As well for the business side, AHL generally play 3 in 3 on the weekends. So, if Vancouver plays on Saturday would that impact their ahl team if they are home at the time time. Cause they would need to coordinate schedules to both not be home at the same time if it impacts the AHL business.
Excluding the Pacific division. With 68 game schedule, they do not have 3 in 3 schedules.
More likely to want to have teams near major hubs so call ups can get to where they need to.
I'd imagine they go Year One of NHL team sharing an AHL affiliate, like Vegas did. Because with juniors, the injured guys you take on via trade and only one draft, you don't really have enough players to stock your own team yet. It's an extra expense for no reason.
Seattle is going to have to share with someone their first year because they aren't going to have enough prospects to fill out their own team.
Yes, they won't have the (drafted) prospects old enough and in quantity to fill an AHL roster. But there are other sources (prospect free agent signings, trade acquisitions and expansion draft) as well. You can stock a full AHL team with journeymen/veterans, signed from free agency (at least for the first year or so).
FWIW, the current make up of the AHL Chicago Wolves includes:
2 draftees (19 year old European stud D men), 16 free agent signings (prospects and journeymen), 1 trade, 1 expansion draft. (Only 4 AHL contracts.)
Like San Jose Barricuda are drawing 4,000 a game (22nd to 24th by ranking). And I’m sure they don’t really care because they’ve got their AHL guys practicing with the NHL guys when both are in town; and therefore being on the same page when they’re called up. San Jose isn’t going to say “We’re going to move our AHL team to St. John’s because their last AHL franchise drew 6,000.”
Nope. NHL and AHL teams do NOT practice together. Not allowed. Must have separate facilities for practice, training. The AHL Barracuda practice facility is adjacent (literally) but separate from NHL Sharks facility. They don't even use the same locker rooms at the arena. (Now the NHL medical suite just off the ice IS used for AHL games, but that's for convenience.)
Excluding fan fest, it's rare for the AHL and NHL players to mix for any charity or social event. (There was a black tie dinner for the Sharks 25th anniversary. The AHL guys were invited and seated at tables at the back. But otherwise they weren't acknowledged. And when AHL coach Sommer made a new AHL record of games won, his accomplishment was celebrated at a Sharks game.) Heck, the mascots rarely mix either (excluding each others' birthday celebrations).