NHL Vegas and AHL Chicago dissolving affiliation; VGK buys AHL San Antonio (upd BOG approved)

[gstommylee]

That's fine. Expand and let them find their own talent.

Still not going to happen.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

The AHL needs to expand a team and leave chicago holding the bag. Its very clear that the NHL is moving to this model of having and owning their AHL teams near by.

First off, that's not happening. I think you know that it's not happening. League isn't expanding past 32, he hasn't gotten on anyone's bad side other than St. Louis, there is no leverage to force him to sell, change his operations, or do anything.

Second off, he paid for the right to be in the league. He can operate how he wants. He paid for the privilege. That's called capitalism. If some NHL team wants his AHL franchise rights, they can do what every other NHL team has done and paid for it.

Third off, you want a team and (and its owner) that is constantly near the top of the AHL in attendance, revenues, visibility, and competitiveness to get bypassed simply because the mindset of the league has changed over the last five years after decades of an entirely different mindset that they specifically adapted to? Wow, that's delusion.

 

[varano]

First off, that's not happening. I think you know that it's not happening. League isn't expanding past 32, he hasn't gotten on anyone's bad side other than St. Louis, there is no leverage to force him to sell, change his operations, or do anything.

Second off, he paid for the right to be in the league. He can operate how he wants. He paid for the privilege. That's called capitalism. If some NHL team wants his AHL franchise rights, they can do what every other NHL team has done and paid for it.

Third off, you want a team and (and its owner) that is constantly near the top of the AHL in attendance, revenues, visibility, and competitiveness to get bypassed simply because the mindset of the league has changed over the last five years after decades of an entirely different mindset that they specifically adapted to? Wow, that's delusion.

The only thing that's delusional is your inability to adapt to change. They'll be forced out one way or another. Whether it's their ownership group or whether it's the team itself. It the NHL wants it, it'll happen.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

The only thing that's delusional is your inability to adapt to change. They'll be forced out one way or another. Whether it's their ownership group or whether it's the team itself. It the NHL wants it, it'll happen.

So you're saying that winning, competing, drawing fans, and operating a professional hockey team don't go together? Have fun with that. The NHL clearly doesn't want it because it hasn't happened. No team has paid Levin what he thinks the Wolves are worth, and there is no wording in the by-laws of the league that allows the franchise rights of a team to be forced away simply because of organizational disagreements.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

The only thing that's delusional is your inability to adapt to change. They'll be forced out one way or another. Whether it's their ownership group or whether it's the team itself. It the NHL wants it, it'll happen.

the only thing will happen is Rosemont, IL goes to the history file, just like the IHL did 20 years ago....

 

[Marotte Marauder]

It's not a bad name at all "silver knights". I like the similar branding but then I also thought "damn they're just straight up being called '2nd tier' right in the name

Desert Knights would have been better.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Desert Knights would have been better.

Silver is the Nevada state gem, hence the acronym 'Silver State'

 

[Marotte Marauder]

Silver is the Nevada state gem, hence the acronym 'Silver State'

I get it, but like the desert reference.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Look up the history of the Chicago Wolves. Their owners existed and thrived for a very long out of spite towards Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz. They can’t be forced to sell and they’ve been very blatant and public about not selling and not having an interest in selling.

"But neither will have a choice if St. Louis can't find another AHL team to buy."

It doesn't have to be the Wolves.....

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

St. Louis is strictly now an affiliation-only franchise...... it's not an owner/operated league otherwise, all the teams would be that way.... Springfield is not one of them

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

"But neither will have a choice if St. Louis can't find another AHL team to buy."

It doesn't have to be the Wolves.....

20 of the 32 AHL teams are owned by their NHL affiliate. They're not getting sold.

There's 12 independently owned AHL teams left. Of them, Lehigh Valley, Providence, Colorado, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Rockford, Charlotte, and Hershey are close enough geographically and operationally with such a high degree of functional independence and dedicated ownership that they are not likely to sell sold.

That only leaves Milwaukee, Chicago, Springfield, and Syracuse as possible candidates. Milwaukee has been the only AHL affiliate in the history of the Predators. The Predators have extended the affiliation constantly, they share a close, and well-publicized positive relationship, have reasonable call-up times, they're out. Chicago doesn't want to sell, that's been well-documented especially throughout these last few months, they're out. Springfield has diverse and overtly dedicated ownership that have stated they will not sell the team and leave the city that has hosted AHL hockey every season since 1926, and they have the backing of the league AHL a 2 minute walk from the arena. They're out. Syracuse has an excellent relationship with Tampa Bay, neither has had any intention of leaving, the ownership group is possibly the second most independent-minded behind only the Wolves.

None are likely to sell. It doesn't have to be the Wolves that sell, but there aren't any non-NHL AHL ownership groups left in the league. Every single one is in for the long haul.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

"But neither will have a choice if St. Louis can't find another AHL team to buy."

It doesn't have to be the Wolves.....

The blues do not want to own a AHL team they have stated that repeatedly. They looked into Kansas City for an AHL affiliate but they wanted someone else to own it.