AHL West in 2015-16?

[sabrefan27]

Yes, there were multiple articles and quotes from Amerks officials at the time (Ted Nolan) about the fact that they could be independent if they wanted to. I don't think you'll ever see anyone do it again, though.

 

[Fenway]

I just fear cities like Manchester, Portland and Worcester end up in the ECHL.

 

[wildcat48]

I just fear cities like Manchester, Portland and Worcester end up in the ECHL.

Portland is not going anywhere....

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Portland is not going anywhere....

Remind me where they played this past year??

 

[Tommy Hawk]

They'd have no freaking choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As long as Chicago dressed the appropriate number of vets as defined by the league there wouldn't be thing 1 the league could do about it.
Go to the sticky above and read it closely....the AHL has stated that you must have an affiliation to join the AHL. You DO NOT have to maintain that affiliation or any other to play in the league....in spite of what hutch is about to come on here and tell you while spouting bs about bylaws and things he has no proof of nor does he know.

You tell em!!!

Yes, there were multiple articles and quotes from Amerks officials at the time (Ted Nolan) about the fact that they could be independent if they wanted to. I don't think you'll ever see anyone do it again, though.

That all depends on the wealth of the owner. If they are willing to spend the money on player salaries and not pay an affiliation fee, whose going to stop them? It all depends on how much an owner is willing to spend and how deep their pockets are to sustain the potential losses. The owner of the wolves has new life in one of his industries.

 

[wildcat48]

Remind me where they played this past year??

Irrelevant... They were still in their market and the CCCC was not available due to renovations.

 

[Agalloch]

Binghamton
Hershey
Manchester (own by LA)
Norfolk
Oklahoma
Portland
Springfield
Syracuse
Worcester (own by SJ)


If there's a west division next year, all these teams could be on the move for 2015-2016 OR without an affiliation.

 

[wildcat48]

nevermind

 

[go comets]

Binghamton
Hershey
Manchester (own by LA)
Norfolk
Oklahoma
Portland
Springfield
Syracuse
Worcester (own by SJ)


If there's a west division next year, all these teams could be on the move for 2015-2016 OR without an affiliation.

Hershey?????? where on earth is that team going?????? your nuts..........

 

[ZekeA]

Hershey?????? where on earth is that team going?????? your nuts..........

"Go Comets":

That much is certain..............

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Binghamton
Hershey
Manchester (own by LA)
Norfolk
Oklahoma
Portland
Springfield
Syracuse
Worcester (own by SJ)


If there's a west division next year, all these teams could be on the move for 2015-2016 OR without an affiliation.

I think you mean these teams would be in trouble::
Portland (though I doubt it because the yotes themselves may be moving in a few years)
Norfolk
Lake Erie (though I doubt it because Colorado plays more against teams such as Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, Chicago, etc.)


These teams would not be in trouble as they are owned by the NHL team so if they move they move.
OKC
Worcester
Manchester
Adirondack
Utica


Portland and Norfolk would either have to scramble to find another affiliation or sell. This may result in a bidding war for affiliations by NHL teams that do not own their AHL team and/or affilaition fees paid to the NHL in order to get a new affiliation.

The weaker teams from a financial resources and facilities aspect would be the ones most likely to be sold to the 1 or 2 NHL teams that need to own their AHL team.

When the move occurs there will be a cascading or domino effect on scheduling, affiliations, and ownership.

 

[Agalloch]

Hershey?????? where on earth is that team going?????? your nuts..........

I expect the Capitals to renew with them but their current contract ends this year.

 

[axecrew]

I expect the Capitals to renew with them but their current contract ends this year.

Ok so how the heck can Hershey be a team in trouble?? First of all they are affiliated with Washington and last I looked, the Caps were on the eastern seaboard, and second let's pretend the Caps/Hershey affiliation ends...They are considered one of the premier teams in the AHL along with a few others. You can bet that if the partnership with Washington ends, there will be no shortage of NHL teams lining up to partner with them....just like a few years ago when Colorado left. There are a few teams locally owned that won't be going anywhere and you can put Hershey right at the top of that list along with Chicago and others.

 

[Agalloch]

Ok so how the heck can Hershey be a team in trouble?? First of all they are affiliated with Washington and last I looked, the Caps were on the eastern seaboard, and second let's pretend the Caps/Hershey affiliation ends...They are considered one of the premier teams in the AHL along with a few others. You can bet that if the partnership with Washington ends, there will be no shortage of NHL teams lining up to partner with them....just like a few years ago when Colorado left. There are a few teams locally owned that won't be going anywhere and you can put Hershey right at the top of that list along with Chicago and others.

I never said they will be in trouble. I only list the teams that their contract ends and the 2 teams that will most likely move (Manchester and Worcester because they are own by the western NHL clubs). Like I said, I expect them to renew with the Caps or with another team.

 

[PCSPounder]

I never said they will be in trouble. I only list the teams that their contract ends and the 2 teams that will most likely move (Manchester and Worcester because they are own by the western NHL clubs).

Which is true... but dropping a list here is going to be assumed to be inflammatory until you add some qualifiers to your post. It's kind of funny, though.

You're permitted to be a bit descriptive on the internet.

 

[axecrew]

I never said they will be in trouble. I only list the teams that their contract ends and the 2 teams that will most likely move (Manchester and Worcester because they are own by the western NHL clubs). Like I said, I expect them to renew with the Caps or with another team.

Ok so then why even bother to put them on the list then? On your list you said if there is a west division etc all of the teams listed could move or be without an affiliation. Then you come back when questioned and say that you expect them to renew with Washington. So I still don't understand why they are even listed because now according to you they aren't moving NOR will they be unaffiliated.
So again.....why put them on the list to begin with then?

