San Antonio/???

[Clinton Comets EHL]

You think they'll go to Tucson? I've heard they might revive the Sundogs in Prescott Valley. I think they'd do better with Las Vegas, though, assuming the NHL doesn't expand there.

Does Tucson have an AHL suitable arena? Sundogs didn't draw flies. Yotes don't draw flies. Why would Prescott Valley work in AHL?

Vegas isn't building an NHL venue so an AHL team can play in it.

 

[Nerdlinger]

I think it doesn't matter. The Coyotes will end up in QC or somewhere before they purchase their own AHL franchise. Maloney is clueless, as WC48 pointed out, their AHL affiliate in the playoffs 3 times in 15 years. Feel badly for the people in Springfield.

Perhaps the new ownership will give Maloney the boot. I don't know anything about him, but he evidently was GM of the Year in 2010.

 

[Nerdlinger]

Does Tucson have an AHL suitable arena? Sundogs didn't draw flies. Yotes don't draw flies. Why would Prescott Valley work in AHL?

Vegas isn't building an NHL venue so an AHL team can play in it.

Looks like Tucson has an AHL-sized arena. Prescott Valley's arena is smaller. I still think Vegas is the better option, though. The Wranglers drew fairly well, if attendance figures for minor league hockey can be trusted at all. They just need to make a new deal with Orleans Arena.

 

[axecrew]

You think they'll go to Tucson? I've heard they might revive the Sundogs in Prescott Valley. I think they'd do better with Las Vegas, though, assuming the NHL doesn't expand there.

The NHL is expanding to Las Vegas in the next couple of years.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Dont think where the Colorado Eagles play is large enough for AHL.

I'm still not understanding why if Lake Erie can "opt out" they wouldn't have done it years ago. Did they just discover there is a NHL team in Ohio?

 

[Coach Nate]

Dont think where the Colorado Eagles play is large enough for AHL.

I'm still not understanding why if Lake Erie can "opt out" they wouldn't have done it years ago. Did they just discover there is a NHL team in Ohio?

Follow the leader.

Until this year, most teams didn't make proximity to their AHL team a priority. Now, all of a sudden, it's a big deal. Monkey see, monkey do and voila, Columbus wants in on the action.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Still don't know what's in it for Colorado to go to San Antonio. Why would they leave one NBA owned situation for another? Just to appease Columbus? I don't think so. But yeah it's up in the air until the San Antonio/Arizona situation is sorted.

There are only 3 stop flights per day between Cleveland and Denver and there are 6 a day between San Antonio and Denver. Also, 3:15 scheduled flight time vs 2:10 flight time.

It's actually pretty simple and is on 2 fronts. #1 if your apt. landlord ask you to leave and vacate your apt...he can do that, it's his building. It's called an eviction.
#2 it is inevidable that clb is going to be in cleveland. It makes sense from a marketing standpoint and from a fans standpoint. It gives both teams a footprint through out the entire state of Ohio. With any contract there is always out clauses and since colorado wants to eventually move it's team out towards them, going to San Antonio is the a simple bridge to getting there own franchise in a couple of years when both the NHL and AHL expand to 32 teams.

You go axe!!!

It like a 2 hour flight compared to a 2 and a half hour one.

A little bit off.

Perhaps the new ownership will give Maloney the boot. I don't know anything about him, but he evidently was GM of the Year in 2010.

The new ownership is waiting to present that they lost $50 mil in 5 years so they can get out of AZ by selling the team to someone who will move it or moving it themselves. They will NOT be buying an AHL team.

Dont think where the Colorado Eagles play is large enough for AHL.

I'm still not understanding why if Lake Erie can "opt out" they wouldn't have done it years ago. Did they just discover there is a NHL team in Ohio?

Nope but they locked into a long term deal and many times the penalties for breaking it are very stiff the first few years and subside in the later years.

 

[Lunatik]

How can a team under contract be asked to leave? And as far as I'm aware the STH are more upset over communication issues, lack of information on the team and team sponsored events. If they didn't want to renew the contract is one thing but Colorado also isn't going to pick up and move without it benefitting them.

I think you are reading them being asked to leave wrong. I don't think it's a case where the Cavs are demanding they leave or are evicting them. It's more like "hey this isn't really working for us, so it would be great if you could look at other options that will be better for the both of us"

 

[RockLobster]

I think you are reading them being asked to leave wrong. I don't think it's a case where the Cavs are demanding they leave or are evicting them. It's more like "hey this isn't really working for us, so it would be great if you could look at other options that will be better for the both of us"

This is kind of how I see it too, and I don't think the Avalanche would stand in the way of Columbus and LE wanting to be affiliated with one another.

In the end, I suspect that unless Colorado had any reason, other than "well we just don't really want to, it's kind of a hassle, you know?", then they would be (privately) fighting any move out of the Lake Erie affiliation. My guess is that they don't see it as a "big deal" right now (because of their intention to eventually buy, and relocate closer to them, their own AHL team) and are simply doing Columbus and LE a favor by not being pains in the ***** about it.

