CHL in Little Rock

[spider]

Anybody besides me ready to see some CHL in Little Rock?
I would like to see the team play at the fairgrounds.
That place rocked with the Glacier Cats in the old WPHL.
It has more of an atmosphere for hockey than the arena downtown.

[phydeaux72]

I think Little Rock would be a great place for a CHL team. But, the way I understand it, the CHL as we know it today will only expand into a market that either currently has, or will build, a Global/ICC facility.

[nksports]

I don't know if they would keep another team out of the league, but ICC/Global buildings have been going CHL (same ownership).

Little Rock would work well, especially if Joplin and Springfield were to come in. (ICC/Global talked of building in Joplin, but last I heard the locals met them with torches and pitchforks so to speak, screaming "don't raise my taxes.")
The pre-merger CHL tried Texarkana, but that flopped miserably.

[spider]

Little Rock can work in the CHL without Springfield or Joplin, however it would be nice if they were to come in later.
There is already a facility in Little Rock that will house a team.
I think that if the team had the right ownership and sponsors it would thrive as well as the arena football team.

[madly]

From Tulsa I wouldn't mind a team in Little Rock as well as in Springfield. We would make a few games there when Tulsa played and I imagine so would others.

[nksports]

Springfield might be back in play since, from what I've heard (and you can correct me if I'm wrong) John Q. Hammond (who built the Springfield Cardinals baseball stadium) is building an arena up there. I don't know how far into the project they are.

[canuck steve]

If the Rockford teams leaves the UHL, would this not be a good time for a merger between the UHL and CHL with a few changes.Port Huron should be moved to Little Rock and Flint to Jackson and add two teams, one in Lafayette La. and another the old Missouri team of the UHL, you would create many rivals for Youngstown and also for Memphis, the CHL seems to do a very good job creating hockey markets .Two Conferences with divisions and each team does not have to play home and home with all teams.I think it would be a great move for hockey.

[nksports]

If the Rockford teams leaves the UHL, would this not be a good time for a merger between the UHL and CHL with a few changes.Port Huron should be moved to Little Rock and Flint to Jackson and add two teams, one in Lafayette La. and another the old Missouri team of the UHL, you would create many rivals for Youngstown and also for Memphis, the CHL seems to do a very good job creating hockey markets .Two Conferences with divisions and each team does not have to play home and home with all teams.I think it would be a great move for hockey.

If the UHL struggles, maybe the CHL could operate the league, but full merger wouldn't work too well (too big). The pre-CHL-WPHL merger CHL tried expansion in the southeast and it only worked well for a couple of year. The only reason Youngstown is CHL is the CHL is operated by the same company that manages Youngstown's arena.
I'd never want to give up on hockey in Michigan. That would be like giving up on gumbo in Louisiana or pizza in Chicago.
It's always been an economy thing in Mich. When the auto makers are at full employment, people in Michigan go to hockey games. When the economy struggles, people can't afford hockey games. (I grew up around the IHL in the 70s and 80s. I know hockey in the area.)
Good CHL expansion cities would be Kansas City (if the Sprint Center doesn't get NHL first and a well-financed ownership group is in place) and Springfield, Mo. Lafayette wouldn't be too bad. Jackson might work for the SPHL.
The UHL needs to retrench a little. It also looks like the league needs to address some management issues. A strong 6- to 12-team league in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and that area would work best.
Maybe something like this:
(x-expansion teams)
North Division
Flint
Port Huron
Traverse City-x
Lansing-x
Central Division
Fort Wayne
Kalamazoo
Muskegon
Indianapolis-x
West Division
Quad City
Chicago
Bloomington
Rockford

[canuck steve]

Have been reading in the CHL forum, that there are rumours of the CHL and UHL merging. its a great idea.Fort Wayne,Quad Cities,Bloomington,Kalamazoo could eneter the league as is, the remaining six teams are relocated,Elmira with what ownership groups enters the ECHL as a new team, the existing franschise can be shifted to MIssouri,Port huron to Lafayette,Chicago to Indy,Muskegon to Little Rock and Flint to either Jackson,El Paso,or Fort Worth.Its a big step but you can now go to 2 conferences, with three or four divisions in each and one division a year can play crossovers.Then the 2 winners met in a Super Final Series, could work and help further expansion if needed.any other ideas

