Cbj/col - spr/lem

[robbyjr04]

If you haven't seen timeline yet, check https://twitter.com/aportzline...

Is something happening behind the scenes to move CBJ AHL prospects to Cleveland?

Curious for sure...

If so, where does COL go?

Do they buy SPR and move them closer to home? Do they affiliate closer to home (San Antonio)?

Click to read more...

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

If you haven't seen timeline yet, check https://twitter.com/aportzline...

Is something happening behind the scenes to move CBJ AHL prospects to Cleveland?

Curious for sure...

If so, where does COL go?

Do they buy SPR and move them closer to home? Do they affiliate closer to home (San Antonio)?

Colorado is heading to SA, Arizona may be is in play for Lake Erie, I don't see Columbus pulling out of Springfield nor buying them, w/ MGM Casino coming there.

if it is, it won't be this offseason, but 15/16 offseason.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Colorado is heading to SA, Arizona may be is in play for Lake Erie, I don't see Columbus pulling out of Springfield nor buying them, w/ MGM Casino coming there.

if it is, it won't be this offseason, but 15/16 offseason.

What this season has shown is that ANYTHING is possible. Colorado may very well be heading to SA for the short term but as far as Springfield is concerned, I am not sure a casino would want a hockey team next door since they do not bring people to the casino. Also, the casino is a few years away.

I see Columbus pulling out of Springfield and going to Lake Erie at the end of this season.

 

[scoob4093]

What this season has shown is that ANYTHING is possible. Colorado may very well be heading to SA for the short term but as far as Springfield is concerned, I am not sure a casino would want a hockey team next door since they do not bring people to the casino. Also, the casino is a few years away.

I see Columbus pulling out of Springfield and going to Lake Erie at the end of this season.

Well FWIW they have pledged $250 K towards purchase of season's tickets. I think CBJ will be here next season but after that everything is on the table in terms of relocation.

 

[MM658]

I am not sure a casino would want a hockey team next door since they do not bring people to the casino.

Then why does any casino have an arena/theater onsite?

Hint: FOOT TRAFFIC.

People come downtown for a hockey game...a casino is literally across the street -- perhaps even connected by airwalk. If any of those hockey patrons decide to blow $20 on a slot machine after the game, it's $20 more than MGM would get otherwise. Same reason Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut owns a WNBA franchise and an Indoor Lacrosse franchise that play in their onsite arena.

Additional potential benefit, as mentioned in this article, is that the Falcons have the potential to attract fans from places like Hartford, Bridgeport, Providence, Portland, Albany, who might come into town to catch a game specifically because they can hit the slots/tables before & after the game.

Having said all that...

1) The commitment of MGM is for "UP TO" $250k annually for ALL non-MGM events at the MassMutual Center. "The exact amount will be determined based on forecasted customer demand." Also, this agreement was enacted when Springfield had a NBA D-League franchise (since moved to Grand Rapids). Given all that, my expectation is that MGM's outlay for Falcons tickets would be significantly less than $250k per year. Probably just a fraction of that.

2) The casino is indeed at least 2.5 years away from opening. As we've seen this season, LOTS can happen in the AHL in a short period of time. Plenty of "offers that cannot be refused" can be made (cue The Godfather music), before the casino comes online. (The promise of casino bucks wasn't able to keep Springfield's D-League team from bailing out.)

3) MGM could decide that they don't want minor-league hockey to be part of their "foot traffic" strategy, in which case they would likely squeeze the Falcons out of prime weekend dates, and thus help force the team out of town (if they don't leave before then, for other reasons).

I expect that Charlie Pompea is getting a feel for where the Falcons fit in the future entertainment mix, and will take that into account when evaluating potential sale/relocation offers. Either way, it's a good time to be an AHL franchise owner. Demand -- and thus, asking price -- has probably never been higher.

I do agree that eventually, the Avs will probably wind up buying any of: Springfield, Portland, Syracuse, or perhaps Binghamton. And the ECHL will probably increase their presence in the Northeast. Given the way the NHL has been treating loyal AHL fan bases lately, I'm not sure I would miss the AHL if that were to happen.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Totally agree with the points. 2.5 years is forever in casino building and operating years.

If I were a Falcons fan I would not count on the casino being the Falcons saviour.

I bet if someone offered $10 mil for the franchise, SOLD would be the word coming from Springfield

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Arizona and Springfield doesn't make sense in this equation but Florida switching from San Antonio to Portland doesn't make sense either. I guess Springfield is slightly closer than Portland.

The only ones that make real sense is Colorado taking San Antonio and Columbus taking Cleveland.

 

[Tackla]

Columbus will have their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. The Arizona Coyotes may move to Hartford or Quebec, so it makes sense for them to have their AHL affiliate in Springfield now.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Doesn't really make sense for Colorado. If they want to move west they'd buy a team, this is more of the same. Why would they even make the switch? San Antonio really isn't any closer or more convenient than Cleveland.

Maybe the Coyotes go to San Antonio and Avalanche to Srpingfield, who they will eventually buy and move?

 

[Hugg]

Cleveland is 1,225 miles from Denver. San Antonio is 803 miles from Denver.

