Colorado Springs in the process of securing AHL Franchise via relocation.

[JMCx4]

It was mostly a dig at the Fed. But there have been a few Western teams to have folded mid-season. I'm not quite sure where the American Midwest ends and West begins, but Fresno did in the mid-2000s. San Francisco Bulls did as well in the mid-2010s. The Border City Bandits in the CHL also, that is maybe the Midwest.

I'll give you the Texarkana-based (briefly) Bandits in 2001, though the U.S. Census Bureau says Arkansas is in the South for regional census purposes.

 

[GindyDraws]

It was mostly a dig at the Fed. But there have been a few Western teams to have folded mid-season. I'm not quite sure where the American Midwest ends and West begins, but Fresno did in the mid-2000s. San Francisco Bulls did as well in the mid-2010s. The Border City Bandits in the CHL also, that is maybe the Midwest.

Border City playing in a converted warehouse in Texarkana that leaked every time it rained did nobody any favors.

 

[JMCx4]

Border City playing in a converted warehouse in Texarkana that leaked every time it rained did nobody any favors.

Sounds like the perfect market target for the FPHL, then. Soskin would make the fans pay for League-branded umbrellas as they entered.

 

[GindyDraws]

They already do. Moose play Canadian teams more than Texas teams for travel. That's a problem that the AHL has to work with. For Colorado and Texas, they are a good distance from nearest rivals.

Interesting about Hunt. Seems like AHL would be a stepping stone to being a viable NHL market. I have to say I preferred the old IHL to the current configurations of the A, where the biggest growth is in the Southwest. But the Midwest is kind of scattered.

And given the fact that the Rampage are moving to Las Vegas next season, that leaves Texas and Charlotte as to islands unto themselves. At least with Manitoba; sure they're isolated, but they can at least play Canadian teams for the sake of Canadian pride. Neither the Stars nor Checkers have that luxury in their area anymore. As much as the rumors bug me, Carolina may solve the Charlotte issue soon, but I don't see Dallas relocating their AHL team just so they can save on a travel budget in the Midwest... but crazier things have happened.

 

[axecrew]

I'll believe Charlotte goes to Chicago when it happens and not a second before. There's a lot of moving parts in that scenario. If I had a dollar for one of those theories that someone tweeted out and never came anywhere close to happening, then I could afford to pay Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie to do their insider reports in my living room.

While I would agree there are many moving parts yet...one has to take into consideration a few things. The obvious disconnect right now between Canes and minority owner who owns the Checkers franchise and the main one that being Don Waddell and his connection to the Wolves. Add to that...Don has been seen in Chicago leaving Allstate Arena in deep discussion with Don Levin this season and...as we ALL know, this stuff didnt crop up in the last few weeks...this has been known about for while now...just maybe not publicly.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

While I would agree there are many moving parts yet...one has to take into consideration a few things. The obvious disconnect right now between Canes and minority owner who owns the Checkers franchise and the main one that being Don Waddell and his connection to the Wolves. Add to that...Don has been seen in Chicago leaving Allstate Arena in deep discussion with Don Levin this season and...as we ALL know, this stuff didnt crop up in the last few weeks...this has been known about for while now...just maybe not publicly.

oy vey

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

While I would agree there are many moving parts yet...one has to take into consideration a few things. The obvious disconnect right now between Canes and minority owner who owns the Checkers franchise and the main one that being Don Waddell and his connection to the Wolves. Add to that...Don has been seen in Chicago leaving Allstate Arena in deep discussion with Don Levin this season and...as we ALL know, this stuff didnt crop up in the last few weeks...this has been known about for while now...just maybe not publicly.

The same people who are reporting that also said that the Blackhawks were going to buy Rockford, sell them to Vegas, and then team up with the Wolves. Keep that in mind.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

The same people who are reporting that also said that the Blackhawks were going to buy Rockford, sell them to Vegas, and then team up with the Wolves. Keep that in mind.

Hurricanes Holdings, LLC Michael Kahn is no longer listed publicly as a minority owner of the canes his stake chould still be part of Karmanos 39 percent though.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Hurricanes Holdings, LLC Michael Kahn is no longer listed publicly as a minority owner of the canes his stake chould still be part of Karmanos 39 percent though.

As of last year he still was, and there hasn't been any news of him being bought out. There normally is a press release about that kind of transaction, even with minority owners. I believe he was a non-public minority owner pre-Dundon, although don't quote me on that.

 

[axecrew]

The same people who are reporting that also said that the Blackhawks were going to buy Rockford, sell them to Vegas, and then team up with the Wolves. Keep that in mind.

Those people were in the ballpark...I found out that Chicago did in fact implore the city of Rockford to sell their franchise to Vegas. Rockford refused just adding more fuel to the hawks fire of discontent. Teaming up with the Wolves would take an act of god,regardless of the circumstances and a ton of fence mending by the hawks, and I'm not sure they're able to do that.

