ECHL to 30 Teams?

[Centrum Hockey]

No new arena is ever going to be built in the state of Virginia this century, and I am willing to be extreme. Richmond doesn't want to spend any money on replacing that dilapidated barn due to the obvious risks involved in it (heck, simply demolishing the Coliseum should be the best solution), and the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area won't come to terms on an agreement on where a new place should be built to replace their own ancient arenas. Besides, the college venues that do exist do not want outside gigs interfering in their athletics, so if you live in that state, you're screwed.



And we all know that ain't gonna happen. I'm surprised the Spurs don't own the Missions baseball team, given what a monopoly they had otherwise in the sports market for years.

OT The missions would be a poor investment until their is a viable replacement for the Wolff. They had a logical affiliate with the Texas rangers last year but they wanted nothing to do with that park. I do not think the spurs would try hockey again unless their is no risk on their end.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

we should start a wager on when brampton will fold

Brampton will not fold, if that was the case, Norfolk would've folded without an affiliation....but the rules states you can operate as an independent....

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

No new arena is ever going to be built in the state of Virginia this century, and I am willing to be extreme. Richmond doesn't want to spend any money on replacing that dilapidated barn due to the obvious risks involved in it (heck, simply demolishing the Coliseum should be the best solution), and the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area won't come to terms on an agreement on where a new place should be built to replace their own ancient arenas. Besides, the college venues that do exist do not want outside gigs interfering in their athletics, so if you live in that state, you're screwed.

It is a shame because it seems like they're an excellent market for minor league sports. However, one can't blame a city for refusing to spend insane amounts of public money on private teams. Especially when many cities are getting wise after doing the cost/benefit analysis.

 

[JMCx4]

Hasn't one for them and Wheeling been going on already?

Don't encourage the lad.

 

[Cacciaguida]

Houston will get an NHL team before an ECHL team

 

[JMCx4]

Houston will get an NHL team before an ECHL team

So Never + 1 season?

 

[Cacciaguida]

People doubted Las Vegas and Winnipeg getting teams. Seattle and Houston seem like no-brainers.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Houston will get an NHL team before an ECHL team

So I’m guessing you saw Fertitta said he wanted a NHL team and never followed any of the following events?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

People doubted Las Vegas and Winnipeg getting teams. Seattle and Houston seem like no-brainers.

People doubt Saskatoon as well. Because like Houston, they won’t be getting a NHL team.

 

[Aero 75]

Houston will get an NHL team before an ECHL team

Houston won't get either. Fertitta can't afford both NBA & NHL, and there is no other arena in Houston for ANY hockey team to play at.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Houston won't get either. Fertitta can't afford both NBA & NHL, and there is no other arena in Houston for ANY hockey team to play at.

He also basically told Gary Bettman that a NHL team is not worth the investment. Any slim chance of Houston getting a team was pretty much over after that.

 

[Aero 75]

So I’m guessing you saw Fertitta said he wanted a NHL team and never followed any of the following events?

Fertitta SAID he wanted an NHL team, but must have forgot he had to borrow money to buy the Houston Rockets.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Fertitta SAID he wanted an NHL team, but must have forgot he had to borrow money to buy the Houston Rockets.

Bettman and Daly told him to get lost so quickly it was actually funny. Fertitta was opening his mouth to anyone who will listen until that meeting and he hasn't opened it up since.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Bettman and Daly told him to get lost so quickly it was actually funny. Fertitta was opening his mouth to anyone who will listen until that meeting and he hasn't opened it up since.

Dallas has been one of the league’s biggest successes in terms of newer markets for hockey. Gary and co must have rolled their eyes when they heard his hockey doesn’t work below the mason dixon line comments.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Dallas has been one of the league’s biggest successes in terms of newer markets for hockey. Gary and co must have rolled their eyes when they heard his hockey doesn’t work below the mason dixon line comments.

It is safe to say they also rolled their eyes well before the Mason-Dixon Line comment. Fertitta's entire "Let's get a cheap NHL team because the NHL wants and needs us and I likely won't even be able to afford it because I had to take out an insane amount of debt to buy the NBA Rockets despite the NHL being on the record they are unwilling to expand and there are zero teams willing or able to relocate and also it is the South so I will need some help because there are no other non-traditional markets that do well financially in the league" probably had Stars owner Gagliardi rolling his eyes outside of his head and into the head of the person next to him.

 

[GindyDraws]

Houston won't get either. Fertitta can't afford both NBA & NHL, and there is no other arena in Houston for ANY hockey team to play at.

Man, these are the times I wished the NRG Arena was used for more than the rodeo. Tillman showed his clown card to the NHL almost immediately.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Man, these are the times I wished the NRG Arena was used for more than the rodeo. Tillman showed his clown card to the NHL almost immediately.

Minor League Hockey got out of Texas rodeo barns around the time the WPHL (doing business as the CHL, as HansH would say) figured out that there was more money to be made building "Events Centers" in cities that didn't need them than there was in running hockey teams in cities that barely wanted them.

 

[royals119]

Xtream Arena | Coralville, IA - Official Website

Maybe I missed it, but I hadn't heard about Coralville Iowa as a potential expansion city for the ECHL until I listened to Sin Bin interview Comissioner Crelin the other day on their podcast. The comish said there is no ownership group yet, so not on their short term plans, and they are obviously busy dealing with Covid and trying to get this season off the ground, so haven't spent a lot of time working on it, but they do view it as a potential future market if the right ownership can be found.

