Confirmed with Link: Albany Devils moving to Binghamton, NY
- Thread starter Devil X
- Start date
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
tr83
Nope, still embarassed
Seems a Lamoriello left another franchise in tatters.
With how many franchises have moved out of NY, how does a franchise not capitalize on less competition
With how many franchises have moved out of NY, how does a franchise not capitalize on less competition
Devil X
Call me Nostradamus
I mean they signed a 3 year deal in the off season. I did just see this posted by the Albany beat writer.
Wonder if they will stay the Devils or if they will rebrand.
Binghamton Angels anyone lol
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
- Feb 5, 2010
- 47,807
- 18,621
3 of the worst attendance teams in the AHL are in NY state. 2 more are in CT.
PA on the other hand 2 of the top 5 teams in attendance.
- Apr 20, 2005
- 2,612
- 1,476
What I saw was that Harris and Blitzer are more bottom line focused. Bingo is further from NJ, so will be harder to get players at the last minute.
- Feb 5, 2010
- 47,807
- 18,621
tr83
Nope, still embarassed
Binghamton guy here. We may be toward the bottom in attendance but we have a very inexpensive arena to operate. County only charges like $2,000 per game. Also, our average attendance last year was around 3,800 which is 80% capacity of our building. Note the article is wrong about the size of our arena, that capacity listed is for a concert with floor seating, hockey capacity is about 4,700. We also have a large base of season ticket holders relative to our population size and arena capacity.
Hey even better.
Who do you guys tend to root for at the NHL level?
Is there any conflict if the minor squad is a rivals affiliate?
Wingman77
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2010
- 20,251
- 765
This has nothing to do with Chris Lamoriello, don't look for reasons to blame just for the sake of doing so. Playing along though, since moving back to Albany in 2010, the team has progressively gotten better from the season prior with the exception of one.
Going back to the River Rats days when they were affiliated with the Devils and then after when they weren't, Albany was always at the bottom of the league attendance wise. This is an Albany hockey market issue, not Devils: (http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Sources-Albany-Devils-leaving-for-Binghamton-10884403.php)
AHL teams tend to move frequently as do many other minor league teams in other sports. Many professional sports teams at the major league level aren't profitable so of course minor league teams aren't going to fare much better.
Perhaps this move was also financially more feasible and cheaper for the Devils to do as well versus what was offered to them in Albany.
It's less direct, but otherwise its only 20 miles further from Newark-Binghamton than it is Newark-Albany. Remember we were in Lowell, MA for a few years before coming back to Albany which is almost 200 miles further from Newark than both Albany/Binghamton.
They should be fine.
Billdo
Registered User
New Jersey Devils
Doc & Chico Forever
Did a quick google map and binghamton is a 2:45 drive away from the Rock. Times Union Center is 2:20. Not that much of a difference (to my surprise).
Billdo
Registered User
DatBoyJPP
Good Night
Binghamton is right on 81 on the NY/PA border. An hour north of Scranton and like others said, can easily get to the rock in under 3 hours
Devils Dominion
Now we Plummet
I look forward to going to Binghamton.
Albany was a fun place to visit but that area just doesn't support pro hockey.
Your city will give the team a better home ice advantage.
Zippy316
aka Zippo
It's not like it's that much of a difference. How many times throughout the year do you need to get a player from the AHL last minute?
That's pretty nice your AHL team is so close to the 'Rock'!
Ours is too (sort of, they're in Iowa).
Ours is too (sort of, they're in Iowa).
At least the Lehigh Valley is a lot closer to Binghamton than Albany is - a bit more than 2 hours I believe.
One has to guess the Devils' AHL team will play more games against the LV Phantoms in Allentown, and for that matter more road games against the WBS Penguins and the Hershey Bears. All of this is good news for my Lehigh Valley family visits; it will now become more likely I'll be able see the AHL Devils during my trips.
Devils Dominion
Now we Plummet
I was hoping they would get a unique nickname but apparently it will be Devils.
Bad marketing move off the bat IMO.
Bad marketing move off the bat IMO.
For people out in say Morris County near I-80, Binghamton is likely closer than Albany.
Here's the other thing, which I also mention in a post above - the AHL Devils will play more road games that are more easily accessible from north Jersey, especially in Allentown and to a lesser degree Wilkes-Barre and Hershey (the latter of which probably seems far but is probably about 3 hours from Newark). I just checked and Lehigh Valley plays 6 games (3 home, 3 road) against Binghamton this season compared to just 2 games against Albany. That's the highest number of games Lehigh Valley plays against any non-division foe. Binghamton and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton also will play each other 6 times this year. It's not likely the AHL will realign such that Binghamton is in the same division as Wilkes-Barre, Lehigh Valley, and Hershey (the Binghamton Senators WERE in the same division for a few years though), but if they do that probably means even more AHL Devils games in Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, and Hershey.
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DatBoyJPP
Good Night
Please explain
Yea, I'm in Warren County and can get to Binghamton in 2 hours, Lehigh Valley in 45 minutes and WBS in an hour so I like the move
