Confirmed with Link: Blues announce 5 year deal with San Antonio Rampage

[STL fan in MN]

So is Vegas buying us out or is San Antonio?

The Blues never owned the Rampage. The Spurs parent company owned them and ran them. We just supplied the players and coaches and had control over hockey operations.

The Spurs must have decided to get out of the business of hockey and sell the franchise to Vegas. Vegas will be moving them to Vegas for next season.

Now the Blues need to find a new affiliate for next season.

 

[President Skroob]

The Blues never owned the Rampage. The Spurs parent company owned them and ran them. We just supplied the players and coaches and had control over hockey operations.

The Spurs must have decided to get out of the business of hockey and sell the franchise to Vegas. Vegas will be moving them to Vegas for next season.

Now the Blues need to find a new affiliate for next season.

So there were never any finances involved?

 

[STL fan in MN]

Anyone know of any current AHL teams whose NHL affiliations are running out this summer?

I mean there’s clearly one team that’s going to be available to affiliate with this summer (Wolves) but...God, please no.

 

[Chojin]

This sucks so hard. Seems like it's a virtual certainly that we'll be back with Chicago, which is probably the worst possible outcome.

 

[TheDizee]

**** off Vegas.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

 

[Dbrownss]

**** off Vegas.

May we end their playoff hopes in the 1st round or WCFs

 

[Novacain]

This pisses me off so god damned much. And not even as a Blues fan, just as a Hockey fan. Here, we have an AHL team with solid attendance in spite of lack of success in one of the biggest damn cities in North America. San Antonio is the exact type of market the NHL should be looking to expand into. Instead, they get bought and are being moved to... f***ing Henderson. From the 7th biggest city to the 62nd. I loathe this trend of teams having there AHL affiliate in the same city. Can not stand it.

 

[Ranksu]

It wasn't like San Antonio was success. Eh.

 

[JMCx4]

... If an extra owner is needed bring in the Hunts. ... And I think the team would get very good attendance as a lot of Blues fans from the St. Louis area would make trips to see the farm club too.

Don't count on either of those happening. But I'm with you on your wish to have an affiliate in the Kansas City area.

 

[David Dennison]

This sucks so hard. Seems like it's a virtual certainly that we'll be back with Chicago, which is probably the worst possible outcome.

I know the Wolves like to be especially independent, but didn't the Blues pick Berube as the HC the last year there? Blais, Barby, Dunn, Mac all played there for at least a season. Not like Peoria was churning out prospects.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

The only NHL team losing their AHL affiliate at the end of this season is the Caps, and I highly dont the Caps don't reup with the Hershey Bears.

 

[KingBran]

Alright, who stole the washer and dryer?

Would love for the Blues to put a team in KC or something.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Alright, who stole the washer and dryer?

Would love for the Blues to put a team in KC or something.

The could do a "Kansas City Chiefs" expansion with the Blues' blue and gold colors.

 

[Zizzle]

We dont lose all the prospects though right?

 

[Dbrownss]

We dont lose all the prospects though right?

Blues keep their guys no matter what

 

[Joshuar56]

We dont lose all the prospects though right?

Yep, Vegas gets them all, we’re screwed... our only hope now is to buy all theirs.

 

[DoubleK81]

This pisses me off so god damned much. And not even as a Blues fan, just as a Hockey fan. Here, we have an AHL team with solid attendance in spite of lack of success in one of the biggest damn cities in North America. San Antonio is the exact type of market the NHL should be looking to expand into. Instead, they get bought and are being moved to... ****ing Henderson. From the 7th biggest city to the 62nd. I loathe this trend of teams having there AHL affiliate in the same city. Can not stand it.

1- Attendance for an AHL team doesn't really matter.
2- Henderson is basically a suburb of Las Vegas. Think of it as Chesterfield. LV has become a hockey crazy city with the early success of the team, and this gives another outlet for the fans of the team that fill the practice rink, buy season tickets, or the people that can't really get to an NHL game because they are sold out or priced out. This is a super smart move for Vegas.

Don't get me wrong, by no means am I happy that VGK has basically f***ed us on AHL teams in only a couple of years, but this just a good business move by their ownership.

