Consider Houston for AHL affiliate/AHL Location speculation.

psowrc

Registered User
Feb 21, 2015
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I think having the AHL team in Winnipeg has worked out very well for both the Jets and the local fans. It's very affordable, making it family (budget) friendly. You see lots of kids at Moose games. They close off the upper bowl except for special games, leaving around 8800 seats. Really good size for the AHL. Even with an average size crowd, it doesn't look sparsely attended.

It's also more fun oriented. Man, I've heard some really "intense" people at Jets games. Nobody gets worked up at a Moose game, even if they're playing badly (the norm last year). One of the promotions they had last year was free pancakes at a local pancake restaurant if the Moose hit a selected goal target in the third period. There's nothing quite like 7000-8000 people chanting "We want pancakes!" :laugh:

Comparing apples and oranges. Winnipeg had NHL, then years of IHL/AHL. Never lost a hockey fanbase and continued to have support for cheaper hockey.

I believe Las Vegas needs to focus on developing a following for the NHL team at this point and not have the team contend with a cheaper option in the same city.
 

Murf

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Apr 10, 2007
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I don't know the answer, and I am interested to know if any authority on the AHL is reading.

My guess is that it wouldn't be too hard to scrape up 20+ warm bodies. Grab a few minor league lifer ufas, some Europeans, some undrafted college players. Mix in your eligible draft picks and any contracts that can be sent down. Trade picks for prospects if you really need it. But overall, I think you would have a lot of people fighting for a spot on that team, that don't already have something lined up.
 

jwhouk

Former Cheesehead, Always a Preds Fan
Apr 19, 2004
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Every NHL team has a maximum number of contracts that they have on their club roster. Players with two-way contracts only count against the NHL cap when they play for the NHL team.

Most (if not all) of the players on an AHL roster are property of the NHL parent club; I believe there's a maximum number of non-NHL property players that are allowed to play on an AHL team (unlike the IHL back in the day).

Most NHL teams sign free agents to fill their rosters during the off-season, and of these mostly for two-way contracts that will probably be for players who aren't playing in the NHL anytime soon. I do remember that the Preds signed a few players on the Admirals in 1997, but that was under the old IHL's way of doing business.

The Vegas club (sorry about the pun, locals) could sign free agents to contracts as soon as the end of the 2017 AHL/ECHL regular season, for players on teams that didn't make the playoffs and were UFA's. It could make for some interesting trivia questions, like "Who was the first player to sign a contract with the Nashville Predators?" (Marc Moro, who was a forward for the Admirals; he signed with the Preds in 1997.)
 

KopitarFAN

Reno Sucks!
Oct 14, 2008
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Sorry if this is a dumb question and/or easily answered using Google (should give you an idea how lazy I am), but I was wondering where the players for the AHL team will come from? Is there an expansion draft for the AHL too...?

I would imagine that they will place the remaining players drafted at the expansion who don't make the team down there, perhaps give them a one-year exemption from waivers, so they have some depth. Remember they will draft 30 players in the expansion but still only have a 23 man roster come October, in addition to the expansion draft, they will sign FAs, so I imagine they will sign some career minor leaguers to help fill out the AHL roster.

Just a guess.
 

flpanthers10

NHL to LAS VEGAS
Dec 24, 2008
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Las Vegas, NV
I would go with Fresno as the AHL affiliate. The Save Mart Center is fairly new and holds over 10K for hockey. Plus its a short flight to Vegas and they had a ECHL team in the past.
 

willy702

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Jul 3, 2016
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Reno would make sense from a market perspective, but it's hard to see going to a city that doesn't even have an ice rink, let alone an arena. Reno residents only can skate a few months a year at the outdoor rink downtown and after that it's wait til next year. I doubt Foley wants to invest to build that market too.

My guess is SLC for market building purposes and ease of access. Utah is really the only market a Vegas team has a shot at capturing a decent share of fans in, I could see a strategy to getting on TV throughout the state. Decent arena and a large market too which deserves more than just ECHL.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
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Reno would make sense from a market perspective, but it's hard to see going to a city that doesn't even have an ice rink, let alone an arena. Reno residents only can skate a few months a year at the outdoor rink downtown and after that it's wait til next year. I doubt Foley wants to invest to build that market too.

My guess is SLC for market building purposes and ease of access. Utah is really the only market a Vegas team has a shot at capturing a decent share of fans in, I could see a strategy to getting on TV throughout the state. Decent arena and a large market too which deserves more than just ECHL.

SLC/West Valley City has always been my favorite option. It might stink a little for the travel times versus a Sacramento or Fresno, but for the overall health of the club I think it's perfect to get in to Utah.
 

willy702

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Jul 3, 2016
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SLC/West Valley City has always been my favorite option. It might stink a little for the travel times versus a Sacramento or Fresno, but for the overall health of the club I think it's perfect to get in to Utah.

