Cutthroats Not Competing in 14-15

[bromando]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere. Looks like it's official that Cutthroats are not competing this upcoming season. Doesn't change Avs' plans too much but it's a bummer for the team and CO hockey fans. They're planning a return the following season (15-16).

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_26371770/denver-cutthroats-sit-out-2014-15-chl-season

Click to read more...

 

[hockeyfish]

I can't imagine the Coliseum is all that good of a venue (haven't been to it in 15 years). Maybe Broomfield would be a better home.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Probably a silly question, but what happens to the players?

 

[henchman21]

Probably a silly question, but what happens to the players?

They are all free agents as of today.

 

[hockeyfish]

Definitely sucks for all the employees though. Hope they can find them work elsewhere.

 

[henchman21]

Definitely sucks for all the employees though. Hope they can find them work elsewhere.

Lower level hockey is a tough world... not much pay, not much job security, and little chance to move up. That goes for everybody involved from players to coaches to front office etc.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Good thing the Avs got their affiliation with the Komets sorted out first. It's too bad a hockey franchise can't make it in Denver, looks bad for our market. But I just didn't know anyone who even remotely cared. Getting people interested in the Avs was tough enough and then add in DU. I'm glad the Eagles do well but part of that is not exactly the Denver market either.

Btw, Fort Wayne paper says today they are getting 1 G, 2 D and 2 F from Avs/Monsters

 

[Former Ladder]

Good thing the Avs got their affiliation with the Komets sorted out first. It's too bad a hockey franchise can't make it in Denver, looks bad for our market. But I just didn't know anyone who even remotely cared. Getting people interested in the Avs was tough enough and then add in DU. I'm glad the Eagles do well but part of that is not exactly the Denver market either.

Btw, Fort Wayne paper says today they are getting 1 G, 2 D and 2 F from Avs/Monsters

I am guessing the goalie sent down will be Pickard. I will do my part to attend games (as I can) since I am local to the Komets and keep tabs on the players being sent down and moved up.

 

[henchman21]

Good thing the Avs got their affiliation with the Komets sorted out first. It's too bad a hockey franchise can't make it in Denver, looks bad for our market. But I just didn't know anyone who even remotely cared. Getting people interested in the Avs was tough enough and then add in DU. I'm glad the Eagles do well but part of that is not exactly the Denver market either.

Btw, Fort Wayne paper says today they are getting 1 G, 2 D and 2 F from Avs/Monsters

So... Will, Iafrate, Pufahl, Cheek, and Henely/_____ will be in Ft Wayne to start.

 

[Former Ladder]

So... Will, Iafrate, Pufahl, Cheek, and Henely/_____ will be in Ft Wayne to start.

Do you think Pickard could beat out Will for a spot in LE? I really don't know much about Roman Will but I thought it sounded like he would rival Sami for top dog in LE when we signed him. I could be off here.

 

[henchman21]

Do you think Pickard could beat out Will for a spot in LE? I really don't know much about Roman Will but I thought it sounded like he would rival Sami for top dog in LE when we signed him. I could be off here.

Pickard has proven he is a pretty solid AHL level goalie and is roughly equal to Aitto. Plus he is already a proven commodity with the coaching staff down there. I easily see him beating out Will. Over the course of the season that may change, but not out of camp.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Good thing the Avs got their affiliation with the Komets sorted out first. It's too bad a hockey franchise can't make it in Denver, looks bad for our market. But I just didn't know anyone who even remotely cared. Getting people interested in the Avs was tough enough and then add in DU. I'm glad the Eagles do well but part of that is not exactly the Denver market either.

Btw, Fort Wayne paper says today they are getting 1 G, 2 D and 2 F from Avs/Monsters

There's a stat out there that shows that Denver is the smallest market to have a sports franchise from each of the big 4 sports. That doesn't even include lacrosse, DU Hockey, basketball, etc. It shouldn't look bad on Denver when there's already so many different options here.

I went to a Cutthroats game during the lockout and it was just awful hockey. The Colliseum is also a dump.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I wonder about Tremblay now too since the Komets and Cutthroats each had a goalie signed then the thought was they'd get probably get Will and Tremblay respectively.

So the thought is the Komets would primarily get players on AHL contracts?

 

[henchman21]

I wonder about Tremblay now too since the Komets and Cutthroats each had a goalie signed then the thought was they'd get probably get Will and Tremblay respectively.

So the thought is the Komets would primarily get players on AHL contracts?

Tremblay could be farmed out elsewhere as well. Lake Erie could send him to any CHL/ECHL team they wanted to. I would expect that he will end up in Ft Wayne still as the backup.

