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

[David Dennison]

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.

Maybe Springfield or Syracuse teams? Independent affiliates of the Panthers and Tampa, Chicago is about as far but has many more flights.

 

[STL fan in MN]

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.

Nice thought but no. Seattle already has the 32nd AHL franchise, which will play in Palm Springs CA starting in the 2021-22 season, the same season Seattle joins the NHL.

The AHL by-laws state that every AHL team has to be affiliated with an NHL team so the Wolves being a completely independent 33rd AHL franchise is also a no go. I’m pretty sure that clause was written specifically for the Wolves as they would much prefer to be completely independent.

Which of course is why nobody wants to affiliate with the Wolves. They don’t care about developing prospects. The Wolves are a problem but I’m not sure how the AHL solves it unless they somehow take the franchise away from the Wolves owners but I can’t see how they’d have legal basis to do that unfortunately.

 

[Oberyn]

Pretty sure we're going to end up affiliating with the Wolves again which sucks.

 

[Celtic Note]

Does our GM and AGM keep tabs on these things? It seems like we were a bit surprised by the Wolves situation. Are we surprised by this too?


Also was our time with the Wolves that bad? We produced some good prospects at that time.

 

[ort]

We need to move an AHL team to KC. That would be cool.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Nice thought but no. Seattle already has the 32nd AHL franchise, which will play in Palm Springs CA starting in the 2021-22 season, the same season Seattle joins the NHL.

The AHL by-laws state that every AHL team has to be affiliated with an NHL team so the Wolves being a completely independent 33rd AHL franchise is also a no go. I’m pretty sure that clause was written specifically for the Wolves as they would much prefer to be completely independent.

Which of course is why nobody wants to affiliate with the Wolves. They don’t care about developing prospects. The Wolves are a problem but I’m not sure how the AHL solves it unless they somehow take the franchise away from the Wolves owners but I can’t see how they’d have legal basis to do that unfortunately.

Crazy. What are the consequences of not observing the by-laws? It seems like Chicago should have some urgency to attract a dance partner, but I don’t get the sense that’s their view.

This is a pretty fascinating situation. I don’t like the Wolves ownership, and I’d be happy to see their franchise burn. But it seems more likely that the Blues and Wolves need to re-forge a partnership.

 

[Novacain]

Does our GM and AGM keep tabs on these things? It seems like we were a bit surprised by the Wolves situation. Are we surprised by this too?


Also was our time with the Wolves that bad? We produced some good prospects at that time.

For perspective, it appears this was mostly out of complete nowhere. The staff had no warning.

 

[JMCx4]

We need to move an AHL team to KC. That would be cool.

Cool for who?

 

[JMCx4]

KC should get a team and align it with the Blues. ...

So it's just as easy as that these days? Call up Puckhub or RinkDash or Uber Ice, order a hockey affiliate, have it delivered, Venmo the purchase price plus tip?

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

God I hope they can somehow move back to Peoria.

Also, if Vegas can buy out our affiliate...can’t we just do that to another franchise? Leaving them to affiliate with the Wolves instead?

 

[MissouriMook]

... if Vegas can buy out our affiliate...can’t we just do that to another franchise? Leaving them to affiliate with the Wolves instead?

I read somewhere yesterday that this may actually be an option for us now that the All Star Game preparations have passed and the Enterprise Center renovations are complete. It seems we didn't have an appetite for owning our own affiliate under this ownership group in years past, but with these and other recent development (like that big, shiny silver thing) it seems that thoughts may have changed. You don't have a whole lot of time, though, to work out the details if you are planning a move for next season. It will be interesting to see when more details become public just how long the courtship between the Knights and owner of the Rampage has been going on.

Stay tuned, I guess.

 

[Ranksu]

What are our options? Anybody has vision who/where will be our next AHL team?

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

What are our options? Anybody has vision who/where will be our next AHL team?

Chicago came out and said they didn’t want to rekindle a relationship with us, so I’d guess Kansas City or Peoria.

 

[Ranksu]

Another question does this have negative affect to our prospects develope program?

 

[AjaxManifesto]

So it's just as easy as that these days? Call up Puckhub or RinkDash or Uber Ice, order a hockey affiliate, have it delivered, Venmo the purchase price plus tip?

Who said this was doable? It was my comment on what I think would be best.

 

[Celtic Note]

Chicago came out and said they didn’t want to rekindle a relationship with us, so I’d guess Kansas City or Peoria.

Source?

 

[JMCx4]

Who said this was doable? It was my comment on what I think would be best.

Ah, sorry, got it.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Chicago came out and said they didn’t want to rekindle a relationship with us, so I’d guess Kansas City or Peoria.

When did the Wolves say that?

And how does an AHL team magically appear in either of those 2 cities?

 

[shpongle falls]

It's bullsh-t that Vegas can just come snatch our AHL team away from us like that, why do we have to keep getting screwed out of having an AHL affiliate?

Oh well, hopefully we can at least use the Chicago Wolves again, be better than having nothing.

 

[simon IC]

Judge Houston's ghost should award us Nicolas Hague.

 

[Ranksu]

What about own St. Louis team, like early days.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

When did the Wolves say that?

And how does an AHL team magically appear in either of those 2 cities?

AHL teams get relegated and they can also be promoted, no?

Peoria went from the AHL to the Malt Liquor League.

—

A couple of years ago, I did a thorough analysis of AHL-NHL affiliation and, from what I remember, something like 18 or 19 NHL teams own their affiliate with most of the others having long-term contracts in place.

I posted it here, but good luck finding that post.

 

[Renard]

Does this all go back to Dave Checketts and his group running the Blues with an empty wallet?

What other NHL team has this problem?

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Chicago came out and said they didn’t want to rekindle a relationship with us, so I’d guess Kansas City or Peoria.

Can you give the source here? I’m not surprised, but would like to see the quotes.

edit-
I’ve looked all over and I can’t find anything about this.

 

[Blueston]

Can you give the source here? I’m not surprised, but would like to see the quotes.

edit-
I’ve looked all over and I can’t find anything about this.

This article references it:
Golden Knights purchase AHL franchise, Wolves owner confident team will find new NHL partnership