3 hour flight to Cleveland, 2 hour flight to San Antonio

Not ideal, but still closer and slightly more convenient.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

Columbus will have their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. The Arizona Coyotes may move to Hartford or Quebec, so it makes sense for them to have their AHL affiliate in Springfield now.

Arizona is not moving to Hartford, ever. Quebec City, perhaps. Still...this move has nothing to do with that. They had no place else to go. Feel bad for Falcons fans.

 

[Agalloch]

I think Arizona could buy the Falcons and move them out west for season 2016-17 with Vanvoucer moving Utica out west too.

 

[axecrew]

Doesn't really make sense for Colorado. If they want to move west they'd buy a team, this is more of the same. Why would they even make the switch? San Antonio really isn't any closer or more convenient than Cleveland.

Maybe the Coyotes go to San Antonio and Avalanche to Srpingfield, who they will eventually buy and move?

The phx/sa partnership ended very badly last time they tried it. Can't imagine either one wants a 3rd go around.

 

[MM658]

The phx/sa partnership ended very badly last time they tried it. Can't imagine either one wants a 3rd go around.

PHX/Springfield didn't end all that well the first time, either, as Bruce Landon essentially ran PHX out of town for putting poor teams on the ice. (Of course, he brought in TB, who proceeded to put EVEN WORSE teams on the ice, leading to the same end game...)

 

[MM658]

Report: Springfield Falcons could be part of affiliation switch

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I think Arizona could buy the Falcons and move them out west for season 2016-17 with Vanvoucer moving Utica out west too.

Springfield likely isn't going anywhere if Pompea is as committed to the market....if Arizona wanted to buy a franchise, one has to be available to buy, same goes for Colorado.... I don't see Utica or Vancouver leaving there or even exploring that possibility for at least 4 more years.

 

[MM658]

Update to previous article.

The owner of the Springfield Falcons dismissed a report linking his franchise to a multi-team switch of National Hockey League affiliations involving their minor league partners.

"There is nothing to report. We currently have another year (on the Falcons' deal) with Columbus,'' Charlie Pompea said Thursday after an unconfirmed report from Rochester, N.Y., that the Arizona Coyotes would supply the Falcons with players for the 2015-16 season.

Take that for what it's worth. (E.G., nothing.)

 

[Hoodaha]

Springfield likely isn't going anywhere if Pompea is as committed to the market....if Arizona wanted to buy a franchise, one has to be available to buy, same goes for Colorado.... I don't see Utica or Vancouver leaving there or even exploring that possibility for at least 4 more years.

You didn't see San Jose leaving Worcester, LA leaving Manchester, Edmonton leaving OKC, Anaheim leaving Norfolk, or Calgary leaving Adirondack either. I think AZ and COL will find a franchise to buy in the next year or two and Utica is done whenever Vancouver feels comfortable that the AHL West will work out and they find a location that they're happy with.

Anaheim has already laid out a "how to" plan for NHL teams wanting to purchase independent AHL teams....It's not nearly as complicated as you make it out to be. The dollar amounts when it comes to the AHL are peanuts to the NHL.

 

[scoob4093]

You didn't see San Jose leaving Worcester, LA leaving Manchester, Edmonton leaving OKC, Anaheim leaving Norfolk, or Calgary leaving Adirondack either. I think AZ and COL will find a franchise to buy in the next year or two and Utica is done whenever Vancouver feels comfortable that the AHL West will work out and they find a location that they're happy with.

Anaheim has already laid out a "how to" plan for NHL teams wanting to purchase independent AHL teams....It's not nearly as complicated as you make it out to be. The dollar amounts when it comes to the AHL are peanuts to the NHL.

Isn't it fair to say that what you describe as "how to" is in reality extortion ?

 

[IceCapsFanNL]

That's the word for it.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Should've been this:

Florida - Springfield
New Jersey - Sell franchise to Colorado and take Portland
Colorado - Utah
Arizona - San Antonio
Columbus - Lake Erie

 

[RFA]

Distance doesn't matter unless the NHL team is close to the salary cap and can save cap space by leaving scratched players in the AHL.

There are a bunch of casinos next to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. There aren't many people at the games.

 

[MM658]

There are a bunch of casinos next to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. There aren't many people at the games.

The point of having a team in proximity to a casino is not to draw gamblers to the games, but to draw the hockey crowd to the casino.

It's the same reason casinos have arenas that host sports teams (Mohegan Sun in CT), boxing and UFC fights, concerts, etc. To give people another reason to enjoy a night out and (here's the keky) be in proximity to the slots/tables.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Distance doesn't matter unless the NHL team is close to the salary cap and can save cap space by leaving scratched players in the AHL.

There are a bunch of casinos next to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. There aren't many people at the games.

True and most of the teams in the west appear to be close to the cap.

The point of having a team in proximity to a casino is not to draw gamblers to the games, but to draw the hockey crowd to the casino.

It's the same reason casinos have arenas that host sports teams (Mohegan Sun in CT), boxing and UFC fights, concerts, etc. To give people another reason to enjoy a night out and (here's the keky) be in proximity to the slots/tables.

And those draw more than AHL games. BTW, how well did having the casinos help the Bullies?