New ECHL Ideal Alignment

[Thunder God]

What is your ideal ECHL 2014-15 Alingment! I will post mine tonight

Click to read more...

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Here's mine (bold indicates team joining from CHL, italic indicates ECHL team changing divisions):

Eastern Conference

North Division

Brampton Beast
Elmira Jackals
Fort Wayne Komets
Kalamazoo Wings
Reading Royals
Toledo Walleye
Wheeling Nailers

South Division

Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Greenville Road Warriors
Gwinnett Gladiators
Indy Fuel
Orlando Solar Bears
South Carolina Stingrays


Western Conference

Midwest Division

Allen Americans
Evansville IceMen
Missouri Mavericks
Quad City Mallards
Rapid City Rush
Tulsa Oilers
Wichita Thunder

Pacific Division

Alaska Aces
Bakersfield Condors
Colorado Eagles
Idaho Steelheads
Ontario Regin
Stockton Thunder
Utah Grizzlies

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

You forgot Brampton but aren't the CHL teams only playing eachothet.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Hence the use of the world "ideal." And LOL at splitting Indiana into three different divisions in two different conferences.

 

[Hoodaha]

Since we're asking for ideal, I'd like to see Bakersfield, Ontario, and Stockton moved out of the ECHL and into the AHL West Division.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Make the CHL teams their own division.

 

[Hoodaha]

Make the CHL teams their own division.

They'll do that this year, but one imagines that there'd be some re-alignment next year, if needed.

 

[speedrissr]

Well, most alignments have their merits, but there will be several teams moving, getting pushed out by the AHL, or shutting down. So in the end, there will be more in stability and the probable net loss of teams, leaving the 30 / 30 / 30 bong pipe dream in the dust.

The elephant in the room is what to do with Alaska once the west coast ECHL teams get replaced by AHL teams, since that's part of many of the 30/30/30 [mod] desires also.

Al?

RLR

 

[StingraysFan]

The elephant in the room is what to do with Alaska once the west coast ECHL teams get replaced by AHL teams,

No difference flying from Anchorage to Los Angeles or Anchorage to Kansas City, Denver, or Indianapolis. Once your on a plane, your on a plane.

Los Angeles (Stockton, Bakersfield, Ontario) are the same distance as Denver (Colorado) and Kansas City (Mo Mavericks). Indianapolis not too much further, etc. Bakersfield and Stockton aren't exactly near a major airport either.

College hockey has been flying to Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks for years and all the teams are in the midwest.

http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator

 

[speedrissr]

No difference flying from Anchorage to Los Angeles or Anchorage to Kansas City, Denver, or Indianapolis. Once your on a plane, your on a plane.

Los Angeles (Stockton, Bakersfield, Ontario) are the same distance as Denver (Colorado) and Kansas City (Mo Mavericks). Indianapolis not too much further, etc. Bakersfield and Stockton aren't exactly near a major airport either.

College hockey has been flying to Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks for years and all the teams are in the midwest.

http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator

Here's my calculator:

Bus Cost < Flying Cost.

Its what killed the IHL.

Al?

RLR

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

The CHL teams should only play CHL teams in season. Then after evaluate and see who can hack it. For example I doubt Quad City can.

 

[Hoodaha]

No difference flying from Anchorage to Los Angeles or Anchorage to Kansas City, Denver, or Indianapolis. Once your on a plane, your on a plane.

Los Angeles (Stockton, Bakersfield, Ontario) are the same distance as Denver (Colorado) and Kansas City (Mo Mavericks). Indianapolis not too much further, etc. Bakersfield and Stockton aren't exactly near a major airport either.

College hockey has been flying to Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks for years and all the teams are in the midwest.

http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator

Bakersfield's an hour and a half from LAX and an hour from Burbank. Plus they have direct flights to Denver, LAX, San Fransisco, and Phoenix. They're pretty close to major airports.

 

[Hoodaha]

Here's my calculator:

Bus Cost < Flying Cost.

