Wilkes-Barre/Scranton update:

[Crunchrulz]

If I'm not mistaken about my nautical history, they would immediately be given command of the poop deck.

Nah, that would be the Rosemont Near the Rear Admirals

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Wheeling is supposedly losing season ticket holders

 

[Captain Crash]

Subsequent tweets from that Indy beat writer indicate he's just speculating based on their attendance.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Subsequent tweets from that Indy beat writer indicate he's just speculating based on their attendance.

i was the one asking him

 

[210]

It should also be noted that Mr Miller likely has no actual knowledge of the potential franchise suspension in Manchester other than the tweet by Mark Divver.

 

[crimsonace]

Subsequent tweets from that Indy beat writer indicate he's just speculating based on their attendance.

He's not a beat writer, per se. He's a young guy writing for a website that's still learning the ropes.

Mark Divver, OTOH, is one of the most trusted and well-connected people in the game. I trust anything he says.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

It should also be noted that Mr Miller likely has no actual knowledge of the potential franchise suspension in Manchester other than the tweet by Mark Divver.

Where do you think divver got his info from.

 

[210]

Where do you think divver got his info from.

Why don't you ask him on twitter.

 

[HansH]

I'm amazed they're still in the ECHL. If we still had the Minor League Death Watch, Wheeling would be a regular Yellow or Orange.

Anyone is welcome to take up the banner I set down 12 years ago and resurrect the Death Pool Report - it just takes time and persistence that I don't have any more

 

[Captain Crash]

Decision on where WBS Penguins will play next season must come by Monday

Jason Chaimovitch, the AHL’s vice president of communications, said Wednesday that each team must declare their intentions on where they will play the coming season at the meeting, or they must request relocation of the franchise.
“At the spring meeting, all teams must declare their intentions to be members of the AHL and where they will be playing next season,” Chaimovitch said.
When asked if Pittsburgh has submitted a request for relocation of its Wilkes-Barre/Scranton franchise, Chaimovitch said, “I don’t believe so.”

The hold-up on a lease extension?

There has been speculation that the major stumbling block to a new deal has been the length of the contract extension — authority wanting a new 10-year extension and the Penguins seeking a lesser number of years. There has also been reports that the Penguins have asked for significant improvements to the arena facilities. None of the reports could be confirmed.

Source: Decision on where WBS Penguins will play next season must come by Monday | Times Leader

Seems like things are trending toward an extension. If the speculation about disagreements over lease term is accurate, one side will eventually blink. This late in the game, neither side is in a good position to not have at least a short term extension.

Should things fall through, Pittsburgh won't really have much of an option. I imagine their only real back up plan would be to bring their AHL team to the PPG Paints Arena, which they manage, for a season while they figure out a long term plan.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Decision on where WBS Penguins will play next season must come by Monday


The hold-up on a lease extension?


Source: Decision on where WBS Penguins will play next season must come by Monday | Times Leader

Seems like things are trending toward an extension. If the speculation about disagreements over lease term is accurate, one side will eventually blink. This late in the game, neither side is in a good position to not have at least a short term extension.

Should things fall through, Pittsburgh won't really have much of an option. I imagine their only real back up plan would be to bring their AHL team to the PPG Paints Arena, which they manage, for a season while they figure out a long term plan.

Moving it to Pittsburgh would not be a great move the moose and barracuda are in the bottom 15 in attendance AHL 2018-19 team attendance at hockeydb.com

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Moving it to Pittsburgh would not be a great move the moose and barracuda are in the bottom 15 in attendance AHL 2018-19 team attendance at hockeydb.com

I agree, it's doubtful the Penguins would want them moving into their own backyard. Pittsburgh sports scene is pretty maxed out as it is, PPG Paints Arena is also pretty backed for prime dates as it hosts a fair number of non-Penguins related events. I can't see Lemieux moving the Baby Pens into town and bankrolling them like Hasso Plattner does with the Barracuda.

Then again, if the Baby Pens are kicked out of WBS, 3 months isn't a lot of time to get things to get going and even if they scramble they won't find any good options. There's no open markets and only a few that could even reasonably host them.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

I agree, it's doubtful the Penguins would want them moving into their own backyard. Pittsburgh sports scene is pretty maxed out as it is, PPG Paints Arena is also pretty backed for prime dates as it hosts a fair number of non-Penguins related events. I can't see Lemieux moving the Baby Pens into town and bankrolling them like Hasso Plattner does with the Barracuda.

Then again, if the Baby Pens are kicked out of WBS, 3 months isn't a lot of time to get things to get going and even if they scramble they won't find any good options. There's no open markets and only a few that could even reasonably host them.

Albany and Trenton are two open markets but anything other than the rangers or flyers respectively would be a tough sell

 

[Captain Crash]

I by no means advocated that it would be a good idea to move them to Pittsburgh. I specifically stated that if they can't come to an agreement by Monday, that due to the timing it's a possible back up option for a single season until they could figure out a long term strategy.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

I by no means advocated that it would be a good idea to move them to Pittsburgh. I specifically stated that if they can't come to an agreement by Monday, that due to the timing it's a possible back up option for a single season until they could figure out a long term strategy.

