Flames moving affiliate from Stockton

[axecrew]

I was completely unaware of the Heat moving until I saw the empty stands and googled the team. However when looking at 21-22 attendance I see they're dead last in the entire AHL, so it's not surprising the team is moving with that pathetic lack of support in a city of over 300,000.

Doesn't help that the arena is basically in a not very safe place...the players apts are right across the street/parking lot or whatever and they have been informed they are not to go out at all. Straight to the arena and back home...no after game beers nothing...There is a nice hotel basically across the street/lot also and its the same thing for the visitors. Gee can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to make that trek to a game.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I was completely unaware of the Heat moving until I saw the empty stands and googled the team. However when looking at 21-22 attendance I see they're dead last in the entire AHL, so it's not surprising the team is moving with that pathetic lack of support in a city of over 300,000.

The lack of success is self-inflicted. The Stockton Thunder of the ECHL who were moved to make way for the Heat average 4.5k-7k for their entire existence.

 

[adsfan]

Venerunt, Viderunt, Incenderunt.

Wow, a Man of Letters writing in Latin on HF.

All hail JMCx4!

 

[adsfan]

Quick! Everyone hide your well reasoned takes! He's got mod immunity!


Well, would YOU want to support a team that's bailing on you the instant that the season ends?

Nope. That is what happened to the Milwaukee Braves. They drew 2 Million during 4 seasons in the 1950s and were #1 in the NL for their first 6 seasons. That was part of the reason why the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to LA. They couldn't compete moneywise against that.

When the team was purchased by a guy from Chicago who wanted to move them to Atlanta, the attendance plummeted to 550,000 and 10th in the NL.

Milwaukee Braves: Attendance

www.milwaukeebraves.info

 

[LuckyDay]

Johnny comes lately's haven't been paying attention to what's been happening when the crappy ECHL Thunder left and the superior talented AHL team moved in.

Garet Hunt was practically given a key to the city. Screw the Mudville 9, Stockton was all about the The Thunder. The Heat? Most people in our fair city probably think the Thunder is Stockton's hockey and can't wait the next time they go to game.

Garet Hunt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hunt's number was later retired by the Stockton Thunder and upon leaving the ECHL after 11 seasons, he was the most penalized player in history with 2666 PIM in 702 games.

Was he signed by The Heat? Yes. Did he play a single game for them? No. Do you think the fans appreciated that? That what the Heat meant to the city.

 

[GindyDraws]

Doesn't help that the arena is basically in a not very safe place...the players apts are right across the street/parking lot or whatever and they have been informed they are not to go out at all. Straight to the arena and back home...no after game beers nothing...There is a nice hotel basically across the street/lot also and its the same thing for the visitors. Gee can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to make that trek to a game.

Didn't see that being a problem back when the Stockton Thunder were in town. I assume once the Flames moved in, they took a quick look and said "this is unacceptable, y'all have an immediate curfew after the game".

 

[axecrew]

Didn't see that being a problem back when the Stockton Thunder were in town. I assume once the Flames moved in, they took a quick look and said "this is unacceptable, y'all have an immediate curfew after the game".

To be honest Who knows? I do know people who were there during the WCF and they said the place is a dump and their own players were the ones who said that they were told to and from no going downtown or whatever for drinks etc...So who's idea it was...no clue.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Didn't see that being a problem back when the Stockton Thunder were in town. I assume once the Flames moved in, they took a quick look and said "this is unacceptable, y'all have an immediate curfew after the game".

Stockton is the only city that went through the same collapse as the Coyotes, although that was deemed 'illegal'

 

[PCSPounder]

The schedule announcement says that Calgary AHL will play all games in the Saddledome.

Almost looks like there’s going to be Sunday doubleheaders with AHL and the Hitmen (not likely on the same ticket). Early afternoon games and then evening games. AHL team seems to have plenty of Tuesday dates as well.

 

[Growler]

First off Winnipeg is very happy with their arrangement. It's cost controlled, and has been a good way to

I hope Calgary puts their affiliate in Regina, because Regina and Winnipeg are natural rivals, and Regina is closer to Calgary than any US market, and accessible through road and flight.

Regina is still too far IMO. And intra-Canadian flights are not cheap.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

team still hasn't informed the fans or the League if the 'Heat' name has been replaced

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Wonder if the AHL team that’s playing in Calgary is going to take the Calgary city name or the provincial Alberta name.

If they took the Alberta name they could bring back the old Atlanta Flames NHL/Adirondack Flames AHL logos but call the team the Alberta Flames.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Wonder if the AHL team that’s playing in Calgary is going to take the Calgary city name or the provincial Alberta name.

If they took the Alberta name they could bring back the old Atlanta Flames NHL/Adirondack Flames AHL logos but call the team the Alberta Flames.

it's listed simply with Calgary's NHL Logo and the Flames Affiliation, but not much else on the team directory.....

 

[NYRfan85]

Wonder if the AHL team that’s playing in Calgary is going to take the Calgary city name or the provincial Alberta name.

If they took the Alberta name they could bring back the old Atlanta Flames NHL/Adirondack Flames AHL logos but call the team the Alberta Flames.