The link above says it is a new 5100 seat areana that will host a college club team, local youth hockey, and hopefully either an ECHL or USHL team. Obviously nothing is going to happen until there is the ability to host live sports again, but one to watch for the future.

 

[210]

Xtream Arena | Coralville, IA - Official Website

Maybe I missed it, but I hadn't heard about Coralville Iowa as a potential expansion city for the ECHL until I listened to Sin Bin interview Comissioner Crelin the other day on their podcast. The comish said there is no ownership group yet, so not on their short term plans, and they are obviously busy dealing with Covid and trying to get this season off the ground, so haven't spent a lot of time working on it, but they do view it as a potential future market if the right ownership can be found.

The link above says it is a new 5100 seat areana that will host a college club team, local youth hockey, and hopefully either an ECHL or USHL team. Obviously nothing is going to happen until there is the ability to host live sports again, but one to watch for the future.

Barry from the Allen Americans blog mentioned it in passing earlier this year...that was the first I'd even heard of Coralville. He linked to this article, which essentially says what you just said:
Progress continues at Coralville's Xtream Arena, GreenState Family Fieldhouse

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Xtream Arena | Coralville, IA - Official Website

Maybe I missed it, but I hadn't heard about Coralville Iowa as a potential expansion city for the ECHL until I listened to Sin Bin interview Comissioner Crelin the other day on their podcast. The comish said there is no ownership group yet, so not on their short term plans, and they are obviously busy dealing with Covid and trying to get this season off the ground, so haven't spent a lot of time working on it, but they do view it as a potential future market if the right ownership can be found.

The link above says it is a new 5100 seat areana that will host a college club team, local youth hockey, and hopefully either an ECHL or USHL team. Obviously nothing is going to happen until there is the ability to host live sports again, but one to watch for the future.

Xtream Arena | Coralville, IA - Official Website
University of Iowa men's club hockey team will call ImOn Ice arena in Cedar Rapids home
REPORT: SPHL eyeing two expansion teams for next season, including Iowa City, Iowa

It has been there, albeit not nearly as public as Trois-Rivières. I believe it is because, like you said, there has been no publicly interested ownership group. It is easy for everyone to notice it when people like Dean MacDonald is talking to the newspapers twice per week. They have been publicly targeting a USHL or ECHL team.

They originally planned on having Iowa Hawkeyes Women's volleyball as the main tenants with the USHL/ECHL team along with youth hockey programs and Iowa Hawkeyes club hockey. It sounded like they were still trying to fit the pieces together before COVID. After COVID, they certainly don't have their act together.

 

[JMCx4]

...
University of Iowa men's club hockey team will call ImOn Ice arena in Cedar Rapids home ...

NEWS FLASH: Cedar Rapids' ImOn Arena won't be hosting hockey for awhile ... https://www.pollstar.com/article/storm-leaves-iowa-venues-damaged-146277. This could have a ripple effect on any plans for minor pro hockey in Coralville.

 

[mk80]

NEWS FLASH: Cedar Rapids' ImOn Arena won't be hosting hockey for awhile ... https://www.pollstar.com/article/storm-leaves-iowa-venues-damaged-146277. This could have a ripple effect on any plans for minor pro hockey in Coralville.

I guess with the delayed starts to all these hockey season some silver lining is they will hopefully be able to make repairs before the seasons begin, or at least not miss much of the seasons.

 

[JMCx4]

I guess with the delayed starts to all these hockey season some silver lining is they will hopefully be able to make repairs before the seasons begin, or at least not miss much of the seasons.

Two Iowa USHL arenas got thwacked by the derecho: Buccaneer Arena in Urbandale & ImOn Arena in CR. ImOn was already undergoing renovations, so that may reset their reopening clock more significantly than if they just had to deal with storm damage. For the RoughRiders and the U of Iowa men's club team, the "silver lining" may just be that no Coralville ownership group has stepped up yet to fill dates @ Xtreme with minor pro hockey.

 

[JMCx4]

Xtream Arena | Coralville, IA - Official Website
University of Iowa men's club hockey team will call ImOn Ice arena in Cedar Rapids home
REPORT: SPHL eyeing two expansion teams for next season, including Iowa City, Iowa

It has been there, albeit not nearly as public as Trois-Rivières. I believe it is because, like you said, there has been no publicly interested ownership group. It is easy for everyone to notice it when people like Dean MacDonald is talking to the newspapers twice per week. They have been publicly targeting a USHL or ECHL team.

They originally planned on having Iowa Hawkeyes Women's volleyball as the main tenants with the USHL/ECHL team along with youth hockey programs and Iowa Hawkeyes club hockey. It sounded like they were still trying to fit the pieces together before COVID. After COVID, they certainly don't have their act together.

Xtream Arena grand opening later this week. Looks like good place for SOMEBODY to play ice hockey ...

 

[mk80]

Xtream Arena grand opening later this week. Looks like good place for SOMEBODY to play ice hockey ...

That is one beautiful arena! You do have to wonder how covid affects them pulling in a hockey tenant that the arena ownership has said they want to pursue.