 

[Mike Jones]

The Avs should have a look at Kansas City. Didn't KC have a decent IHL franchise at one point?

 

[Frank Booth]

This is kind of how I see it too, and I don't think the Avalanche would stand in the way of Columbus and LE wanting to be affiliated with one another.

In the end, I suspect that unless Colorado had any reason, other than "well we just don't really want to, it's kind of a hassle, you know?", then they would be (privately) fighting any move out of the Lake Erie affiliation. My guess is that they don't see it as a "big deal" right now (because of their intention to eventually buy, and relocate closer to them, their own AHL team) and are simply doing Columbus and LE a favor by not being pains in the ***** about it.

No that's not at all how it happened. It's been a slow burn. The Cavs' management has been very frustrated with the lack of support from Colorado. Joe Sakic never bothered to make a trip to Cleveland at all. When Sherman came in the office to meet with Komoroski, Ostroski, and Bubolz earlier this year to discuss things and Joe didn't make the trip, that sealed it. Gilbert was on the line with them and they all spent 45 minutes berating Sherman, and in no uncertain terms that they were out, no matter what. It is not, at least behind the scenes, an amicable parting. The Cavs' organization is furious with Colorado, and Colorado probably feels blindsided. But they should have seen it coming. Their problem is, like Arizona, no one in the AHL wants them at all. Other than a couple of teams that own their own AHL teams and are awful parent clubs, the Avs and Coyotes have the absolute worst reputation. When the Monsters were formed, after the mess San Jose left behind, Colorado felt they were doing the Monsters a favor by supplying players. And in a lot of ways they were. The issue was that the situation changed rapidly, yet the Avs never really did anything at all for the Monsters and the balance of power shifted. The Monsters all of the sudden had a number of NHL teams interested in coming to Cleveland, yet the Avs are really left with few options. That newspaper article quoting Sakic last week was very telling, because it showed his frustration at being (in his opinion) blindsided by the Monsters, and having very few option available. To me it just shows how typically bad the Avalanche are at running their business. It's actually quite sad, but I will be so glad to see them gone.

 

[RockLobster]

No that's not at all how it happened. It's been a slow burn. The Cavs' management has been very frustrated with the lack of support from Colorado. Joe Sakic never bothered to make a trip to Cleveland at all. When Sherman came in the office to meet with Komoroski, Ostroski, and Bubolz earlier this year to discuss things and Joe didn't make the trip, that sealed it. Gilbert was on the line with them and they all spent 45 minutes berating Sherman, and in no uncertain terms that they were out, no matter what. It is not, at least behind the scenes, an amicable parting. The Cavs' organization is furious with Colorado, and Colorado probably feels blindsided. But they should have seen it coming. Their problem is, like Arizona, no one in the AHL wants them at all. Other than a couple of teams that own their own AHL teams and are awful parent clubs, the Avs and Coyotes have the absolute worst reputation. When the Monsters were formed, after the mess San Jose left behind, Colorado felt they were doing the Monsters a favor by supplying players. And in a lot of ways they were. The issue was that the situation changed rapidly, yet the Avs never really did anything at all for the Monsters and the balance of power shifted. The Monsters all of the sudden had a number of NHL teams interested in coming to Cleveland, yet the Avs are really left with few options. That newspaper article quoting Sakic last week was very telling, because it showed his frustration at being (in his opinion) blindsided by the Monsters, and having very few option available. To me it just shows how typically bad the Avalanche are at running their business. It's actually quite sad, but I will be so glad to see them gone.

Such an angry post for something that appears to amount to Cleveland being upset that the Avs didn't supply better players? Almost all of the Top Prospects graduated straight to the NHL, no AHL time required.

Admittedly, they could have done a better job supplying AHL vets, and they did that recently with Street (and Aggozzino). But I don't think you'll find Avs fans, or the organization, sorry that they recalled players to the NHL team when injuries struck (And injuries have been a pretty consistent problem amongst the Avs the last several years).

I won't sit here and act like the Avs were the saving grace for hockey in Cleveland, because they weren't, but it seems like you're just trying to kick them on the way out, and it doesn't particularly seem necessary.

 

[Frank Booth]

I'll use steel-toed boots when I kick them.

I stand behind everything, because my source would have had absolute knowledge of what happened. Since the cat is out of the bag, I told to go ahead with this. And I will bet that everyone will put on a nice face when the announcements are made, but make no mistake that this has been coming for years and the Avalanche should have seen it. Perhaps they will learn from this and treat their next affiliate as a partner. It is a two-way street, but Avs somewhere along the line forgot that.

 

[RockLobster]

I'll use steel-toed boots when I kick them.

I stand behind everything, because my source would have had absolute knowledge of what happened. Since the cat is out of the bag, I told to go ahead with this. And I will bet that everyone will put on a nice face when the announcements are made, but make no mistake that this has been coming for years and the Avalanche should have seen it. Perhaps they will learn from this and treat their next affiliate as a partner. It is a two-way street, but Avs somewhere along the line forgot that.

