North American Pro Hockey of the Near Future

[My Cozen Dylan]

True. I'm surprised at Houston though. It is a Top 5 major city in the country. You'd expect they'd have a team before Dallas. Sounds like they will make the gamblers happy and add Vegas lol

I agree, but the Houston arena owners don't want hockey. The Aeros left because they were asking $40K per game.

Then there's the factor of Boston and Tampa Bay having had a rivalry in MLB for years, and Buffalo and Miami's storied rivalry in the NFL (which was at its peak when Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were both in the league).

Yeah, as a fan of both the Sabres and Lightning, I can tell you neither of those rivalries carry over to hockey.

 

[js957]

i would not be surprised if Springfield is forced to sell to phoenix after this year and they relocated to somewhere in ca

 

[Cacciaguida]

are the fresno falcons coming back?

 

[Cacciaguida]

I don't think the Coyotes have the capital to spare to purchase a minor league team.

 

[Woo Hockey]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1970543

Looks like we're getting an ECHL team in Worcester next year.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

This thread is still going? The real answer hasn't been said yet. It will still exist but it will lose its true identity completely as the NHL continues to stick its nose where it doesn't belong. Eventually every AHL team will be NHL owned and every ECHL team will have an affiliation....if not thrown into a combo with the AHL team and instead of a 30-30-30 thing it will be a true system. An NHL team owning all 3 teams. The echl team will be a write off and they won't focus on the team but it will give tjsy franchise long term security so everybody wins....sort of.

 

[adsfan]

This thread is still going? The real answer hasn't been said yet. It will still exist but it will lose its true identity completely as the NHL continues to stick its nose where it doesn't belong. Eventually every AHL team will be NHL owned and every ECHL team will have an affiliation....if not thrown into a combo with the AHL team and instead of a 30-30-30 thing it will be a true system. An NHL team owning all 3 teams. The echl team will be a write off and they won't focus on the team but it will give tjsy franchise long term security so everybody wins....sort of.

I don't see it. Not that I don't expect Milwaukee to be sold again some day. Harris Turer has a finite lifetime, just like you and me. People in Wisconsin like local control, i.e. the Packers. I am sure that some other AHL cities will resist the trend. I think that Nashville likes the current arrangement. If they change their mind, so be it. They only sign 2 year agreements with Milwaukee. They have been signing them since 1998. This will make 18 years so far. BTW, Cincinnati is the ECHL affiliate.

 

[Cacciaguida]

I never liked it when minor league affiliates pretty much clone their NHL counterpart.

It's so boring.

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

This thread is still going? The real answer hasn't been said yet. It will still exist but it will lose its true identity completely as the NHL continues to stick its nose where it doesn't belong. Eventually every AHL team will be NHL owned and every ECHL team will have an affiliation....if not thrown into a combo with the AHL team and instead of a 30-30-30 thing it will be a true system. An NHL team owning all 3 teams. The echl team will be a write off and they won't focus on the team but it will give tjsy franchise long term security so everybody wins....sort of.

Where do you see the Jackets affiliate being? Cleveland is off the table if the Cavs can't own it.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

I don't know. I was mostly just kidding around but it really wouldn't shock me if one day every team was NHL owned. It was cool at first but its becoming trendy. The thing is if that were the case it'd make the league fair. It would be on the NHL team and how much the6 care. Instead of having teams like a Hershey who can get better established players because they have some control. Most NHL teams aren't gunna waste time signing vets for the minor leagues.

 

[GareFan18]

If the NHL expands by two, KC is going to be in the mix for an AHL franchise. Lamar Hunt Jr. (Mavs owner) has intimated that he'd be interested in the Mavericks becoming an AHL franchise.
One of the things he doesn't like is that the ECHL doesn't have "designated players". He says he'd like to have players that stick around for a few years and build an identity/relationship with the fans.
The AHL does that.

KC should be on a projected list before much smaller markets, like Peoria

Chicago - Iowa - KC - Grand Rapids - Milwaukee - Cleveland -- that's nearly an old IHL division.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

He's wishing for a Pipedream. AHL does that because almost every guy is on an NHL contract and in most cases probably an entry level which is 3 years.

 

[js957]

who would move to kc i really dont think st louis has any interest in operating an ahl team after what happened with Worcester and perioa

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Vancouver could possibly move their AHL affiliate to Victoria, which would leave Arizona as the only Pacific Division NHL team not to have their AHL affiliate in the Pacific. Maybe Arizona could move theirs to Utah. Utica and Springfield MA then get ECHL teams.

 

[210]

Vancouver could possibly move their AHL affiliate to Victoria, which would leave Arizona as the only Pacific Division NHL team not to have their AHL affiliate in the Pacific. Maybe Arizona could move theirs to Utah. Utica and Springfield MA then get ECHL teams.

At least as of right now, Arizona doesn't own an AHL franchise...

 

[Cacciaguida]

Vancouver could possibly move their AHL affiliate to Victoria, which would leave Arizona as the only Pacific Division NHL team not to have their AHL affiliate in the Pacific. Maybe Arizona could move theirs to Utah. Utica and Springfield MA then get ECHL teams.

Victoria has the Royals, more likely Vancouver goes to Abbotsford.

Utah does not want to move up, but I could see Springfield moving down a level. It would be cool as a Hartford Whalers ECHL affiliate.