Travel time is the same and more commercial flights between SLC and LV than the other two markets, especially Fresno.

Only other logical option really is a further away not affiliated market, something like Albuquerque or El Paso, but only if you can't make SLC work. I don't see any way you try to put it in LV, no way the market can absorb two new teams at once. I don't think year one of the Sharks/Barracuda has worked that great, but they apparently had no other choice that would work and keep a team close. Sounds like they were assuming Stockton and then it fell apart. I don't think the Cuda will be in SJ in a few years, at the very least they should be in another part of the Bay Area. But that's a big enough market to absorb multiple teams at different levels.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
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AHL came out with its realignment for next year... I don't think Vegas is going to have a team west of the Mississippi.

AHL Board of Governors: 14/16 east-west spilt in 2016-17

Meh, realignment isn't a big deal there. If they'd moved Charlotte to the east I might have agreed.

As it stands now, Vegas gets a team somewhere out west and they move Charlotte to the Eastern conference, move Texas to the Central Division, and put Vegas in Texas' spot.

If anything, this alignment leads me to believe Vegas will have a team in the west. The Checkers in the east is a no brainer once it happens.
 
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smitty10

Registered User
Aug 6, 2009
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Toronto
I think Salt Lake City would be a great partner for Las Vegas. Right next door with an untapped hockey market that has the weather to be a natural market. I think Vegas would be crazy to not choose Salt Lake City. Utah could really help drive ratings for this expansion team.
 

48g90a138pts

Registered User
Jun 30, 2016
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Sorry if this is a dumb question and/or easily answered using Google (should give you an idea how lazy I am), but I was wondering where the players for the AHL team will come from? Is there an expansion draft for the AHL too...?

The players will come from a few left over from the NHL expansion draft, the regular NHL draft, free agents, NCAA free agents and from undrafted players. Really won't be hard to fill up a AHL roster.
 

48g90a138pts

Registered User
Jun 30, 2016
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How about Reno for your AHL and Carson City for your ECHL?

Keeping all your prospects nice and close. Also building a hockey bond with the rest of the state.
 

segelrj

Registered User
Jun 22, 2016
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Ohio via Las Vegas
How about Reno for your AHL and Carson City for your ECHL?

Keeping all your prospects nice and close. Also building a hockey bond with the rest of the state.

No facility at all in Carson City, no permanent ice plant at Reno Events Center or the Lawlor Events Center, and it'd be more likely that Las Vegas would build a hockey bond with Utah than the rest of Nevada. I really can't see much, if any, support for this team in Nevada outside of Clark County.

Best option, IMO, would be AHL in West Valley City, ECHL in Prescott Valley (AZ) or wait a year and negotiate with Idaho after their affiliation agreement with Dallas runs out.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
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Awesome now that we've officially got Utah as a part of the broadcast area as well.

Also, do you have some anti-capitalization plug in on your Chrome or something? Seeing everything lowercase in the quote throws me off. :laugh:
 

The Feckless Puck

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Oct 26, 2006
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Awesome now that we've officially got Utah as a part of the broadcast area as well.

Also, do you have some anti-capitalization plug in on your Chrome or something? Seeing everything lowercase in the quote throws me off. :laugh:

I think it's a bug/feature in vBulletin when embedding Tweets. Seen it happen once or twice before.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
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Bellevue, WA
If there are closer options they should be taken.

Everywhere with an airport is close, it's not like there isn't a plethora of nonstop flights from Vegas to all of these places. Plus, SLC is closer to other divisional opponents in case the team is on the road. It's a hub for Delta too, so they're close to everywhere, flight wise.

ECHL could be on Pluto, I don't know that the location of the ECHL team matters much. Prescott Valley might be a good choice.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
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Bellevue, WA
SLC is probably the closest feasible option for AHL. Already have the barn and it's part of Vegas' regional TV coverage.

Fresno fits the description too, not nearly as accessible for quick call ups, though.

If they're worried about the logistics of team travel, Fresno makes a lot of sense.
 

HanSolo

DJ Crazy Times
Apr 7, 2008
96,405
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Las Vegas
SLC is probably the closest feasible option for AHL. Already have the barn and it's part of Vegas' regional TV coverage.

The only reason I'd prefer SLC to Reno is Utah is pretty weak on hockey (one ECHL team, who I believe is Anaheim's affiliate ATM) for the kind of climate it has. And because it falls under our TV deal but otherwise...eh. I'd rather have it somewhere closer not only so call ups can be quicker and more affordable, but so that scouts can more quickly make it to these places to observe our prospects.

Fresno fits the description too, not nearly as accessible for quick call ups, though.

If they're worried about the logistics of team travel, Fresno makes a lot of sense.

Doesn't Fresno have an ECHL team too? I distinctly remember chanting "Hey Fresnooooo, YOU SUCK" at a Wranglers game.
 

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