So where are the Canucks putting their affiliate? UPD: Utica NY

[vannzee]

I wish they could put their AHL team in Toledo Ohio. It's not much further then Chicago and the arena would work size wise, but a pipedream.

 

[LadyStanley]

I wish they could put their AHL team in Toledo Ohio. It's not much further then Chicago and the arena would work size wise, but a pipedream.

There's an ECHL team there. Don't think two leagues can survive in the city.

 

[Rumblick]

If the Canucks put their prospects in Lowell for a season, or I guess anywhere else for that matter (That isn't Rogers Arena), would the team have to make arrangements to help cover the losses that low attendance could/would bring? I suppose it's all hypothetical until we see an agreement in place.

They could arrange to play a chunk of their schedule against teams within a 2-hour drive of Lowell (5 of them, by my count), cutting travel and overnight costs.

 

[Fenway]

To play up the angle that the team did well as the Lock Monsters and it was the Devils franchise that ruined pro hockey in the city would be inaccurate as far as I can remember.
Even as the Lock Monsters franchise, I recall the rare good Saturday or Sunday afternoon attendance figure when Providence was in town and periodically Worcester. But they drew flies for nearly every other regional opponent including Springfield, Bridgeport, Hartford, and Portland. If it was a week day game, they could expect attendance in the range of 2200-2600 and that's being nice. Tsongas arena capacity for hockey was in the high 7000 range as I recall and while the U-Mass Lowell didn't do poorly attendance wise, AHL hockey did as both the Lock Monsters and the Devils.....

LockMonsters were very good in the community and were family friendly.

First few years Fred Cusick did the TV - and on weekends they would do well. Mid-week they had problems.

Devils take over and name the team the Lowell Devils, community outreach was lessened.

Lowell's biggest problem was Tsongas being only 6,500 seats could never get the 10,000 plus crowds like Providence and Worcester on weekends to pad average.

My son who is now 21 is a hockey fan because of Louie and the Lock Monsters (not the Bruins ) his first hero was Luongo

 

[UticaHockey]

Utica, NY chances just got much stronger. A $2M renovation to The Aud announced today.

http://www.wktv.com/news/top-storie...ions-208321151.html?m=y&smobile=y&clmob=y&c=n

 

[Tommy Hawk]

A good market for an AHL team is not how the team did on the ice nor what the team did in the community, it is how the team did attendance-wise.

The considerations for the team would be a short term arena lease and inexpensive for all travel (call-ups as well as AHL). They bailed on Peoria because of $1.5 million. For an organization as large and profitable as the Canucks to bail on a location for that small amount when they sign contracts like Luongo's, does not show a lot of business acumen to me. I hope they do end up in a run down arena where they will lose their arse.

 

[paul-laus]

LockMonsters were very good in the community and were family friendly.

First few years Fred Cusick did the TV - and on weekends they would do well. Mid-week they had problems.

Devils take over and name the team the Lowell Devils, community outreach was lessened.

Lowell's biggest problem was Tsongas being only 6,500 seats could never get the 10,000 plus crowds like Providence and Worcester on weekends to pad average.

My son who is now 21 is a hockey fan because of Louie and the Lock Monsters (not the Bruins ) his first hero was Luongo

To say that they struggled mid week would be the understatement of the year. They put up SPHL like numbers. And I'm sticking to my guns on this one, I remember the odd good Saturday or Sunday afternoon attendance when Providence or Worcester came to town, but the majority of their weekend attendances were lackluster as well even when other regional rivals came to town. The Lock Monsters may have been family friendly and good in the community but the fact remains, people didn't show up to support the team and to portray it any other way would be grossly inaccurate.

 

[Fenway]

To say that they struggled mid week would be the understatement of the year. They put up SPHL like numbers. And I'm sticking to my guns on this one, I remember the odd good Saturday or Sunday afternoon attendance when Providence or Worcester came to town, but the majority of their weekend attendances were lackluster as well even when other regional rivals came to town. The Lock Monsters may have been family friendly and good in the community but the fact remains, people didn't show up to support the team and to portray it any other way would be grossly inaccurate.

My point is what doomed Lowell was a sellout was about 6,300. Unlike Manchester, Worcester and Providence they could not get the 10K+ crowd.

