Rumor: Blues to move AHL affiliation to KC

[Agalloch]

ST. LOUIS, MO. - Kansas City and the Blues -- The Blues will house a new home for a new American Hockey League team, according to a source.

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/blues-to-move-ahl-affiliation-to-kc/359281725

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[BluesTraveller]

2027?

 

[Oberyn]

...will cut ties with the Wolves at the conclusion of the 2027 season...

Just 10 years away boys.

I'm guessing that's just a typo.

 

[RORbacon]

Great news!!

 

[Meatball]

Awesome!

 

[Stealth JD]

Cant imagine they're going to use the shiny (large) Sprint Center for that team. AHL arenas are typically 8-10k in capacity. An 18k arena, even with the top level closed off, is crazy.

But...

The Blues, who have been with the AHL's Chicago Wolves for four seasons, including the current one, will cut ties with the Wolves at the conclusion of the 2017 season and form an affiliation with a team that will be based in Kansas City owned by Lamar Hunt Jr., whose father Lamar Hunt founded the Kansas City Chiefs, and former Blues defenseman Tom Tilley.

According to the source, it's pretty much "a done deal."

The Blues have not made the plans official, but Hunt Jr., who currently owns the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL, who will also look to bring a United States Hockey League team to play with the new AHL team at the Sprint Center, where the Blues have played multiple exhibition games in recent seasons.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I don't know what would be bigger, having our AHL team in KC or the news of Hunt wanting to join the ownership group. That would bring big money from both major cities in the state together.

I wonder what would happen with the Mavericks and their lease with the arena in Independence. I imagine that club would be more or less "promoted" to the American Hockey League and they would have to continue playing there. Either way, I'm happy I'll be able to watch and evaluate our prospects.

 

[bleedblue1223]

The only way the Sprint Center will be the place for the new team is if Hunt uses his power to make it happen. That family has the power to do it.

 

[Majorityof1]

Cant imagine they're going to use the shiny (large) Sprint Center for that team. AHL arenas are typically 8-10k in capacity. An 18k arena, even with the top level closed off, is crazy.

Orlando, where I used to live, housed their ECHL team in the Amway Center where the Magic play. It seats 18k+ for Magic games (slightly less for hockey I believe). If an ECHL team can use an 18k arena, an AHL team can. Not saying they will, but it is in the realm of possibility. Its better that than the tiny arena where the MO Mavs play for an AHL team.

 

[bleedblue1223]

The Sprint Center location is also much better than the arena in Independence. A lot of people that live in the Kansas suburbs or north suburbs probably wouldn't go out to Independence much to watch a game. I'd go to quite a few if it was downtown.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Great news. Now maybe the Blues can actually have their prospects play a decent amount of games so they can progress.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

2027 can't come soon enough!!!

But seriously, this is tremendous news if true.

 

[Dbrownss]

Great news for the Franchise as a whole

 

[Stealth JD]

Vegas and Chicago are a match made in heaven. The Golden Knights wont have many (if any) AHL-caliber prospects for a couple of years, so the Wolves can operate however they want for the short-term. That makes more sense than an affiliation with St. Louis.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Vegas and Chicago are a match made in heaven. The Golden Knights wont have many (if any) AHL-caliber prospects for a couple of years, so the Wolves can operate however they want for the short-term. That makes more sense than an affiliation with St. Louis.

I just hope we get to take Berube/Sydor with us to KC. I really like having that NHL experience at the helm. AFAIK, they've both got one year contracts as well, so I'd think it's pretty likely that we do, but it's probably just as likely that one/both like the franchise and the city and want to stay behind.

 

[JoshFromMO]

I just hope we get to take Berube/Sydor with us to KC. I really like having that NHL experience at the helm. AFAIK, they've both got one year contracts as well, so I'd think it's pretty likely that we do, but it's probably just as likely that one/both like the franchise and the city and want to stay behind.

Maybe the panthers old coach can't land a job by then, and he can get snagged if Berube/Sydor want to stay in Chicago

 

[mk80]

This is a great move I've been waiting for, I became a Mavs fan during the last lock out and traveled over for games. Having Hunt join the Blues ownership is a huge win for us too.

 

[542365]

Will the Blues have control of this team or will it operate independently like the Wolves? Proximity isn't really much better between KC and Chicago(they're both about 1 hour flights, maybe 20-30 minutes more to Chicago). If the team isn't being controlled by the Blues then it won't really change the situation we're in currently. If the Blues do have control over which players get ice time then this is certainly excellent news.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Will the Blues have control of this team or will it operate independently like the Wolves? Proximity isn't really much better between KC and Chicago(they're both about 1 hour flights, maybe 20-30 minutes more to Chicago). If the team isn't being controlled by the Blues then it won't really change the situation we're in currently. If the Blues do have control over which players get ice time then this is certainly excellent news.

Well it sounds like Hunt will own the AHL club and Hunt will join the Blues ownership group. I imagine the AHL club is his "buy-in" into ownership, so yes it will be owned by the Blues.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Having Hunt join the Blues ownership is a huge win for us too.

Big money, big marketing development to expand fanbase, and more corporate dollars. If Hunt and KC are able to pull some corporate dollars from KC and bring it to the club in some fashion, it's a huge win.

I have to think that bringing on Zimmerman as CEO was a big reason in getting into the KC market.

 

[542365]

Well it sounds like Hunt will own the AHL club and Hunt will join the Blues ownership group. I imagine the AHL club is his "buy-in" into ownership, so yes it will be owned by the Blues.

Oh wow, then yeah that would be fantastic. I guess I missed the part about Hunt joining the ownership group with the Blues. I didn't read the article though That might've helped.

 

[Splatter]

Oh, thank goodness. Good riddance Wolves.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Oh wow, then yeah that would be fantastic. I guess I missed the part about Hunt joining the ownership group with the Blues. I didn't read the article though That might've helped.

I guess the only hope is that Hunt is on board with letting the higher ups with the Blues make significant decisions. All depends on how it's setup, and how open Hunt is. He might just be apart of the Blues for "show", and he still runs the AHL team independently.

We'll see how it plays out, but I'm way more optimistic about it than concerned.

 

[mk80]

Hunt is buying the franchise. However with him joining the Blues ownership, I'm sure they'll have control more than the Wolves. The Mavericks current form already has been having many promotions with the Blues, including ticket discounts.

 

[Bluesfan54]

Mavericks say there is no truth whatsoever to the report.