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ECHL to 30 Teams?

CHRDANHUTCH

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JMCx4 said:
Stranger notions have fueled this Board. :badidea:
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not really, I kinda see where KY simply is tired of the politics/business and the way he was essentially strong-armed by the Samuelis into selling the Admirals..... remember, Anaheim, was one of the few holdouts from the Pacific Division creation almost 8 years ago now, JMC..... It also kinda of explains the sudden fast fall of Manchester, not only as a market, but no recourse (yet) as to how a franchise would ultimately succeed there, or will there always be a comparison to the Monarchs franchise if/when that market returns....

it's likely the same question that would Worcester, Maine, and Newfoundland fanbases had to answer then adapt to the ECHL style as most were used to or had grown up in that style or league.... whether it was the direction the AHL Was HEADING, financially impacting franchises, etc.....

if it wasn't for Anaheim finding Edmonton, I'm not exactly sure Norfolk would've returned to the ECHL in the fashion it did.... nevermind their previous history in the league pre 2000, and the 15 years they were 'promoted'.
 
Atlantian

Atlantian

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Was just presented with an interesting question. Could we possibly be seeing a resurgence of the ECHL in the Southeast? Every team in the southeast minus Norfolk are on good footing as of right now. Looking into the future, Savannah seems like a great possibility. At least one ownership group has expressed interest but possibly 2. Both Richmond and Augusta are working on projects for new arenas. One is more likely than the other to happen, but both are big former markets. Looking at the less likely to happen, Charlotte no longer having an affiliation with the Canes brings big questions, especially being on a geographical island and being out for the 20-21 season. The SPHL is looking shaky especially after this season, possibly the high drawing team in Huntsville. I know a lot of this is unlikely but it’s an interesting question to pose.
 
JMCx4

JMCx4

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Atlantian said:
Was just presented with an interesting question. Could we possibly be seeing a resurgence of the ECHL in the Southeast? ...
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We aren't seeing a resurgence of ANY hockey league in North America right now. The question may be a valid one to consider in two or three years, as the COVID dust settles across the industry & the economy it is operating in at that time. Maybe that timeline gives the current hockey-less cities you mentioned time to establish home venues for teams & for a presumed stronger ECHL to recruit a solid ownership group for each city to expand the League footprint. But I've seen no evidence lately that the ECHL is in a superior position to either the SPHL or the FPHL to take control of the southern market in the foreseeable future.
 
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Royalsflagrunner77

Royalsflagrunner77

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Do you guys really think Manchester has shot at a rebirth it seems the fanbase there completely dis owned the former franchise after the move to the 4 letter league ?
 
JMCx4

JMCx4

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210 said:
I mentioned it several times here and other places, and some of the people on the forum that only get their information from newspaper articles and social media chose not to believe me. ...
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To set the record straight ... We didn't choose to dismiss your learned opinion on this topic. We consulted The Great Oracle of the HFBoards and followed the will of the gods.
 
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hurricanesfan123

hurricanesfan123

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I wouldnt be surprised if something echl came out of manchester post-covid in the next 1-3 years. Glanced over their arena schedule it's pretty empty and that's being generous. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sports team tenant in there soon whether its hockey or not who knows. Some constant revenue needs to be made to a city-funded building.
 
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hurricanesfan123

hurricanesfan123

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210 said:
Before COVID it was a 100% certainty that there would be an expansion team in Manchester soon. Now it's not so certain.
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It would also be interesting to know how "invested" the potential owners were. If they went far to negotiate a lease or just had discussions with city/league
 

CHRDANHUTCH

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Mar 4, 2002
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hurricanesfan123 said:
I wouldnt be surprised if something echl came out of manchester post-covid in the next 1-3 years. Glanced over their arena schedule it's pretty empty and that's being generous. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sports team tenant in there soon whether its hockey or not who knows. Some constant revenue needs to be made to a city-funded building.
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PRETTY MUCH anything other than hockey was summarily not allowed on the Manchester FB group once the reality set in after the Monarchs collapse that there was little chatter and outright speculative chatter, if you will.... similiar to how this forum cracks down on that type of speculative talk without a basis of fact.....

yes, the city owns it, but the dust hasn't really settled there as to whether hockey as it was prior to November 2001 in SNHU Arena, would even succeed in a market like Manchester, as it did in other cities in New England, that have successfully pivoted to building a brand, whether or not there's a past connection as you see in Portland, or what the Railers have done until the pandemic there in Worcester, nevermind, what Deacon has done/is doing between Newfoundland and Trois-Rivieres within league guidelines....