Maybe a City would come out of the blue if a team needs a place to play like Utica did with the Vancouver’s AHL team.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Albany and Trenton are two open markets but anything other than the rangers or flyers respectively would be a tough sell

I remember an article from a few months ago saying that Times Union Center in Albany didn't even want hockey back unless it was a perfect match (i.e. NYR affiliate) since they host a ton of events and don't even need hockey. Trenton couldn't make hockey work despite two separate affiliations with nearby New Jersey and Philadelphia. I don't remember much about them, but it looks like they folded and months afterwards still owed several hundred thousand dollars to creditors. I don't think they would even be an option if WBS were to kick the Baby Pens to the curb.

If the Pens decide to pack it in and reassess while babysitting for a year or two, they'd be looking at long-term and stable options. They've had the affiliation for 20 years and have been a great model for farm league operations. The Baby Pens provided countless players a springboard to play with the parent club, which is the point of the AHL. Wheeling, Erie, and Youngstown are all fairly close by and occupied with ECHL, OHL, and USHL teams respectively, and all are within Penguins influence and market area. They all have arenas around the 6,000 mark, which is perfect size for an AHL team. Yes, they've all had trouble filling their arenas. Erie almost relocated to Hamilton in that well-publicized gongshow move the Oilers almost pulled, but they've proved they can support a team and had almost 5,000/game at one point although that was a peak they're on the wrong side of now. Youngstown has been between 1,000-2,000 for a while now and Wheeling's troubles have long been known. But, beggars can't be choosers.

 

[axecrew]

I agree, it's doubtful the Penguins would want them moving into their own backyard. Pittsburgh sports scene is pretty maxed out as it is, PPG Paints Arena is also pretty backed for prime dates as it hosts a fair number of non-Penguins related events. I can't see Lemieux moving the Baby Pens into town and bankrolling them like Hasso Plattner does with the Barracuda.

Then again, if the Baby Pens are kicked out of WBS, 3 months isn't a lot of time to get things to get going and even if they scramble they won't find any good options. There's no open markets and only a few that could even reasonably host them.

Try 4 days...they have until Monday's League meetings in Chicago to figure it out and declare where they will play next year or if they will play

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Maybe a City like utica would come out of the blue if a team needs a place to play

Utica is not in play

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Utica is not in play

Based off his grammar usage, I think Centrum was using Utica as an example with the assertion that a long time minor league market that hadn't hosted hockey in a long time suddenly became available. Potentially not even geographically optimal. We all know Utica isn't in play and has a 6 year lease with opt-outs at 2 year intervals.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Based off his grammar usage, I think Centrum was using Utica as an example with the assertion that a long time minor league market that hadn't hosted hockey in a long time suddenly became available. Potentially not even geographically optimal. We all know Utica isn't in play and has a 6 year lease with opt-outs at 2 year intervals.

there are other examples in recent history than UTICA

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Based off his grammar usage, I think Centrum was using Utica as an example with the assertion that a long time minor league market that hadn't hosted hockey in a long time suddenly became available. Potentially not even geographically optimal. We all know Utica isn't in play and has a 6 year lease with opt-outs at 2 year intervals.

That’s exactly what I meant

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

That’s exactly what I meant

DO YOU even do research on teams, Centrum?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

AHL isn't waiting on WB/S;


PIT must declare intentions on staying in Luzerne County by mid next week, AHL Spring meeting and declaration of each franchise and intent or ask for relocation

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

there are other examples in recent history than UTICA

I can't particularly think of any. Starting with the wave of relocations and affiliation changes in summer 2015 to the present, nearly each AHL affiliate has been placed in a solid, well-planned, and long-term market. None have been the last second "what are we gonna do" relocation that WBS would face should they choose to leave Luzerne County. Portland Pirates moving to Springfield was short notice and done quickly, but it wasn't rushed and Florida likes the arrangement for the long-term. St. John's was used as a placeholder while accommodations were made future Laval Rocket and Manitoba Moose. San Antonio has an agreement for several more years while St. Louis continues to look for options closer to home. All of the West Division teams are in their permanent homes except for *maybe* San José. There's a few teams have uncertain futures like Bridgeport and Hartford, but there's been nothing within recent memory that's been as good of an example as Utica.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I can't particularly think of any. Starting with the wave of relocations and affiliation changes in summer 2015 to the present, nearly each AHL affiliate has been placed in a solid, well-planned, and long-term market. None have been the last second "what are we gonna do" relocation that WBS would face should they choose to leave Luzerne County. Portland Pirates moving to Springfield was short notice and done quickly, but it wasn't rushed and Florida likes the arrangement for the long-term. St. John's was used as a placeholder while accommodations were made future Laval Rocket and Manitoba Moose. San Antonio has an agreement for several more years while St. Louis continues to look for options closer to home. All of the West Division teams are in their permanent homes except for *maybe* San José. There's a few teams have uncertain futures like Bridgeport and Hartford, but there's been nothing within recent memory that's been as good of an example as Utica.

nope, here's why:

where has it been stated that St. Louis wants to have an affiliate close to them, much less own or operate one, Kansas City has spurned all efforts to get a franchise close, no matter what was presented to them, that includes the Mavs..... that's why the Blues sold to Vancouver, and why they acquired the affiliation from Colorado....ie SA.....

WHT is the topic here is those you cite, weren't in season.... the lease was active in 2015 in Portland.....so how can that be used an an example where a lease is expiring and the League decrees a deadline as the AHL does with WB/S, SINCE NO franchise can operate either without a lease or affiliation such as Manchester just because the E allows a franchise to be independent, the AHL cannot....

NJ let Utica go in 1992 when the decision was made to go to Albany from RPI