Why is this a surprise for anyone? the Portland Pirates ditched the coyotes for they knew they were going to do this. Any Springfield fans that are mad at the coyotes Org should look at their own front office. This was clear it was going to happen from last year. Springfield signed the contract knowing this was coming.
Like Springfield really had a choice in affiliations. Columbus announced very late that they were ending the affiliation agreement and moving players to Cleveland. By that point the Colorado already had an agreement with San Antonio and Florida had been locked into Portland since the season's half way point when the Pirates announced they were done with the Coyotes.
Everybody else was taken so what did you want them to do, go independent? The AHL's bylaws basically prohibit a team from starting the season without an affiliation and the veteran rule slams the door on trying to put together anything resembling a half way decent team.
Both of you are correct.... It shouldn't be a surprise because since IA purchased the Coyotes they wanted to move to their affiliate out west. Likewise, Portland gave the Coyotes the heave-ho for two reasons. 1.) competitive team or lack of competitive team 2.) Coyotes didn't want to commit to a long-term deal. They only wanted one year extensions and that's something Portland was going to commit to with a renovated building and new long-term lease.
Portland went looking for a new partner and ultimately came to a four-year agreement with the Panthers. However, here's the thing.... the deal was completed early enough that it left Arizona with more than enough time to find another partner and it didn't have to be Springfield. For whatever reason IA sat idly by while Colorado and Columbus worked a deal in the background instead of being proactive. At the time there was a belief that Arizona and San Antonio would have been a good fit because of proximity to Glendale and proximity within the league.
Ultimately, Colorado and Columbus worked out a deal that allowed the Blue Jackets to move to Lake Erie. That still left San Antonio open for the Coyotes if they worked a deal. They didn't. Colorado did and Springfield was left with Arizona as its only option.
Personally, I think the Coyotes were so focused on purchasing a club that everything around them was oblivious. They were miffed at Portland for terminating the deal in-season as well as announcing a new affiliation agreement with another team in-season. I think they thought if they waited long enough they'd force Portland to sell much like Norfolk and now Springfield and when Portland got the jump on them I think that caught them off-guard.
All that said.... Springfield also knew that Columbus had been looking to move its affiliation to Lake Erie so when the Blue Jackets began to get in serious talks Pompea should have been more proactive in either luring Colorado or even Montreal who hadn't quite sealed its deal with St. John's when the whole process began.
I feel terrible for folks in Springfield. I think the whole situation stinks. I've been against the whole westward movement since Day 1 because I think the reasons they claim for wanting to be out west are bogus, but that's water under the bridge and nothing can be done about that now. Ultimately, it is IA's right to put their players where ever they want and Springfield's ownership should have been vigilant about that from day 1. The writing had been on the wall for more than five years about western NHL teams wanting to move their affiliates out west so any team with a west coast NHL partner should be leery on the future of their franchise. That includes Utica, who is the only remaining eastern team with a west coast affiliate. They're next.