that has not changed in Manchester, it's just who will that fan be, as Cliff Rucker was to Worcester, when they were establishing the Railers, that just hasn't been determined....

it's also highly unlikely that a Boston based affiliation would materialize. because the other 2 primary affiliations are staying in Portland.

if it wasn't for the Monarchs, you likely don't see New Hampshire being a pro sport market, as it was likely the last to achieve that classification...

to me, Manchester is more like Lowell, than it is any other city in New England, and look where Lowell has fallen professionally over the years, outside of the Lowell Riverhawks.
 
CrazyEddie20

CrazyEddie20

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Atlantian said:
Was just presented with an interesting question. Could we possibly be seeing a resurgence of the ECHL in the Southeast? Every team in the southeast minus Norfolk are on good footing as of right now. Looking into the future, Savannah seems like a great possibility. At least one ownership group has expressed interest but possibly 2. Both Richmond and Augusta are working on projects for new arenas. One is more likely than the other to happen, but both are big former markets. Looking at the less likely to happen, Charlotte no longer having an affiliation with the Canes brings big questions, especially being on a geographical island and being out for the 20-21 season. The SPHL is looking shaky especially after this season, possibly the high drawing team in Huntsville. I know a lot of this is unlikely but it’s an interesting question to pose.
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Honestly, no. The glory days of the ECHL in the deep south came about in a unique time where the American economy was on fire, there were a bunch new millionaires looking for expensive play toys and a bunch of empty arenas looking for things to fill dates. There was significantly less competition for the entertainment dollar, the costs of operating an ECHL team (adjusted for inflation) were significantly lower, and because the ECHL and the other leagues at the time were somewhat akin to pro wrestling on ice with enforcers as the faces/heels, it drew well.

Hardly any of that is true today. Charlotte is a major league market. If they aren't in the AHL, I'm not sure they'd draw well anymore. Richmond and Augusta don't have viable arenas and won't for several more years. Americans have less disposable income and more (and cheaper) choices on where to spend it for entertainment. Huntsville is owned by the cheapest owner in the SPHL. He probably can't afford to operate in the ECHL, where costs are nearly double that of the SPHL, and he wouldn't be able to cheat the salary cap or manipulate the league office as effectively.

Oh yeah, and there's a pandemic that shows no signs of abating, despite a vaccine being available.
 
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210

210

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hurricanesfan123 said:
It would also be interesting to know how "invested" the potential owners were. If they went far to negotiate a lease or just had discussions with city/league
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The primary investor went through the ECHL's vetting process. Before an organization can make a formal application to the league they need to have a lease agreement. I don't know how close they and the SNHU Arena were, or even if they'd started negotiating a lease. Since the pandemic, there have been no updates from anyone involved other than they are assessing the current situation.
 
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hurricanesfan123

hurricanesfan123

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210 said:
The primary investor went through the ECHL's vetting process. Before an organization can make a formal application to the league they need to have a lease agreement. I don't know how close they and the SNHU Arena were, or even if they'd started negotiating a lease. Since the pandemic, there have been no updates from anyone involved other than they are assessing the current situation.
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Thanks for the clarification
 
JMCx4

JMCx4

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GindyDraws

GindyDraws

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So with all the new team talk, can we discuss what to do with old, unwanted teams?

Brampton and Norfolk are the two glaring offenders in the league right now. Norfolk plays in a state where every public arena was built in the Bronze Age while Brampton is a city that just hates hockey and would be foolish to keep wasting taxpayer dollars on unsuccessful ventures.
 
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Atlantian

Atlantian

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Dec 13, 2017
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JDogindy said:
So with all the new team talk, can we discuss what to do with old, unwanted teams?

Brampton and Norfolk are the two glaring offenders in the league right now. Norfolk plays in a state where every public arena was built in the Bronze Age while Brampton is a city that just hates hockey and would be foolish to keep wasting taxpayer dollars on unsuccessful ventures.
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Brampton is done without their insane subsidy. No ifs ands or buts. The only thing left for them to decide is when to announce their intentions to fold. Norfolk still has some life, but I do not see them surviving much longer. When Savannah joins the league in 2022, that would push them to the north and increase their travel costs. Do not see them surviving the transition in their current state.
 
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