News Article: AHL West Official Announcement Set for Thursday

[Pucknut50]

Wow if it was up to the guys on this board next year the top Ontario line could be King/Richards/Brown - The Calder Cup is ours!

 

[Quattro]

Pardon my AHL ignorance but where is the Coyotes affiliate? Seems odd they aren't a part of this.

 

[damacles1156]

Pardon my AHL ignorance but where is the Coyotes affiliate? Seems odd they aren't a part of this.

Portland Pirates, no need to move really.

 

[Quattro]

Portland Pirates, no need to move really.

Interesting. How is it that they were in the west when none of the other teams had affiliates out here?

 

[damacles1156]

The Portland Pirates have not always been the Yotes AHL team, they use to be the Ducks AHL affiliate, Also the Caps.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

That would be Portland, Maine, not Oregon.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Pardon my AHL ignorance but where is the Coyotes affiliate? Seems odd they aren't a part of this.

The rest of the Pacific teams must be thinking long term

 

[damacles1156]

That would be Portland, Maine, not Oregon.

PHX doesn't own the AHL team nor do they have any desire too(money). That is why there wasn't any need to move them.

Not geographical reasons.

The teams moving are largely being bought by the parent NHL teams.

It's a big reason (other then travel) why the NHL/AHL is allowing these moves.

 

[HansH]

Interesting. How is it that they were in the west when none of the other teams had affiliates out here?

Portland, MAINE. They're very much in the East.

That said, unlike the five teams that took part in this move, the Coyotes don't _own_ their AHL team. The Portland Pirates are owned by a local (that is, in Maine) owner. The Pirates pay the Coyotes somewhere on the order of 1-2 million dollars a year for an affiliation, in return for which, the Coyotes provide the AHL players (and in some cases, the coaching and GM staff) and pay their salaries.

So, the Coyotes could think about trying to convince another independently-owned team to take their players, but all of those teams currently have affiliations with other NHL teams.

The difference between affiliation (providing players) and ownership (legal control of the franchise) is also at play for Colorado -- the Lake Erie Monsters are _owned_ by the owner of the NBA Cavaliers, but _affiliated_ with the Avalanche. It's also why this move to the West for the AHL has taken many years to make happen -- Anaheim didn't own their AHL franchise, and it apparently took some maneuvering to convince the Norfolk owner to sell the franchise to them so they could move both the players AND the team to San Diego.

The Coyotes ownership has more pressing financial issues to look to without the complication of losing money on an AHL franchise they'd have to spend money to purchase, then find an arena somewhere to give them a lease, in my opinion. Perhaps they might manage something for 2016-17, but it shouldn't be their first priority.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

PHX doesn't own the AHL team nor do they have any desire too(money). That is why there wasn't any need to move them.

Not geographical reasons.

I was explaining the location of where Portland is located to Quattro, who had mistaken them for being an AHL team out west, which isn't the case.

The Coyotes used to be affiliated with the San Antonio Rampage, who are now affiliated with the Florida Panthers.

Not sure why the Coyotes made that decision, but then again, who the hell knows how much longer they will even be in Arizona.

 

[damacles1156]

Portland, MAINE. They're very much in the East.

That said, unlike the five teams that took part in this move, the Coyotes don't _own_ their AHL team. The Portland Pirates are owned by a local (that is, in Maine) owner. The Pirates pay the Coyotes somewhere on the order of 1-2 million dollars a year for an affiliation, in return for which, the Coyotes provide the AHL players (and in some cases, the coaching and GM staff) and pay their salaries.

So, the Coyotes could think about trying to convince another independently-owned team to take their players, but all of those teams currently have affiliations with other NHL teams.

The difference between affiliation (providing players) and ownership (legal control of the franchise) is also at play for Colorado -- the Lake Erie Monsters are _owned_ by the owner of the NBA Cavaliers, but _affiliated_ with the Avalanche. It's also why this move to the West for the AHL has taken many years to make happen -- Anaheim didn't own their AHL franchise, and it apparently took some maneuvering to convince the Norfolk owner to sell the franchise to them so they could move both the players AND the team to San Diego.

The Coyotes ownership has more pressing financial issues to look to without the complication of losing money on an AHL franchise they'd have to spend money to purchase, then find an arena somewhere to give them a lease, in my opinion. Perhaps they might manage something for 2016-17, but it shouldn't be their first priority.

You said it better than I did....Grumble, Grumble.

 

[HansH]

You said it better than I did....Grumble, Grumble.

Thanks -- all those years of amateur hockey writing have paid off

 

[CTKingsFan]

I'm on my phone and too lazy to quote tweets.

But according to Mayors Manor the Reign will reveal their new jerseys on Feb. 11th.

LeBurn also said there is a good possibility that the pacific division may play less games then the rest of the league. Personally, I'd still be surprised if that happens. There are several teams that are a lot more separated from the packs, then any of the California teams are. The California teams are all in bus distance of each other and teams that visit from out of state can put easy bus travel trips together.

 

[Quattro]

That would be Portland, Maine, not Oregon.

Portland, MAINE. They're very much in the East.

Pretty sure I knew that at some point. That makes a LOT more sense - lol.

I see that the Canucks team is in Utica. Seems like they'd be a candidate to move west as well.

 

[HansH]

I see that the Canucks team is in Utica. Seems like they'd be a candidate to move west as well.

That sounds logical to me as well. If I remember what I've seen posted various places, I _think_ the Comets have an out in their lease _after_ the 2015-16 season, and unlike when the Canucks bought them, the arena in Abbotsford, BC, is now available (the Flames wouldn't move the Heat out of the way two years ago for the Canucks... one season later, the city finally bought their way out of that catastrophe of a subsity). It just makes way too much sense -- that arena is just about exactly as far away from the Canucks' home arena as CBBA is from Staples Center.

Which, of course, is why it won't manage to happen