I'm really hoping they go with Alberta Heat, so they can bring back that beautiful flaming A logo.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I'm really hoping they go with Alberta Heat, so they can bring back that beautiful flaming A logo.

Alberta was more the Oilers than CSEC. I've seen Wranglers as a potential option but not confirmed

 

[LadyStanley]

ECHL Las Vegas may hold trademark for Wranglers.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

ECHL Las Vegas may hold trademark for Wranglers.

yup.... but I doubt the AHL is too thrilled with the scenario for administrative purposes even though they approved the transfer of the franchise.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

ECHL Las Vegas may hold trademark for Wranglers.

A thirty-second detour to search the trademark database would tell you that the ECHL has abandoned the trademark.

 

[mk80]

Even though high attendance is likely not the goal there, that's still pitiful

 

[hypereconomist]

Even though high attendance is likely not the goal there, that's still pitiful

Second night of a back-to-back home-stand against the same team that it played 24-hours ago, and it was a Monday night.

That's awful scheduling. Seems like a bit of a sensationalist tweet

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Second night of a back-to-back home-stand against the same team that it played 24-hours ago, and it was a Monday night.

That's awful scheduling. Seems like a bit of a sensationalist tweet

would there be the same complaint if that was Abbotsford when they were the Flames affiliate or Newfoundland (St. John's) when Toronto or Winnipeg were there and 2 game series are common for travel purposes now who's paying for those 2 game series, is it the team or does the AHL pay for those like in the past when both cities were member clubs, otherwise, totally agree about the tweet

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Second night of a back-to-back home-stand against the same team that it played 24-hours ago, and it was a Monday night.

That's awful scheduling. Seems like a bit of a sensationalist tweet

Yeah, no.

This is the American Hockey League - a team shouldn't be drawing 500 people for a regular season home game under any circumstances. However, the goal here isn't to make money - the goal here is to have the players as close as possible to the NHL club. It costs $5M (roughly) to operate an AHL team for the year. The Flames (and several other NHL owner/operators of their AHL affiliate) just write off the $5M to operate the AHL team as part of the cost of doing business as an NHL franchise.

Is a Monday night home game bad scheduling? Sure. But is it the sole reason the Wranglers drew 500? No. They drew 500 because that's the Flames' design.

 

[hypereconomist]

Yeah, no.

This is the American Hockey League - a team shouldn't be drawing 500 people for a regular season home game under any circumstances. However, the goal here isn't to make money - the goal here is to have the players as close as possible to the NHL club. It costs $5M (roughly) to operate an AHL team for the year. The Flames (and several other NHL owner/operators of their AHL affiliate) just write off the $5M to operate the AHL team as part of the cost of doing business as an NHL franchise.

Is a Monday night home game bad scheduling? Sure. But is it the sole reason the Wranglers drew 500? No. They drew 500 because that's the Flames' design.

No one is arguing the money aspect...running an AHL team is chump change for NHL ownership.

However, the Monday night scheduling is absolutely the sole reason why the Wranglers drew 500 people.

The Wrangers played back-to-back home games against the same team. Everyone in Calgary that wanted to see the Wranglers vs Firebirds already did that 24 hours earlier at the same location on a much more convenient day and at a much more convenient time. No different than if a b-tier musician plays in the same city two consecutive nights...the second night always has a much lower draw.

If the Wranglers played a different team the previous night or played the Firebirds in Coachella the previous night, then 500 people is disgraceful, but that's not the situation here.

6200 people saw the Wranglers vs. Firebirds in Calgary over the span of two days, which is a semi-decent draw for an AHL team when you look at the bigger picture.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

No one is arguing the money aspect...running an AHL team is chump change for NHL ownership.

However, the Monday night scheduling is absolutely the sole reason why the Wranglers drew 500 people.

The Wrangers played back-to-back home games against the same team. Everyone in Calgary that wanted to see the Wranglers vs Firebirds already did that 24 hours earlier at the same location on a much more convenient day and at a much more convenient time. No different than if a b-tier musician plays in the same city two consecutive nights...the second night always has a much lower draw.

If the Wranglers played a different team the previous night or played the Firebirds in Coachella the previous night, then 500 people is disgraceful, but that's not the situation here.

6200 people saw the Wranglers vs. Firebirds in Calgary over the span of two days, which is a semi-decent draw for an AHL team when you look at the bigger picture.

I'm sure the utter lack of marketing Calgary does for its AHL franchises had NOTHING to do with it - it was all the Monday arena date.

And no, 3,100 a game isn't a "semi-decent" draw for an AHL team. It's piss poor, especially playing it the affiliate team's home city.

 

[mk80]

Second night of a back-to-back home-stand against the same team that it played 24-hours ago, and it was a Monday night.

That's awful scheduling. Seems like a bit of a sensationalist tweet

I will agree to the awful scheduling, but in the AHL that is awful figures for attendance.

Now for what it's worth, the official attendance from the Game Report is listed at 2922. So factoring in some underestimating on the part of Twitter, and likely an inflation of attendance numbers counting tickets out, or just purely inflating it. They probably pulled in the range of 1500, in an 18k building which makes it look much smaller.

So it probably is exactly what the Flames hoped for with the recognition that having high attendance and making money is not the goal of having the Wranglers in town.