Any ECHL expansion teams for 06-07?

[Minor League Man]

Besides Mississippi and Texas.

I heard they were considering moving the Cincinnati Cyclones to Atlantic City.

Any word?

[#1 Guard Fan]

I sure wish Fayetteville Nc could get a team in this league. We have a good fan base and I think a better level of Hockey would make even more people come out to the games

[garcia33]

would love to see two to three more teams here in the west. reno,sac, there's enuff cities out here on the west coast to have a team. santa cruz, portland, seattle just to name a few.

[#1 Guard Fan]

We need Hockey all across the US

[rams80]

would love to see two to three more teams here in the west. reno,sac, there's enuff cities out here on the west coast to have a team. santa cruz, portland, seattle just to name a few.

Reno does have a dormant franchise that serves as a tax shelter.
Sacramento doesn't like to have minor leagues in ARCO
Does Santa Cruz have an arena?
Portland and Seattle have WHL teams, I can't see them supporting them and the ECHL.

[toad455]

Not many, maybe just one or two. Plus Mississippi has decided to wait one more year because their arena won't be repaired in time. Texas will return though. Out of the four future expansion cities listed on the ECHL's website, only Burlington might actually join. The Gulf Coast Swords' arena isn't finished and has had work stopped due to financial reasons. The Myrtle Beach team isn't leaking any information, so it's basically unknown & Reno will likely never see a team.

[toad8098]

Texas & Cincinnati have announced they are returning for the 2006-07 season. I'd also expect Reno & Burlington, Vermont. There's a slight chance Myrtle Beach may also be playing, but nothing has been solid enough proof.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
North Division(8)
Trenton
Reading
Wheeling
Toledo
Dayton
Johnstown
Cincinnati
Burlington

Atlantic Division(5)
Charlotte
Columbia
Greenville
South Carolina
Myrtle Beach

South Division(5)
Gwinnett
Augusta
Texas
Pensacola
Florida

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
West Division(6)
Alaska
Idaho
Las Vegas
Phoenix
Utah
Victoria

Pacific Division(6)
San Diego
Bakersfield
Stockton
Fresno
Long Beach
Reno

This would bring the league up to 30 teams.

[Minor League Man]

Where did you hear Cincinnati was coming back?

[preeths]

Press release now up on OSC and Cincinnati team page active again.

[rams80]

Texas & Cincinnati have announced they are returning for the 2006-07 season. I'd also expect Reno & Burlington, Vermont. There's a slight chance Myrtle Beach may also be playing, but nothing has been solid enough proof.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
North Division(8)
Trenton
Reading
Wheeling
Toledo
Dayton
Johnstown
Cincinnati
Burlington

Atlantic Division(5)
Charlotte
Columbia
Greenville
South Carolina
Myrtle Beach

South Division(5)
Gwinnett
Augusta
Texas
Pensacola
Florida

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
West Division(6)
Alaska
Idaho
Las Vegas
Phoenix
Utah
Victoria

Pacific Division(6)
San Diego
Bakersfield
Stockton
Fresno
Long Beach
Reno

This would bring the league up to 30 teams.

Burlington and Reno have this tragic problem of not having a suitable arena in the market.

[Pounder]

Reno is curious... there was a Larry Leasure Boise-like arena/hotel proposal a few years ago that never caught wind. More recently, there was a proposal for a three-rink facility with an arena that would serve as part of a design to gain the 2014 Winter Olympics for Reno, but since Vancouver won the 2010 bid, that can wait longer. I'm tempted to think that Reno is a risky market anyway.

If Reno is risky, Sacramento is triply bad as a market rising to major status. For that matter, Arco Arena is really not suited to watching hockey.

Forget Portland, given WHL and the same conditions as Sacramento in regards to market size- Portland is teased too much by NHL to take the E seriously. Wait to see if the Thunderbirds make a move elsewhere... but even then, Everett has become the hot hockey ticket around the Sound, and they're also WHL.

[F_CSM]

The whispers around Central Florida are that a certain set of brothers, whose name rhymes with Wesposito, have been scouting the building in Lakeland, FL for a new team in a yet to be determined league. I've ben told by an "insider" that the pair has made 5 or 6 trips to look at the facitly. Possibly ECHL, SPHL, and mention has even been made of the AHL. Promises to purchase brand new boards, glass, netting and upgrade the ice plant have been heard faintly thoughtout the Lakeland Center.

Where its all but too late for anything to happen this season in any league, don't be suprised if they make some noise next year.

Then again, don't be suprised if they don't.

[Hockeyfan26]

The San Diego Gulls have folded but there are rumors of a possible team going to Ontario California.

