Confirmed with Link: Chicago Wolves AHL Affiliate

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Atlanta has many of the same travel challenges as Charlotte with a further distance from the parent club. I don’t see any advantage to moving from Chicago to Atlanta.

Baltimore at least can bus to some AHL games.

In terms of airports, BWI is much closer to Baltimore than Washington and you can get many places from there.

the problem w/ Baltimore is that market is more Capitals territory than either Ducks territory (Bandits/now the IceHogs in Rockford) and then trying to appease MASN w/ the Capitals/Orioles timeframe.... issue is the arena there even Ebright bailed on the market in the early 90s.... and hockey there likely gets an initial boost but is that self sustainable....

 

[MinJaBen]

What about Atlanta? Major Hub, direct flights to Raleigh, and with Baltimore one has to fly out of DC

Just a thought since we are speculating relocation of the Wolves

The major travel cost for an AHL franchise is not prospects to the big club, it is away games. Charlotte (or any other NC location) and Atlanta are just too far from the teams they play to bus to games, so they have to fly. That is a big cost. Chicago on the other hand can bus to a large portion of their away games. Big advantage.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

The major travel cost for an AHL franchise is not prospects to the big club, it is away games. Charlotte (or any other NC location) and Atlanta are just too far from the teams they play to bus to games, so they have to fly. That is a big cost. Chicago on the other hand can bus to a large portion of their away games. Big advantage.

Travel costs will be high but the likely placement of a facility is northern Atlanta and likely a under 3 hour drive between the two

 

[MinJaBen]

Travel costs will be high but the likely placement of a facility is northern Atlanta and likely a under 3 hour drive between the two

A three hour drive from Atlanta to Charlotte. Well, that works in a two team league.

 

[NotOpie]

the problem w/ Baltimore is that market is more Capitals territory than either Ducks territory (Bandits/now the IceHogs in Rockford) and then trying to appease MASN w/ the Capitals/Orioles timeframe.... issue is the arena there even Ebright bailed on the market in the early 90s.... and hockey there likely gets an initial boost but is that self sustainable....

I think the MASN this either did get resolved or will get resolved now that the Angelos family is no longer involved w/the Orioles.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I think the MASN this either did get resolved or will get resolved now that the Angelos family is no longer involved w/the Orioles.

you're also going to be largely ignored media-wise if you're not the Capitals affiliate.... it's been tried and failed in Baltimore and Monumental could be another hassle to deal with.... if they elect to own or expand their portfolio as there are rumblings of Frederick becoming a pro hockey town

 

[Navin R Slavin]

you're also going to be largely ignored media-wise if you're not the Capitals affiliate.... it's been tried and failed in Baltimore and Monumental could be another hassle to deal with.... if they elect to own or expand their portfolio as there are rumblings of Frederick becoming a pro hockey town

Interesting. I skate at Skate Frederick every time I come to visit my in-laws, which is at least once a month; I'll probably skate there tomorrow. Two sheets here, one sheet in Hagerstown. I could see it. Are they talking ECHL?

 

[cptjeff]

Interesting. I skate at Skate Frederick every time I come to visit my in-laws, which is at least once a month; I'll probably skate there tomorrow. Two sheets here, one sheet in Hagerstown. I could see it. Are they talking ECHL?

Frederick? It's tiny. Richmond and Baltimore don't even have the ECHL, but you're going to put a team in Frederick? I just can't see it.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Frederick? It's tiny. Richmond and Baltimore don't even have the ECHL, but you're going to put a team in Frederick? I just can't see it.

Frederick isn't as tiny as you think it is. Frederick County is exploding as people get priced out of Montgomery County, and when the Keys were good they led the Carolina League in attendance for 5 years in a row. There's as much ice in Frederick as there is in Baltimore, and *way* more youth hockey; there are several tournaments a year at Skate Frederick that draw from the states around.

Also: median household income in Frederick County is $106k.

I'll put it this way: I think the ECHL makes more sense in Frederick than the AHL does in Baltimore.

 

[HisIceness]

I can't speak for Frederick but the AHL has had teams in "tiny" locations for a while. I mean Hershey and Utica have teams, Binghamton had a team for a long time as did Glen Falls.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I can't speak for Frederick but the AHL has had teams in "tiny" locations for a while. I mean Hershey and Utica have teams, Binghamton had a team for a long time as did Glen Falls.

Bad examples... Binghamton literally lasted 4 years and was bottom 5 AHL attendance...Utica is no better in attendance (though there are teams <2000/game but I'm not sure how they survive ). And while Hershey may be a smallish town, the Bears date back to like 1938, the oldest team by like 20 years, they're an icon in Hershey and the AHL.

 

[DaveG]

you're also going to be largely ignored media-wise if you're not the Capitals affiliate.... it's been tried and failed in Baltimore and Monumental could be another hassle to deal with.... if they elect to own or expand their portfolio as there are rumblings of Frederick becoming a pro hockey town

yeah this is the biggest concern I have about putting a team in Baltimore. VERY much Caps country with what hockey following there is. Weird as it is to say but even if we were to buy the Wolves keeping them in Chicago is likely the best option from a team travel and convenience of flights in/out of town for callups standpoint. Would remain to be seen how their fanbase would feel about being a pure affiliate instead of what they have tried to be in the past.

 

[LakeLivin]

yeah this is the biggest concern I have about putting a team in Baltimore. VERY much Caps country with what hockey following there is. Weird as it is to say but even if we were to buy the Wolves keeping them in Chicago is likely the best option from a team travel and convenience of flights in/out of town for callups standpoint. Would remain to be seen how their fanbase would feel about being a pure affiliate instead of what they have tried to be in the past.

I suspect the biggest factor would be whether they're winning or not.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Saw this in a recent Triangle Business Journal (Checkers franchise value was no longer viewed as a"deal" for Dundon)?

....thus, Chicago it is: