Monarchs are ceasing operations

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Growlers

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Dec 9, 2017
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As per the Sinbin.net the Manchester Monarchs are ceasing operations effective immediately. More info to come soon they stated.
 

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Judge Smails

How 'bout a Fresca?
Jan 20, 2004
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Pretty big blow to the Northeast footprint plan of the ECHL, but I still think this was more of a fan vs organization split rather than an outright rejection of double A hockey.

Maybe, but....

"But ultimately, after discussing it with the city, state, arena, and the L.A. Kings, and seeking investment from other potential buyers, it became clear that ECHL hockey was no longer viable in Manchester, NH.”

Monarchs pull the plug on professional hockey in Manchester
 

Cyclones Rock

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Jun 12, 2008
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Condolences to Monarch fans. Sometimes a break is needed to revitalize a hockey market and I hope that this is the case for Manchester.
 

GindyDraws

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Mar 13, 2014
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That bites, but not surprised. Attendance plummeted over the past few seasons, and I think it was due to how fans in the area just didn't want to go for the ECHL product after the AHL team had a different quality on the ice.
 

Theoriginalalex

@3in3hockey
May 5, 2014
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Still time for the FHL to swoop into town and ruin Manchester hockey forever. :eek:
It would need a years' rest at minimum. Elmira has been pleasantly well supported after a one-year hiatus post-ECHL. But dropping essentially 3 levels (because SPHL > FHL) in 5 years? That's hard to see locals swallowing unless they lose pro hockey long enough to be desperate. But, it's New England: plenty of other hockey options within driving distance.
 
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Centrum Hockey

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It would need a years' rest at minimum. Elmira has been pleasantly well supported after a one-year hiatus post-ECHL. But dropping essentially 3 levels (because SPHL > FHL) in 5 years? That's hard to see locals swallowing unless they lose pro hockey long enough to be desperate. But, it's New England: plenty of other hockey options within driving distance.
The market needs a break like Worcester and Portland forcing a lower level team on the fan base after a calder cup caused a lot of problems
 
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210

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That bites, but not surprised. Attendance plummeted over the past few seasons, and I think it was due to how fans in the area just didn't want to go for the ECHL product after the AHL team had a different quality on the ice.

I think it's more about the Manchester fans getting tired of being treated like crap by ownership. Manchester is a hockey town, I think the ECHL will do fine there with local based ownership.
 

210

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The market needs a break like Worcester and Portland forcing a lower level team on the fan base after a calder cup caused a lot of problems

Pretending there was no difference was a big problem too. You could make an argument they were dishonest with their fans in what was going on and what style of hockey they would have be seeing.
 

McGarnagle

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Aug 5, 2017
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Manchester was a fine market.

When you have a team that was highly competitive in the AHL for 14 years and produced a ton of eventual Stanley Cup winners, then won the Calder Cup, then pull the rug out and demote them to the ECHL with a quality of play that's not all that much different from the NCAA teams that are more firmly established in the region (and that people have more organic ties to), do you expect the fans to keep paying money to support the Los Angeles Kings organization?

It was inevitable. If the AHL sees another wave of relocations or expansions, Manchester should be high on the list. Or maybe with enough time gone by, if another franchise (one like Boston that has a footprint in NH) put in an ECHL team, it'd do better.

I think the Monarchs' issues in the ECHL were less to do with its viability as a hockey market and more to do with a protest of how they got screwed over by Los Angeles and the AHL.
 

Centrum Hockey

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Manchester was a fine market.

When you have a team that was highly competitive in the AHL for 14 years and produced a ton of eventual Stanley Cup winners, then won the Calder Cup, then pull the rug out and demote them to the ECHL with a quality of play that's not all that much different from the NCAA teams that are more firmly established in the region (and that people have more organic ties to), do you expect the fans to keep paying money to support the Los Angeles Kings organization?

It was inevitable. If the AHL sees another wave of relocations or expansions, Manchester should be high on the list. Or maybe with enough time gone by, if another franchise (one like Boston that has a footprint in NH) put in an ECHL team, it'd do better.

I think the Monarchs' issues in the ECHL were less to do with its viability as a hockey market and more to do with a protest of how they got screwed over by Los Angeles and the AHL.
There are not enough NHL teams who would want a ahl team in New England especially if Tampa Moves southward.
 
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Barclay Donaldson

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If the AHL sees another wave of relocations or expansions, Manchester should be high on the list.