[Minor League Man]

Relocated San Diego?

[killer kaminski]

There are whispers around the camp fire here in St. Charles, Missouri for 07'.

[HockeyFan70]

I certainly hope that the ECHL continues to grow as solidly as it has. I also hope Louisville, Ky can land an ECHL team. It was announced yesterday that the city is building a new downtown arena for UofL which will leave Freedom Hall open in 4 years. If someone (the city) really gets going an ECHL team could play in Broadbent arena until moving into Freedom Hall. Louisville has been without pro-hockey since 2002. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[dburris47130]

HockeyFan70 I would prefer the team go to the new arena and be an AHL team rather than an ECHL team. Much better hockey. I think it may happen but it will be four years down the road and hopefully with much better management than the Louisville Panthers had:(

The arena will be looking for tenants to help pay for the big price tag. The NBA is dead here in Louisville due to the agreement with the University of Louisville controling the luxury suites. That killed it right there.

David

[Geoff]

I certainly hope that the ECHL continues to grow as solidly as it has. I also hope Louisville, Ky can land an ECHL team. It was announced yesterday that the city is building a new downtown arena for UofL which will leave Freedom Hall open in 4 years. If someone (the city) really gets going an ECHL team could play in Broadbent arena until moving into Freedom Hall. Louisville has been without pro-hockey since 2002. Keeping my fingers crossed!

No need to move to FH. Broadbent is the perfect ECHL arena (size wise) and FH is (upper) AHL/(lower to mid) NHL size.

[bluef0x]

I emailed some people from Arco Arena and the Maloofs (Sacramento Kings owners) and got this response:

"It may surprise you to learn that three of us on your address list have worked in the National Hockey League prior to coming to Sacramento. Personally I grew up in the game playing on outdoor rinks back in the Midwest. We hope to be able to attract an AHL or ECHL team once we find a new arena solution for Sacramento. Unfortunately ARCO Arena was not constructed with an adequate ice floor and system for sustaining a hockey season."

It says it takes close to 48 hours to prepare ice for Arco Arena... so there's no way they would be able to host hockey games. They would have to cancel so many concerts/events/basketball games for a risky sport.




Santa Cruz would either be a major success or major failure, IMHO. If they could draw enough people, I'm sure the city would be hooked on hockey. All those surfers and skaters would love it. But will they fork out the money to go? Who knows..

[dburris47130]

Geoff, Broadbent Arena may be good size wise but it was never intended to host hockey. The arena was built to host horse and livestock shows. The floor area is huge and there are really only about 750 or less seats with a decent sight line. Two ECHL teams have already failed in this arena. Why would anyone invest to put another one in? Also, the hockey rink itself is shot. A totally new rink would need to be purchased along with a new zamboni.

The best shot for hockey in Louisville is an AHL team in the new downtown arena.

David

[chdahs]

Geoff, Broadbent Arena may be good size wise but it was never intended to host hockey. The arena was built to host horse and livestock shows. The floor area is huge and there are really only about 750 or less seats with a decent sight line. Two ECHL teams have already failed in this arena. Why would anyone invest to put another one in? Also, the hockey rink itself is shot. A totally new rink would need to be purchased along with a new zamboni.

The best shot for hockey in Louisville is an AHL team in the new downtown arena.

David

The only drawback to Louisville going back to the AHL which was never done is the franchise that they had is now active in another city (Dallas' affiliate in Des Moines) and the is there really a fanbase in Louisville after 2 ECHL attempts and the 2 year debacle that was the Louisville Panthers.

What AHL Franchise is there to be acquired should a new downtown arena be built for Louisville if Utah's franchise has been bought by the Cavaliers to begin in 2007-08, Cincinnati has a franchise but also has an arena but do they want to reignite the 'war' between the AHL franchise and the Cyclones who restart in October, because the AHL has closed the door on expansion and is now telling prospective owners to find an existing team.

Even Lexington's franchise has been summarily been moved twice in the last decade so even if Louisville got an AHL franchise, after the intrigue wore off, then what, at least then you had a close 'rival'.

[dburris47130]

The only drawback to Louisville going back to the AHL which was never done is the franchise that they had is now active in another city (Dallas' affiliate in Des Moines) and the is there really a fanbase in Louisville after 2 ECHL attempts and the 2 year debacle that was the Louisville Panthers.

What AHL Franchise is there to be acquired should a new downtown arena be built for Louisville if Utah's franchise has been bought by the Cavaliers to begin in 2007-08, Cincinnati has a franchise but also has an arena but do they want to reignite the 'war' between the AHL franchise and the Cyclones who restart in October, because the AHL has closed the door on expansion and is now telling prospective owners to find an existing team.