Those are usually the players that float. IIRC Chouinard has been the only skater that was sent down to the CHL with a NHL contract.

 

[Former Ladder]

Tremblay could be farmed out elsewhere as well. Lake Erie could send him to any CHL/ECHL team they wanted to. I would expect that he will end up in Ft Wayne still as the backup.

Those are usually the players that float. IIRC Chouinard has been the only skater that was sent down to the CHL with a NHL contract.

Fort Wayne signed Pat Nagle to be one of the goalies this year (a No. 1 at the time before the Avs affiliation was announced). He will, for sure, be on the team. I can't see how there is room for Tremblay and one of Sami, Roman or Calvin.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140722/SPORTS0601/307229987/1009/SPORTS0601

 

[tucker3434]

How long did they last? A season?

 

[famicommander]

The Denver Coliseum is a terrible arena. No team is going to be successful there, I don't care what sport they're playing at what level.

Someone mentioned Broomfield. The arena there is great, but there's a big problem there too, and it's why the Rocky Mountain Rage (CHL) and Colorado 14ers (NBA D-League) both failed: it's a massive pain in the ass to get there.

Seriously, every single street within a half mile radius of the arena is called Interlocken.

So how do you get to the arena? Well, you take Interlocken to Interlocken, then turn on Interlocken. Take that all the way around to Interlocken, turn, and keep going until you see Interlocken.

Eventually you find a guy waving you into a parking lot, but not before you've pulled all your hair out. And a GPS does not help.

I had quite the adventure going there for the first time, when I saw Judas Priest play with Thin Lizzy and Black Label.

 

[henchman21]

Fort Wayne signed Pat Nagle to be one of the goalies this year (a No. 1 at the time before the Avs affiliation was announced). He will, for sure, be on the team. I can't see how there is room for Tremblay and one of Sami, Roman or Calvin.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140722/SPORTS0601/307229987/1009/SPORTS0601

Then that eliminates that. Tremblay will be elsewhere, probably on a CHL team.

So how do you get to the arena? Well, you take Interlocken to Interlocken, then turn on Interlocken. Take that all the way around to Interlocken, turn, and keep going until you see Interlocken.

Marklar

 

[tigervixxxen]

That and it's randomly placed in a suburban outdoor mall development. You'd never guess an arena is there. It is nice but hell of a drive from Littleton. It's becoming a big alternative to concerts at the Pepsi Center though. Probably much more cost effective.

 

[bromando]

The Denver Coliseum is a terrible arena. No team is going to be successful there, I don't care what sport they're playing at what level.

Someone mentioned Broomfield. The arena there is great, but there's a big problem there too, and it's why the Rocky Mountain Rage (CHL) and Colorado 14ers (NBA D-League) both failed: it's a massive pain in the ass to get there.

Seriously, every single street within a half mile radius of the arena is called Interlocken.

So how do you get to the arena? Well, you take Interlocken to Interlocken, then turn on Interlocken. Take that all the way around to Interlocken, turn, and keep going until you see Interlocken.

Eventually you find a guy waving you into a parking lot, but not before you've pulled all your hair out. And a GPS does not help.

I had quite the adventure going there for the first time, when I saw Judas Priest play with Thin Lizzy and Black Label.

Really not a difficult place to get to. Take the highway to Wadsworth/287, go southwest and turn left and your second light. No interlocken necessary.

The market for third tier North American hockey and D League basketball just isn't quite there, that's the problem. It's just hard to fill an events center with names that 50 people in Colorado know.

Marklar

 

[Tweaky]

Sad to hear any time a hockey team folds. Same story as the Rage, shut down for a season with hopes that never pan out. Wife and I went to a Rage game in '06, it was a ton of fun. They were not as good as the Eagles, but it was their first year.

The level of hockey was nowhere near NHL, but I would not call it crap...to me, that is reserved for rec. beer league like I play (specifically...my play is crap )

 

[S E P H]

They had beautiful jerseys though.

E: CHL has been dying since 2007-ish, surprised they just won't merge with the ECHL.

 

[Congo Jack]

Sounds like the Arizona Sundogs are folding as well.

Darryl Wolski ‏@darrylwolski 53m
Arizona Sundogs have ceased operation as well .... players have been notified #chl

Looking more and more like the CHL itself will be gone soon.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They only have 7 teams then. How can there be a league with only 7 teams?

 

[a mangy Meowth]

They only have 7 teams then. How can there be a league with only 7 teams?

I mean, is 7 really that much worse than 9? It was already bad