[rams80]

Have been reading in the CHL forum, that there are rumours of the CHL and UHL merging. its a great idea.Fort Wayne,Quad Cities,Bloomington,Kalamazoo could eneter the league as is, the remaining six teams are relocated,Elmira with what ownership groups enters the ECHL as a new team, the existing franschise can be shifted to MIssouri,Port huron to Lafayette,Chicago to Indy,Muskegon to Little Rock and Flint to either Jackson,El Paso,or Fort Worth.Its a big step but you can now go to 2 conferences, with three or four divisions in each and one division a year can play crossovers.Then the 2 winners met in a Super Final Series, could work and help further expansion if needed.any other ideas

Muskegeon's going nowhere (especially if Kalamazoo stays), Indy ain't taking a minor league hockey team, and some of those franchises are too shaky to even survive a move. Not gonna happen.

[pcc]

Here is how the could align the teams if they merged:
Little Rock could be in the East Conf, East Div

Western Conference
Northwest Division
· Colorado Eagles
· Oklahoma City Blazers
· Rocky Mountain Rage
· Tulsa Oilers
· Wichita Thunder
Southeast Division
· Austin Ice Bats
· Corpus Christi Rayz
· Laredo Bucks
· Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Southwest Division
· Amarillo Gorillas
· Arizona Sundogs
· Lubbock Cotton Kings
· New Mexico Scorpions
· Odessa Jackalopes

Eastern Conference
East Division
· Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
· Memphis RiverKings
· Youngstown SteelHounds
· Elmira
*Little Rock
Central Division
· Muskegon
· Kalamazoo
· Flint
· Port Huron
West Division
· Fort Wayne
· Rockford
· Quad City
· Chicago
· Bloomington

*Expansion

[sportsguy12]

Here is how the could align the teams if they merged:
Little Rock could be in the East Conf, East Div

Western Conference
Northwest Division
· Colorado Eagles
· Oklahoma City Blazers
· Rocky Mountain Rage
· Tulsa Oilers
· Wichita Thunder
Southeast Division
· Austin Ice Bats
· Corpus Christi Rayz
· Laredo Bucks
· Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Southwest Division
· Amarillo Gorillas
· Arizona Sundogs
· Lubbock Cotton Kings
· New Mexico Scorpions
· Odessa Jackalopes

Eastern Conference
East Division
· Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
· Memphis RiverKings
· Youngstown SteelHounds
· Elmira
*Little Rock
Central Division
· Muskegon
· Kalamazoo
· Flint
· Port Huron
West Division
· Fort Wayne
· Rockford
· Quad City
· Chicago
· Bloomington

*Expansion

all of the UHL teams, if the merger took place. I think Port Huron and Flint would get the axe. Elmira would be an orphan in the East. Also, Rockford is bound for the AHL if all of the pieces fall into place.

[canuck steve]

If the merger does take place, then Elmira,Rockland,Chicago,Flint and Port Huron should be moved, I would think that Indy,Little Rock,Lafayette ,Missouri,and either Louisville Kentucky or Jackson Miss. would be good relocation sites. The teams have players and mangement, just a question of promoting the teams in the new venues. Each team does not have to play all other teams but should cross over from one confernce to play one division,I believe these players can handle a 10 day road trip.

[ECHLfan]

Hey Hockey fans!
See where the CHL will be gaining a new team in Yuma, Az, possibly another near the Arizona-Nevada boarder. Also read awhile back where they are building a new arena in S. Dakota (can't remember the city) and they want a CHL team.

They was an artice about the UHL possibly merging with the ECHL, but I don't think they would accept all of the team. (Flint, Port Huron and Chicago - weak attendance)

I would like to see the ECHL and CHL switch a few teams. Why have Youngstown, Ohio out of the loop when they could be playing teams in Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati, not to mention Wheeling, WVa and Johnstown, PA.

Send Texas (Beaumont) and Phoenix to the CHL, since the CHL is basically a Texas league and if they expand into Arizona like they plan to this would give them a fourth team.

Kansas City is probably going to end up in the NHL, latest rumors is that the Pens can't get the financing form the state of PA that they want and are now taking all offers. I wouldn't be surprised to see Oklahoma City go after the Pens. A great arena and city. Great fans as well. But don't know if the NHL would like the market.