Midweek is a tough sell with kids in school - the baseball Spinners don't have that problem.

 

[paul-laus]

My point is what doomed Lowell was a sellout was about 6,300. Unlike Manchester, Worcester and Providence they could not get the 10K+ crowd.

Midweek is a tough sell with kids in school - the baseball Spinners don't have that problem.

To hell with 10k or even 6,300, if the Monsters had averaged 4,000 fans, they'd probably still be in Lowell.

 

[JB51Hockey]

There's an ECHL team there. Don't think two leagues can survive in the city.

Yeah, I think he means replace it with the ECHL team...

 

[IceCapsHabs]

Utica Comets ?

Seems there is alot of specilation the Canucks farm team will be moved to Utica and called the "Comets"

I checked online last night and UticaComets.com was purchased on April 13th 2013. So that might be a hint they will go with that name.

Also Mohawk Vally used to have a team called the Comets who played in Utica back in 73-77

I also think if the Canucks plan to move to Abbortsford in the 2014-15 season and the flames move their farm team to Utica the "Comets" name is suitable for the Calgary Flames farm team.

All this is guessing at this point of course until something "Official" is released.

 

[wildcat48]

The real concern when the Canucks sign on with Utica for their AHL affiliate should be in Abbotsford.

Link>>>>

Interesting story from The Province

It has a pretty good explanation on how things went down, which was pretty much the same way it was described to me. Calgary held all the cards in the deal.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

The real concern when the Canucks sign on with Utica for their AHL affiliate should be in Abbotsford.

Link>>>>

Interesting story from The Province

It has a pretty good explanation on how things went down, which was pretty much the same way it was described to me. Calgary held all the cards in the deal.

Like I was saying all along, if you were the Flames, would you give up that deal without tons of compensation?

 

[IceCapsFanNL]

My point is what doomed Lowell was a sellout was about 6,300. Unlike Manchester, Worcester and Providence they could not get the 10K+ crowd.

Midweek is a tough sell with kids in school - the baseball Spinners don't have that problem.

6300 is fine if the ticket prices are high enough.

 

[Cynicaps]

6300 is fine if the ticket prices are high enough.

You can't compare Lowell to St. John's and you can't compare Tsongas to Mile One. The Ice Caps have no competition and a hypothetical New LockMonsters would have the following.

• UMass Lowell sharing the same venue and being their landlord
• Merrimack 20 minutes away
• Manchester 30 minutes away
• Boston (Bruins and Beanpot quartet) and Worcester (plus Holy Cross), and FWIW Bentley, 45 minutes away
• UNH a little over an hour away
• UMass Amherst, Springfield (and FWIW AIC), UConn, Hartford, Dartmouth, Portland, and the PBruins/PC/Brown trio all within 2 hours.

And this doesn't take into account other sports or the fact that with all of UML's programs going up to D1 they're going to probably give basketball a push even if they're a hockey school. Baseball as well, they just held the America East tournament at LaLecheur Park as a bit of a sneak peek/preview. Would you sell tickets at St. John's prices in Lowell given the alternatives Lowell has?

 

[ZekeA]

The Flyers will be leaving Glens Falls for Allentown for the start of the 2014-2015 s

The Flyers will be leaving Glens Falls for Allentown for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

So Glen Falls will need a new parent team then. So if Vancouver went to Lowell or Utica for 1 season then they could move to Glens Falls.


Just a thought..........

 

[adsfan]

My point is what doomed Lowell was a sellout was about 6,300. Unlike Manchester, Worcester and Providence they could not get the 10K+ crowd.

Midweek is a tough sell with kids in school - the baseball Spinners don't have that problem.

Sounds like Milwaukee.

 

[Disengage]

Gillis also said he hoped to have an announcement next week on a new home for the Canucks' farm team. It's believed that will be Utica, N.Y.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/...cott+Arniel+among+coaching/8427584/story.html

 

[PanniniClaus]

How about the Cape Breton Canucks?

Put the major junior club out of it's misery and get the 2nd best league in the world back in Sydney.

 

[IceCapsFanNL]

That would work for me.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

The Flyers will be leaving Glens Falls for Allentown for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

So Glen Falls will need a new parent team then. So if Vancouver went to Lowell or Utica for 1 season then they could move to Glens Falls.


