I'm sure fans in Winnipeg and Quebec said the same thing before their NHL teams left. Then, miraculously, an AHL team developed a huge fan base in Winnipeg, and a QMJHL team developed a huge fan base in Quebec.
I agree with you, however the Q and the AHL are a far cry from the ECHL as far as entertainment value goes. Both leagues are physical and entertaining.
New England is full of college hockey and I have a hard time believing folks will buy tickets for the ECHL when there are other options. Sadly the more the ECHL tries to become like the NHL the worse the product gets. CHL fans will find this out. Too much roster turnover, very few vets who build a core of a team, and hockey that is so lacking in physical play that it is hard to overcome the boredom. Ask fans in Kalamazoo, Elmira, or Fort Wayne if they like the product better now than before they jumped to the ECHL.