Indy won't come back to the league, they are doing well in the juniors.

I'm an ECHL fan of the Johnstown Chiefs - but I like the MudBugs!!!

[nksports]

Why have Youngstown, Ohio out of the loop when they could be playing teams in Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati, not to mention Wheeling, WVa and Johnstown, PA.

ICC-Global runs the arena in Youngstown and the CHL.
From what I've seen, Yuma may not be a slam dunk for ICC-Global. The local chapter of CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) has popped up.

I can't help but feel the Penguins might be playing KC, especially now that Las Vegas is in the bidding.

OKC is looking NBA, and has several prospects there. They proved with the Hornets, they can support a team.
I don't know who else besides the Penguins are in play right now.

[canuck steve]

I read an article from the Prescott news, where it was stated the league is looking to expand to Yuma,possibly Bullhead City and has definite arrangements for a team in Kansas,Missouri and two in Texas.Any ideas to where the league will be expanding to, and will this leave out centres such as Little Rock,Lafayette and Jackson down the road.

[nksports]

ICC has been trying to get an arena for Joplin, Mo., which would presumably be CHL, but the locals met them with torches and pitchforks. Springfield, Mo., is building an arena. John Hammonds is funding it, and he likes big things, so I'd expect them to look at AHL. He got AA baseball when he built the baseball stadium there.
I don't think there's anyplace else in Kansas that could host a team. Topeka just signed on for a junior team. Two Johnson County arena projects were just deep sixed (Olathe and Overland Park). I've heard rumors (circulated somewhere on these boards) that St. Charles, Mo., might try again with the UHL.
El Paso is a possibility, but I don't know if anything active is going down.

[phydeaux72]

El Paso is a possibility, but I don't know if anything active is going down.

Here again, the only way the CHL will go back into El Paso is if a new arena is built. ICC has been trying to get the city to approve a new facility since way back before the Buzzards folded. They've never been open to the idea. I suppose it could happen in the future. But only time will tell.

[nksports]

I may have just figured out the Kansas -- I'll bet ICC is either going to face the torches and pitchforks of the residents in Johnson County (if not Olathe or Overland Park, maybe Gardner) or they might be looking at Wyandotte County (the T-Bones baseball team hasn't been doing too bad), since the western part of the county has come back to life. Would Leavenworth County be too far out of the way?

[chlfan]

Yeah, CHL in Little Rock would be good. Well-positioned for
for close travel and rivalries: Memphis, Bossier City, Tulsa.

[SeaToby]

Yes, I think the Alltel arena in North Little Rock could house a CHL team. As mentioned before, El Paso needs a new arena closer to downtown. Lubbock is Texas Tech country, even its AFL2 team folded. I think Beaumont could support a CHL franchise, along with northern Austin. If Springfield's arena is built, Springfield may cut the mustard. Fortunately, next year the CHL is moving into two large populated areas, Independence and Allen. I can not believe the AHL has not moved into Kansas City, Independence should do very well. Allen is in the mix of the large north Dallas suburbs, Collin County has grown over 500,000. I believe a minor league franchise will as well in Allen as the two CHL franchises in Colorado, near Denver. If Colorado Springs ever built a nice arena, I would think a CHL franchise could do well there as well.

What bothers me is what happened in Alburquerque? I know the team moved into a new arena, but why build the new arena no where, in the sticks?

Tyler, Waco, Wichita Falls, Abilene are too small to support a franchise. It appears at 300,000 or so is needed. Amarillo and Odessa/Midland so far have hung onto their teams, Corpus Christi found new ownership. Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley are in cities/counties that are growing very fast.

Thus the CHL will expand into Allen and Independence. Could expand into Little Rock, Beaumont, and Springfield. I have doubts whether Rapid City is large enough. At least Rapid City has a nice arena, unlike El Paso.

The Dallas Stars see Cedar Park, northern Austin, as a can not miss opportunity. Without doubt, the hi tech corridor of northern Austin has the demographics, and should support a minor league teams. With Fox Sports Southwest showing Dallas Stars, Houston Aeros, San Antonio Rampage games, and hopefully some local TV coverage, an AHL team should survive. Fox Sports also shows the NBA clubs as well in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. With Hicks owning so many radio stations, radio coverage will exist.