 

[Novacain]

1- Attendance for an AHL team doesn't really matter.
2- Henderson is basically a suburb of Las Vegas. Think of it as Chesterfield. LV has become a hockey crazy city with the early success of the team, and this gives another outlet for the fans of the team that fill the practice rink, buy season tickets, or the people that can't really get to an NHL game because they are sold out or priced out. This is a super smart move for Vegas.

Don't get me wrong, by no means am I happy that VGK has basically ****ed us on AHL teams in only a couple of years, but this just a good business move by their ownership.

1. It absolutely does matter if this league had any foresight.

2. I don’t give a fart, you are missing my point. I don’t care if it makes business sense for Vegas, it’s a terrible play for the NHL and AHL respectively. The goal shouldn’t be “move teams closer to there NHL team so they can make more money now” it should be “position teams in major markets to expand hockey’s presence in as many major markets as possible”. San Antonio is the 7th biggest city in the country. There is legitimate potential to get an NHL team there. Why the f*** are we moving a team out of there for a market that would be a much more natural home for an ECHL team?

The NHL and AHL should be fighting tooth and nail to get teams to markets like San Antonio, Houston, Portland, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Kansas City. Build Hockey up to increase your potential there long term. Instead we have 6 teams in an already packed California market, 4 in New York State, and many more were the AHL team is within 50 miles of there NHL counterpart, and it is an active hindrance to growing the game in non established hockey marks. It’s stupid. The NBA and NFL have the advantage that every state has multiple college teams, so it’s easy to focus on basketball and football at a young age. Baseball’s minor league setup is great at growing the game in decent sized cities without big league teams. The NHL’s setup has actively harmed any chance they had of growth in the Southern United States, by moving Houston, Oklahoma City, And now San Antonio’s teams to make things cheaper for their respective teams or because San Antonio’s owners were pieces of shit. Now the Stars (The AHL one, not Dallas) won’t have any rivals within 500 miles of them, which was helping the game a ton in Texas.

 

[JMCx4]

Alright, who stole the washer and dryer?

Would love for the Blues to put a team in KC or something.

Much better chance of "something" than of KC.

 

[JMCx4]

Refer to more wailing & gnashing of hockey teeth in the 2019-20 Minor League Thread - Rampage/Oilers thread.

 

[BrokenFace]

Won't the AHL add a team when Seattle enters the league? How about that AHL team gets added next year and it's ours while Seattle gets Chicago the year after? Or we use Chicago for one year until the new AHL team starts then it's ours. Of course Seattle will get the new AHL team because they just paid the expansion fee, but the NHL needs to do something about the Wolves. Even if it means a 33 team AHL so no one is stuck with them.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

This pisses me off so god damned much. And not even as a Blues fan, just as a Hockey fan. Here, we have an AHL team with solid attendance in spite of lack of success in one of the biggest damn cities in North America. San Antonio is the exact type of market the NHL should be looking to expand into. Instead, they get bought and are being moved to... ****ing Henderson. From the 7th biggest city to the 62nd. I loathe this trend of teams having there AHL affiliate in the same city. Can not stand it.

As someone living in southeastern Texas, yes it sucks. That is a beautiful arena, a lively fan base and a charming city. On a personal note, I won’t have pro hockey within driving distance any more.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

KC should get a team and align it with the Blues. That would be ideal. But the world is never ideal.

 

[m1a2lt]

1- Attendance for an AHL team doesn't really matter.
2- Henderson is basically a suburb of Las Vegas. Think of it as Chesterfield. LV has become a hockey crazy city with the early success of the team, and this gives another outlet for the fans of the team that fill the practice rink, buy season tickets, or the people that can't really get to an NHL game because they are sold out or priced out. This is a super smart move for Vegas.

Don't get me wrong, by no means am I happy that VGK has basically ****ed us on AHL teams in only a couple of years, but this just a good business move by their ownership.

I agree on the business sense if taken in a vacuum. However, how hockey mad is the city going to be after the Las Vegas Raiders begin playing and competing for dollars during the same season?

This really puts the Blues in a bad situation and shows how short sighted the sale of the Rivermen was. There is little opportunity to start a franchise or buy an ECHL team and move them up since the AHL awarded Seattle the 32nd team. Fortunately there are still 11 AHL teams that are independently owned and that might be an opportunity. Also, since both the Blues and the Wolves were dumped by the same team, maybe the relationship can be a closer if the Blues go that route. Send Berube down to punch them in the face.