Just a thought..........

The team moving has been known for a while, like when it went there. If GF wanted to keep AHL hockey they would have to get a new team (not a new parent club).

I hope the Canucks do go to the hole that is Utica. It would serve them right, but I doubt they will get the kind of deal they are hoping to get, such as what the Flames have in Abbotsford or what the Canucks asked for in Peoria.

 

[Lunatik]

Guess Utica would make sense as a stop gap, as that's where the Flames apparently want to move their team. So just need to do it as a one year thing and then flip locations next year. Could even do the realignment this offseason to hold true for beyond, just change the names in 2014-15.

Utica was pursuing the Flames, not vice versa.

 

[axecrew]

Utica was pursuing the Flames, not vice versa.

Actually it was a little of both....Utica put the feelers out there, but Calgary wouldn't have made a factfinding trip there if they weren't somewhat interested as well.

As for vancouver.....who cares.....they've already screwed this thing up 6 ways to sunday anyway.

They ASSUMED that they were going into abbotsford and that Calgary was leaving.....when Calgary said no to vancouver's paltry buyout to them, then vancouver decided that peoria wasn't so bad after all....that is until they ask peoria to basically pay them to play there and give them the same sweetheart deal that Calgary has in abbotsford, without a chance to keep them there. When peoria rightfully balked at that they said then fine we're taking our ball and going someplace else..where we don't know but someplace.

Up steps Utica just like the girl who doesn't look good enough at 10 pm but looks a lot better 4 hours and a ton of beer later, except Utica has a building that needs a ton of work just to get to AHL standards, with little time and less money to get them done in. Except vancouver still isn't sure where to go....they have 11 days, thanks to a generous AHL BOG, to figure it out. I wonder if that's enough time since they decided to leave Chicago last august and 10 months later they still have no clue. The whole thing must have snuck up on them.

 

[GKJ]

Why doesn't Vancouver go to Houston?

The Flyers will be leaving Glens Falls for Allentown for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

So Glen Falls will need a new parent team then. So if Vancouver went to Lowell or Utica for 1 season then they could move to Glens Falls.


Just a thought..........

I don't think there's been a rush to make sure Glens Falls was covered for when the Phantoms leave. No one was banging down the door when they didn't have a team for years before the Phantoms showed up. I don't even think the Flyers really wanted to be there, that was just the chair that was left.

 

[UticaHockey]

Actually it was a little of both....Utica put the feelers out there, but Calgary wouldn't have made a factfinding trip there if they weren't somewhat interested as well.

As for vancouver.....who cares.....they've already screwed this thing up 6 ways to sunday anyway.

They ASSUMED that they were going into abbotsford and that Calgary was leaving.....when Calgary said no to vancouver's paltry buyout to them, then vancouver decided that peoria wasn't so bad after all....that is until they ask peoria to basically pay them to play there and give them the same sweetheart deal that Calgary has in abbotsford, without a chance to keep them there. When peoria rightfully balked at that they said then fine we're taking our ball and going someplace else..where we don't know but someplace.

Up steps Utica just like the girl who doesn't look good enough at 10 pm but looks a lot better 4 hours and a ton of beer later, except Utica has a building that needs a ton of work just to get to AHL standards, with little time and less money to get them done in. Except vancouver still isn't sure where to go....they have 11 days, thanks to a generous AHL BOG, to figure it out. I wonder if that's enough time since they decided to leave Chicago last august and 10 months later they still have no clue. The whole thing must have snuck up on them.

There have been a number of misconceptions about Utica needing a "ton of work just to get to AHL standards". Two short term upgrades to be ready for next season which are a video clock and renovated locker and training rooms. Last summer all of the seats in the lower section were replaced and new glass and dasher boards were put in not that long ago.

Long term The Aud needs some structural repair to the brick work in a few areas and addition seating added likely in the stage area similar to what Syracuse did with the War Memorial which is even older than The Aud. There is also talks about adding club boxes to The Aud.

Here is an updated article from today talking about the $2.25M state funding for upgrades to The Aud.

http://www.uticaod.com/features/x863239663/-2-25M-in-state-money-to-go-toward-Aud-upgrades