 

[axecrew]

Which is true... but dropping a list here is going to be assumed to be inflammatory until you add some qualifiers to your post. It's kind of funny, though.

You're permitted to be a bit descriptive on the internet.

Nothing was assumed to be inflammatory by me about his/her post. Just couldn't understand how Hershey was on that list to begin with is all. Especially when the poster said they expected them to renew with washington. Makes me wonder when that expectative revelation occured....before they posted the list or after someone questioned it.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Nothing was assumed to be inflammatory by me about his/her post. Just couldn't understand how Hershey was on that list to begin with is all. Especially when the poster said they expected them to renew with washington. Makes me wonder when that expectative revelation occured....before they posted the list or after someone questioned it.

I was curious as to how Hershey would be impacted by the Western NHL teams wanting to have their AHL affiliate closer since Hershey is not currently affiliated with or owned by a western NHL team, unlike the others.

If you want to start talk about changing affiliations only, with the current AHL team locations, that should be in a different thread.

 

[wildcat48]

I think you mean these teams would be in trouble::
Portland (though I doubt it because the yotes themselves may be moving in a few years)
Norfolk
Lake Erie (though I doubt it because Colorado plays more against teams such as Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, Chicago, etc.)


These teams would not be in trouble as they are owned by the NHL team so if they move they move.
OKC
Worcester
Manchester
Adirondack
Utica


Portland and Norfolk would either have to scramble to find another affiliation or sell. This may result in a bidding war for affiliations by NHL teams that do not own their AHL team and/or affilaition fees paid to the NHL in order to get a new affiliation.

The weaker teams from a financial resources and facilities aspect would be the ones most likely to be sold to the 1 or 2 NHL teams that need to own their AHL team.

When the move occurs there will be a cascading or domino effect on scheduling, affiliations, and ownership.

I'd like hear why you think Portland is consider a franchise in trouble? Why do you think Portland is a weak team financially or it's facilities are substandard? I'm interested to hear why would believe either of those things.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

I'd like hear why you think Portland is consider a franchise in trouble? Why do you think Portland is a weak team financially or it's facilities are substandard? I'm interested to hear why would believe either of those things.

I never said they were weak financially or had poor facilities. The reason I started a new paragraph in my post is because you do that when splitting thoughts.

Here is what I posted:

Portland and Norfolk would either have to scramble to find another affiliation or sell. This may result in a bidding war for affiliations by NHL teams that do not own their AHL team and/or affiliation fees paid to the NHL in order to get a new affiliation.

This means that those two teams would have to find a new NHL team to affiliate with or they would have to sell. They could operate as independent as well.

The weaker teams from a financial resources and facilities aspect would be the ones most likely to be sold to the 1 or 2 NHL teams that need to own their AHL team.

Law of the business jungle. Related but separate from Portland/Norfolk. If Portland and Norfolk find new affiliations, who would lose those affiliation? Teams that cannot pay higher affiliation fees to the NHL team, teams without suitable facilities, etc. would be the likely candidates.

No where did I even infer that Portland and/or Norfolk had financial issues or unsuitable facilities. Because they are currently affiliated with NHL teams rumoured for wanting their AHL teams out west, they are at higher risk than other teams.

 

[Fenway]

I'd like hear why you think Portland is consider a franchise in trouble? Why do you think Portland is a weak team financially or it's facilities are substandard? I'm interested to hear why would believe either of those things.

Portland is on shaky footing as the year in Lewiston made them invisible in Portland.

Right now only three AHL franchises in New England are safe - Providence, Bridgeport and Hartford.

We will see the ECHL enter New England IF the AHL moves into California.

 

[Hoodaha]

Okc

These teams would not be in trouble as they are owned by the NHL team so if they move they move.
OKC
Worcester
Manchester
Adirondack
Utica

Edmonton owns both OKC and Bakersfield (ECHL). Bakersfield outdraws OKC by a pretty sizable margin. Bakersfield is also within driving distance of LAX (115 miles), which has direct flights to Edmonton. I could definitely see Edmonton making a swap there, since things haven't worked out well in OKC since Basketball came to town. Bakersfield is also only 145 miles from Ontario...

 

[axecrew]

I'd like hear why you think Portland is consider a franchise in trouble? Why do you think Portland is a weak team financially or it's facilities are substandard? I'm interested to hear why would believe either of those things.

Wildcat....I don't know that anyone can definitively say any particular team is in trouble and why.....BUT using common sense(Unlike hutch's common knowledge, although maybe a distant cousin 2x removed or something),it's easy to say that PHX/ARZ are one of the teams looking to move west. Having said that logic dictates that 1 of 2 things could happen then if PHX/ARZ decides to move their team west....

#1 They find a new affiliate (Who knows maybe the NYR if rumors of them wanting to get rid of Hartford and out of the minor league hockey business are true).

#2 They sell the franchise rights to the highest bidder and either drop down a league or go dark completely.

One thing is for certain as pointed out by someone else...last year and all the drama didn't exactly do them any favors and took them out of the public eye on the ice. People in Portland found out that they could live without them and found other things to do with their time and money.
Who knows how it's all going to play out, BUT with Portland being affiliated with a team that's talking about going out west, it does put them at risk of upheaval of some sort.
You can bet one thing is for sure...the NHL teams that are looking to move their farm teams west....they will get what they want...one way or another.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

^^^^^^ nice Pat Benatar song reference....

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

Portland is on shaky footing as the year in Lewiston made them invisible in Portland.

Right now only three AHL franchises in New England are safe - Providence, Bridgeport and Hartford.

We will see the ECHL enter New England IF the AHL moves into California.

Gosh, I hope not for New England hockey fans sake.