wouldn't quite call the mood welcoming.

 

[UticaHockey]

Albany hosted over 7000 tonight against Rochester lol. Binghamton enjoy your Binghamton Devils next season, and probably 5pm starts every Sat. My relatives up in Saratoga whom are HUGE Ranger fans and their neighbors work at the arena in Albany have said the arena and county are going to work on getting the NY Rangers AHL team in fall of 2018. They will not pursue any other affiliate. Binghamton fans owe gratitude to Tom Mitchell for making the Binghamton Devils happen, congrats. To fans up in Albany tonight you showed alot of class to come out as you did, way to go.

You forget to mention that it was a kids get in free promotion. But even with that considered that was more people than I would have guessed.

 

[Ski]

Announcement coming on Monday. I'll have my article in place afterwards for S7S at SBNation.

 

[Giuseppe Franco]

These were two of the problems in Albany as well. There's a large contingent of Rangers fans here who simply will not support anything Devils-related, and there was a lot of resentment of the Devils' decision to dump the River Rats name and go with the Albany Devils. Personally, even though I also loved the Rats brand, I thought it was necessary, that the Devils needed to sink or swim on their own merits rather than trying to wring out whatever good feelings fans still had for the Rats.

Purely anecdotal, but I used to go to River Rat games all the time with a Ranger fan. While we obviously knew they were a Devil farm team, having the Rats name at least distracted us from that fact. When they rebranded as the Devils, neither one of us could bring ourselves to root for a team named for one of our divisional rivals. As much as we like AHL hockey, we're NHL fans first. I'm sure there were others like us who had similar feelings. As much as I hate the Rags, I do think their farm team (especially if it was rebranded as the Rats) would do much better up here.

 

[mmazz22]

Devil dominion we haven't had the Dusters name since 79-8 season. The team has always been named after the parent club. Whalers, Rangers, Senators, and now Devils.
As for economic impact ask the bars and restaurants around the arena. Hockey 38 nights a week is huge for them.

 

[Nightsquad]

There are many studies that dispute your claim.
I won't go as far as saying huge economic impacts but ahl teams absolutely help the economies of their cities and especially the service industry and it bars/eateries.

Its a minor impact, at best. Its money people will spend in other parts of town. Its exisiting local disposable monies, not new monies coming in. Up in Albany the Devils start every Saturday game at 5pm. You can bet people who attended ate dinner mostly in arena and fled from downtown after the game. Downtown Albany has very few desireable bars near arena from what I am told. The economic impact is embelished quite a bit, especially in Albany which is a commuter town.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Its a minor impact, at best. Its money people will spend in other parts of town. Its exisiting local disposable monies, not new monies coming in. Up in Albany the Devils start every Saturday game at 5pm. You can bet people who attended ate dinner mostly in arena and fled from downtown after the game. Downtown Albany has very few desireable bars near arena from what I am told. The economic impact is embelished quite a bit, especially in Albany which is a commuter town.

So you have such strong opinions without actually knowing the local area?
And also talking about only one night of the week too.

I've been traveling to Albany games from NJ for quite a few years and have seen the fans in the bars/restaurants and hotel rooms.
All there only because there was a hockey game that day or night.