 

[royals119]

Those people were in the ballpark...I found out that Chicago did in fact implore the city of Rockford to sell their franchise to Vegas. Rockford refused just adding more fuel to the hawks fire of discontent. Teaming up with the Wolves would take an act of god,regardless of the circumstances and a ton of fence mending by the hawks, and I'm not sure they're able to do that.

When you say "Chicago did implore Rockford to sell to Vegas", do you mean the Wolves or the Blackhawks, or both? Either way seems to imply that they were trying to create a situation where the two Chicago teams would then affiliate. If one or both of them were trying to make it happen, it would seem they thought they could make it work.

 

[JMCx4]

love YOUR smiLIES collection, ToMMY! TOo bad there's NOT A category of OLD AHL TEAM logOS.

 

[GindyDraws]

love YOUR smiLIES collection, ToMMY! TOo bad there's NOT A category of OLD AHL TEAM logOS.

You'd think the forum would have the yeti from Ski Free.

 

[JMCx4]

You'd think the forum would have the yeti from Ski Free.

from PC Gamer: Remembering SkiFree, and the Yeti that still haunts our dreams

Gotta love that You Tube video.

 

[tarheelhockey]

While I would agree there are many moving parts yet...one has to take into consideration a few things. The obvious disconnect right now between Canes and minority owner who owns the Checkers franchise and the main one that being Don Waddell and his connection to the Wolves. Add to that...Don has been seen in Chicago leaving Allstate Arena in deep discussion with Don Levin this season and...as we ALL know, this stuff didnt crop up in the last few weeks...this has been known about for while now...just maybe not publicly.

What disconnect? Relations between the Canes and Checkers are at an all time high. They have very deliberately built that brand and the fanbases are bought in. Tom Dundon made this a priority when he bought the Canes and like most other things he focused on, he got it done and is reaping the rewards.

Waddell is a GM, not an owner. He can talk, but this kind of decision is above his pay grade.

I think you’re underestimating just how unpopular and logistically foolish it would be to break up a successful cross-branded, in-state, three-tiered affiliation because the GM “knows a guy”.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

love YOUR smiLIES collection, ToMMY! TOo bad there's NOT A category of OLD AHL TEAM logOS.

You'd think the forum would have the yeti from Ski Free.

from PC Gamer: Remembering SkiFree, and the Yeti that still haunts our dreams

Gotta love that You Tube video.

I guess my post was deleted. Very sad. All those smilies are from this board, no external smilies were used in the making of that now deleted post. I want to know what a-hiole deleted it an why.

What disconnect? Relations between the Canes and Checkers are at an all time high. They have very deliberately built that brand and the fanbases are bought in. Tom Dundon made this a priority when he bought the Canes and like most other things he focused on, he got it done and is reaping the rewards.

Waddell is a GM, not an owner. He can talk, but this kind of decision is above his pay grade.

I think you’re underestimating just how unpopular and logistically foolish it would be to break up a successful cross-branded, in-state, three-tiered affiliation because the GM “knows a guy”.

Who knows what is going to happen with this stuff. Recent scorecard is Colorado Springs looking to buy, Wolves need an affiliation, Blues have no affiliate cause it was sold, Blackhawks tried to force Rockford to sell and were told to take a hike.

 

[Henderson Finest]

So the flames learned absolutely nothing putting a team in the Canucks territory, so now they will try Colorado's territory..... I don't see this going well....

Canucks territory, San Jose territory, and now pondering Avs territory

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

This smells of Brian Petrovek.... He's came from Colorado with USA Hockey before buying the Pirates so I'm not shocked by this one bit.

then why is Calgary the one negotiating in Stockton....name the last arena or practice facility that's not been renovated in the last 5 decades, and isn't Stockton the Western version of Springfield, who exactly paid to renovate the Springfield Civic Center to become MassMutual Center.... and why did it take 11 proposals before Cross went through the same renovation in 2013...... Lyman Bullard was the one who bought in here at the direction of the League.... or have you forgotten the Pirates could've bolted in 1997-98 after the Ebright passing, not 2015

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

doesn't appear at this point Colorado Springs has the base of AHL support to even use THE Current Arena as an option.....once Colorado College moves on..... Calgary/Stockton are committed until it's a clear sign that Stockton as a city either is committed to retaining the Heat....this topic would be different had the bridge year not been approved for 2021-22.

 

[sabremike]

Ask Quad Cities, ask Abbotsford

And Albany, Lowell and Trenton.

 

[210]

And Albany, Lowell and Trenton.

The hockey market in Lowell is far from dead...in fact, I'd argue it's never been healthier.