Its what killed the IHL.

Al?

RLR

Alaska has been flying the whole time they've been in the ECHL and WCHL...nothing new.

 

[Ness]

Well, most alignments have their merits, but there will be several teams moving, getting pushed out by the AHL, or shutting down. So in the end, there will be more in stability and the probable net loss of teams, leaving the 30 / 30 / 30 bong pipe dream in the dust.

The elephant in the room is what to do with Alaska once the west coast ECHL teams get replaced by AHL teams, since that's part of many of the 30/30/30 [mod] also.

Al?

RLR

What? Lol. Having a 30/30/30 affiliation would be awesome for the sport.

 

[Lunatik]

What? Lol. Having a 30/30/30 affiliation would be awesome for the sport.

It really could be, especially if the NHL upped the number of contracts teams are allowed. That's why it works so well in baseball IMO, is because you have kids working their way up. But How many players do NHL teams actually place in the ECHL? 3 or 4 per team tops? Then a bunch of guys signed to AHL contracts that get sent down and then everyone else is contracted to the ECHL team. If the NHL made it a 60 contract limit and had 10 more players playing in the ECHL I think it would be better for both leagues as it would actually make the affiliations mean something.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Ugh. We're stuck with Wheeling for atleast 3 more years now.

 

[AlanMSaunders]

I like this:
Western Conference:
Pacific: Alaska, Bakersfield, Ontario, Stockton, (Las Vegas)
Mountain: Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Rapid City
Plains: Wichita, Tulsa, Allen, Missouri, Quad City

Eastern Conference:
Central: Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne, Indy, Evansville, Cincinnati
North: Toledo, Wheeling, Brampton, Elmira, Reading
South: Greenville, South Carolina, Gwinnett, Florida, Orlando

 

[SemireliableSource]

That makes too much sense to work. If they went with that, I'd think they'd go the old NHL route: division winners get top three seeds then five best of the other teams in each conference seeded by record.

 

[easternrefugee]

Since we're asking for ideal, I'd like to see Bakersfield, Ontario, and Stockton moved out of the ECHL and into the AHL West Division.

Darn right!!!!!! Screw this ECHL stuff....time to move on with the big boys....

 

[Hoodaha]

Darn right!!!!!! Screw this ECHL stuff....time to move on with the big boys....

One more year until it happens, if rumors are to be believed.

 

[GindyDraws]

Besides, the ECHL already finalized, and basically, it goes like this:

North: Cincinnati, Toledo, Kalamzoo, Indy, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Wheeling
East: Elmira, Reading, Gwinnett, Florida, South Carolina, Greensville, Orlando
Central (Berry Conference): Allen, Brampton, Tulsa, Wichita, Quad City, Rapid City, Missouri
Pacific (ECHL Western Conference): Alaska, Bakersfield, Colorado, Stockton, Utah, Idaho, Ontario

Kelly Cup playoff arrangement is still top four teams from each division, making the emphasis of postseason play go from "just about everybody makes it" to "pretty chaotic".

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Besides, the ECHL already finalized, and basically, it goes like this:

North: Cincinnati, Toledo, Kalamzoo, Indy, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Wheeling
East: Elmira, Reading, Gwinnett, Florida, South Carolina, Greensville, Orlando
Central (Berry Conference): Allen, Brampton, Tulsa, Wichita, Quad City, Rapid City, Missouri
Pacific (ECHL Western Conference): Alaska, Bakersfield, Colorado, Stockton, Utah, Idaho, Ontario

Kelly Cup playoff arrangement is still top four teams from each division, making the emphasis of postseason play go from "just about everybody makes it" to "pretty chaotic".

Lulz Elmira and Reading division.

 

[GindyDraws]

Lulz Elmira and Reading division.

It's kinda like how they did the Atlantic (aka "Snowbird") Division in the NHL realignment.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

So since its mostly divisional play does that mean Wheeling/Elmira/Reading won't play each other like a combined 36 times this year?