Motor City Mechanics Done?

[whoopee23]

Rumor around Great Lakes Sports is that the Motor City Mechanics are not coming back and are folding up shop.

[patmc16]

It's not a rumor, it's a fact. If the franchise does survive, it won't be at GLSC in Fraser or anywhere else in SE Michigan. Owner Walter Cohen has made the following statement to the press:

"We have suspended operations," team owner Walter Cohen said Monday. "We're looking to move the team. We will move the team. In the long run, it just wasn't cost effective for us.

The front office was let go a few weeks ago. Coach Cole was the only one retained. He then left the franchise to be an assistant coach at BGSU. They had a "garage" sale at the Garage this past weekend to sell off all of the equipment. If Cohen is planing to move the team, why would he sell off the team's assets? My guess is that they are done, here or anywhere else.

They are gone as is my deposit on next year's season tickets.

[HockeyFan70]

So if there are teams inactive, teams for sale and teams relocating. Why doesn't the UHL at least entertain offers to attract a team?

[Pounder]

Prime Directive for any Commissioner:

Do NOT devalue the purchase price of a team, especially below the price of an expansion franchise.

Leagues do not bend over backwards to keep teams until it looks like there's no choice but to devalue things... and even then, the league will tend to fold first.

That is all.

[Motownboy]

I went to some games last year, and some this year. It is not bad hockey, there are just too many other teams (wings, junior, college) in the area for them to make it. The only way is if they became a wings farm team, and I don't really think even then.

Plus the arena is just not big enough. Try fitting 10,000 people into a city rec rink. The only reason the drew half way decent last year is the wings were not playing, and they had wing players (chelios, hatcher, avery,) playing for the mechanics. Staff and workers were fine, without the wing players there was just not enough of a draw.

Tom

[patmc16]

So if there are teams inactive, teams for sale and teams relocating. Why doesn't the UHL at least entertain offers to attract a team?

Most people put the blame for the condition that the league is in squarely on the shoulders of league president Richard Brosal. Since he controls such things, it is not surprising that he would drop the ball when it comes to attracting the new blood that the league needs.

[killer kaminski]

Richard Brosal does not run the league. The league is run by the board of governors that consist of the team owners. If you think Mr. Brosal is doing such a bad job, blame your teams owner, because they have the power to appoint someone else as comissioner. The owners must think he's doing a good job, or he wouldn't have a job. That's what most UHL fans don't understand when they follow one another like sheep and say things like, "King Dick" among others. The man has my utmost respect for the things he has to deal with.