Even Lexington's franchise has been summarily been moved twice in the last decade so even if Louisville got an AHL franchise, after the intrigue wore off, then what, at least then you had a close 'rival'.

I definitely think an AHL franchise would have a shot if placed in the new downtown arena. I agree it would be a struggle past the second year or so after the newness of the arena has worn off. But, it would have a much better shot than the previous teams if the management and the marketing is competent. Previous teams had to deal with:
A) The two ECHL teams had to play in Broadbent Arena which was never made for hockey and was basically a cow barn and both teams were moderately successful anyway.
B) The AHL team had to deal with a completely incompetent management team which spent exactly zero on marketing the second year.
C) All three franchises had to deal with no November home games due to lack of available dates. Kind of tough to market a team that goes 5 weeks without a home game after the first 3 or 4 home games. The Panthers had trouble finding any home dates and had to settle for Sunday and weekday games.

The key to a successful minor league hockey franchise is promotion, Friday and Saturday home games, and a good record. Unfortunately, all three franchises struggled in these areas.

I don't think there will be a problem finding an available franchise. The AHL wants to get to 30 teams and is still short and looking for cities to place teams. We are probably 4 years away from finishing a new arena so there is plenty of time to find a team and a brand new 21,000 seat arena in a metropolitan area of more the 1 million should be a great enough lure to a potential owner.

[Minor League Man]

There's always the Edmonton RoadRunners (they need a buyer)

[rams80]

I definitely think an AHL franchise would have a shot if placed in the new downtown arena. I agree it would be a struggle past the second year or so after the newness of the arena has worn off. But, it would have a much better shot than the previous teams if the management and the marketing is competent. Previous teams had to deal with:
A) The two ECHL teams had to play in Broadbent Arena which was never made for hockey and was basically a cow barn and both teams were moderately successful anyway.
B) The AHL team had to deal with a completely incompetent management team which spent exactly zero on marketing the second year.
C) All three franchises had to deal with no November home games due to lack of available dates. Kind of tough to market a team that goes 5 weeks without a home game after the first 3 or 4 home games. The Panthers had trouble finding any home dates and had to settle for Sunday and weekday games.

The key to a successful minor league hockey franchise is promotion, Friday and Saturday home games, and a good record. Unfortunately, all three franchises struggled in these areas.

I don't think there will be a problem finding an available franchise. The AHL wants to get to 30 teams and is still short and looking for cities to place teams. We are probably 4 years away from finishing a new arena so there is plenty of time to find a team and a brand new 21,000 seat arena in a metropolitan area of more the 1 million should be a great enough lure to a potential owner.

There are currently two dormant AHL franchises (Utah will become Cleveland next year.) Cincinnati may or may not make another run at resurrection for 2007. From what I've seen lately, Edmonton is thinking more along the lines of setting up shop North of the Border.

[Geoff]

I did not know the Ice Hawks and the Riverfrogs were in Broadbent. Thanks for telling me this. I was never able to make it to their games while I lived in Louisville and all the info I had seen said Freedom Hall.

[HockeyFan70]

The Hawks and Frogs both played in Broadbent arena. The Hawks tried to have a game in Freedom Hall but that never got off the ground. The Panthers played in Freedom Hall to an average of 4,500 or so. The Riverfrogs had a much better average in Broadbent which only holds 6,600 for hockey. Difference being the Riverfrogs promoted and the Panthers didn't. Which begs the question, if the new arena comes do you put in a hockey team to have 4,500 in a 20,000 seat arena? Which is what the Panthers were able to do in Freedom Hall (holds 18,000 for hockey). If you were to have an ECHL or UHL team and they play in Broadbent then your capacity looks better, sounds better and has longer lines at the restrooms. I know beggers can't be chosers, so I'll take any team I can get. I just hope this pans out somehow and Louisville has hockey again. If not I'm going back to organizing a roller-hockey league and becoming the "Goalie-of-the-Year" for the 4th time.

[killer kaminski]

There are whispers around the camp fire here in St. Charles, Missouri for 07'.
The whispers are getting louder.
Eighth paragraph down.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/talkofcharleytown/story/30A30D6BD7F94774862572310023CB36?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22family%22+AND+%22arena%22

[garcia33]

Get this, I was in bentonville,ARKANSAS over thanksgiving and they are building a 10500 seat arena in the town of ROGERS, ARKANSAS. The design team show the model of it, looks nice. it's modeled after the gwinnett gladiators place, same people. There buying a existing echl team, also wnba team. It open's sept 2008. No teams will be revealed til later, it would financially impact the current owners! league commissioner brian mckenna was at the oct 19 announcement! looks like it's a done deal to me.