Not a chance that will happen. AHL relocations are primarily over. Every NHL save for Nashville, Tampa, Florida, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and St. Louis either own their AHL team or have them close enough geographically and financially that it doesn't matter. And they're all solid, will not change for decades. Some, like Ontario and San Diego, have attendance just short of 10,000 per game with great callup times and travel. AHL won't make a return to New England.

Of those seven teams, Calgary and Edmonton have their long-time future homes in Stockton and Bakersfield respectively, very close to their AHL Pacific division travel partners. Milwaukee has been Nashville's affiliate for the Preds entire existence, they have a close relationship that is unlikely to change. Tampa, Florida, and Vancouver all favor having their teams in the Northeast and close to travel partners rather than closer to home and have horrible travel and the poor prospect development that theoretically comes with it. That really only leaves St. Louis, who are locked in with San Antonio for another 6 years or so, and even then they are looking for a place closer to home, they wouldn't go to Manchester.
 

Centrum Hockey

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Not a chance that will happen. AHL relocations are primarily over. Every NHL save for Nashville, Tampa, Florida, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and St. Louis either own their AHL team or have them close enough geographically and financially that it doesn't matter. And they're all solid, will not change for decades. Some, like Ontario and San Diego, have attendance just short of 10,000 per game with great callup times and travel. AHL won't make a return to New England.

Of those seven teams, Calgary and Edmonton have their long-time future homes in Stockton and Bakersfield respectively, very close to their AHL Pacific division travel partners. Milwaukee has been Nashville's affiliate for the Preds entire existence, they have a close relationship that is unlikely to change. Tampa, Florida, and Vancouver all favor having their teams in the Northeast and close to travel partners rather than closer to home and have horrible travel and the poor prospect development that theoretically comes with it. That really only leaves St. Louis, who are locked in with San Antonio for another 6 years or so, and even then they are looking for a place closer to home, they wouldn't go to Manchester.
Manchester Needs to wait a couple years and find good local ownership and have the bruins Help with launching a echl expansion team with the bruins name and black and gold color scheme
 

mk80

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Jul 30, 2012
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I think Manchester is a market that needed to hit the reset button unfortunately. I think with the right ownership, and local branding away from anything Kings related the market could do well in the ECHL. But I think having a small absence of pro hockey will help reset the market for when it eventually comes back. I hope the FHL stays the F away.
 

Barclay Donaldson

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I agree, awful idea for both. Fed needs to stay in markets that can't support other minor pro hockey. Manchester was averaging close to 9,000 not very long ago. It's more of a beleaguered and betrayed fan base than one that can't support a team. The NAHL and the Q are juniors, and New England has shown time and again that juniors doesn't matter when you have a dozen D1 college hockey teams within a 2 hour drive. I'd really like to see the market take some time to cool off after losing a team, like Portland and St. John's did, give the market time to reset and get people missing hockey again.
 
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Centrum Hockey

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Aug 2, 2018
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I agree, awful idea for both. Fed needs to stay in markets that can't support other minor pro hockey. Manchester was averaging close to 9,000 not very long ago. It's more of a beleaguered and betrayed fan base than one that can't support a team. The NAHL and the Q are juniors, and New England has shown time and again that juniors doesn't matter when you have a dozen D1 college hockey teams within a 2 hour drive. I'd really like to see the market take some time to cool off after losing a team, like Portland and St. John's did, give the market time to reset and get people missing hockey again.
Hopefully the Fanbase will travel down to Worcester and Portland next season to see what they where missing. I remember the buses full of fans parked outside of the dcu for monarchs road games against the sharks maybe someday they Could recapture something like that again.
 
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210

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I agree, awful idea for both. Fed needs to stay in markets that can't support other minor pro hockey. Manchester was averaging close to 9,000 not very long ago. It's more of a beleaguered and betrayed fan base than one that can't support a team. The NAHL and the Q are juniors, and New England has shown time and again that juniors doesn't matter when you have a dozen D1 college hockey teams within a 2 hour drive. I'd really like to see the market take some time to cool off after losing a team, like Portland and St. John's did, give the market time to reset and get people missing hockey again.

2004-05..an eternity in minor league hockey years.
 

Nightsquad

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Jan 25, 2014
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OMG people, the FHL is not going to eye Manchester. The Fed for the most part is eyeing much smaller arenas, areas mostly absent from DI programs. Manchester is too close to other good quality hockey options. DI, Boston, and even some solid DIII programs will fill the void. I dont believe their chances of getting an AHL franchise are promising but then again stranger things have happened. I certainly dont think the FHL is watching this development and believing they have a good opportunity before them lol.
 
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