Again, unnecessary.

I love that in this scenario, the Avs are 100% the villain. What exactly made them such a "horrible partner"? And (I'm legitimately curious at this next one) why was it imperative that Sakic attend a meeting with them this year? Should his primary focus not be on the NHL club?

 

[tigervixxxen]

So what, the Avs go from one NBA owned affiliate to another? It's not like they could be going to a market where the local media cares any less. So not exactly sure what they are losing.

 

[RockLobster]

So what, the Avs go from one NBA owned affiliate to another? It's not like they could be going to a market where the local media cares any less. So not exactly sure what they are losing.

Yeah, and I'd like to echo something you've been wondering about.

If this has been "slow burning", as Frank puts it, and the Avs should have "seen it coming", why is this happening now, and not at the end of next year when the affiliation runs out? Why was Sakic supposedly never showing up to LE what "sealed it"? (not doubting that he never visited)

It just seems like this is a case of both parties having different expectations of the other.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

I find this amusing because since Roy and Sakic were brought on board they've been trying to build a winning organization from top to bottom. They even got into an arragement with the Fort Wayne Komets from the ECHL. The Komets wouldn't have even gotten into an agreement with Lake Erie/Colorado if the relationship wasn't a two-way street. The Lacriox era sucked for the Lake Erie Monsters but the team and organization was improving with Roy/Sakic on board.

 

[RockLobster]

I find this amusing because since Roy and Sakic were brought on board they've been trying to build a winning organization from top to bottom. They even got into an arragement with the Fort Wayne Komets from the ECHL. The Komets wouldn't have even gotten into an agreement with Lake Erie/Colorado if the relationship wasn't a two-way street. The Lacriox era sucked for the Lake Erie Monsters but the team and organization was improving with Roy/Sakic on board.

Don't bother, I think this post from Frank's history tells me all I need to know about continuing any conversation:

Most Monsters' fans could care less about the Avalanche, and there are some, like me, who are hostile towards them and their ridiculously spoiled fan base. This will be seven of eight years without the playoffs, and I can't wait for the Avs to stop placing their garbage in Cleveland. I'll root for them here, but once they go up, I could really care less, and that attitude has become much more prevalent as the team continues to be nothing better than mediocre. I really don't think many will miss Colorado, and if the Jackets come here, great, I'm all for it.

 

[Crisp Breakout]

No that's not at all how it happened. It's been a slow burn. The Cavs' management has been very frustrated with the lack of support from Colorado. Joe Sakic never bothered to make a trip to Cleveland at all. When Sherman came in the office to meet with Komoroski, Ostroski, and Bubolz earlier this year to discuss things and Joe didn't make the trip, that sealed it. Gilbert was on the line with them and they all spent 45 minutes berating Sherman, and in no uncertain terms that they were out, no matter what. It is not, at least behind the scenes, an amicable parting. The Cavs' organization is furious with Colorado, and Colorado probably feels blindsided. But they should have seen it coming. Their problem is, like Arizona, no one in the AHL wants them at all. Other than a couple of teams that own their own AHL teams and are awful parent clubs, the Avs and Coyotes have the absolute worst reputation. When the Monsters were formed, after the mess San Jose left behind, Colorado felt they were doing the Monsters a favor by supplying players. And in a lot of ways they were. The issue was that the situation changed rapidly, yet the Avs never really did anything at all for the Monsters and the balance of power shifted. The Monsters all of the sudden had a number of NHL teams interested in coming to Cleveland, yet the Avs are really left with few options. That newspaper article quoting Sakic last week was very telling, because it showed his frustration at being (in his opinion) blindsided by the Monsters, and having very few option available. To me it just shows how typically bad the Avalanche are at running their business. It's actually quite sad, but I will be so glad to see them gone.

Do you know whether they wrote the demand in comic sans?

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

Do you know whether they wrote the demand in comic sans?

I think Gilbert swore off that font after The Letter.

By the way, best of luck to all of the Avs prospects as they move on to San Antonio.

While I am excited about having the Jackets affiliate coming to Cleveland (as you can tell by my screen name, I am a Jackets fan). I have enjoyed the past eight years. Sure beats no hockey or the Sharks mess (sometimes their games looked more like they were running drills - that was one thing I never said about the Avs-affiliated Monsters).

The only thing I was ever really upset with the Avs about was not shipping a spare Bernie outfit to Cleveland for mascot night (would've been nice to have the parent club mascot there, especially since Columbus' Stinger was a regular attendee). An NHL exhibition would've been nice, but I realize that Denver to Cleveland is pretty ridiculous travel for the preseason.

 

[RockLobster]

This really is great news for hockey fans in Ohio. I couldn't be happier for them, and I sincerely mean that.

It is now confirmed that the Avs and San Antonio will be affiliated next year, and Craig Billington will be the GM for the team while also serving as Assistant GM for the Avs as well (a position he's held for a couple of seasons now).