UHL/CHL Merger

[Ellis05]

Has anyone heard anything on the two leagues merging into one? I have heard several rumors from the CHL side. Just was curious if anyone has heard anything from the UHL side. Also found this interesting tidbit.

http://www.chlforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2227

[Minor League Man]

I've heard a rumor that Little Rock and El Paso MIGHT be coming next season.

We'll see what happens.

[sportsguy12]

Has anyone heard anything on the two leagues merging into one? I have heard several rumors from the CHL side. Just was curious if anyone has heard anything from the UHL side. Also found this interesting tidbit.

http://www.chlforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2227

like the Port Hurons, etc.

[phydeaux72]

The UHL has quite a few weak links that I'm certain the CHL wouldn't accept if there was a merger. I personally like the UHL name better as it doesn't limit the league geographically, at least namewise. On the other hand, it would drastically cut travel for Youngstown and Rapid City, should they opt to go the CHL route.

I don't see El Paso back in the CHL without first getting a new facility. Don't get me wrong. The EPCC is a beautiful old facility with lots of history. And they've drastically improved it over the past several years. But it just doesn't live up to the standards that the CHL has set for expansion teams lately.

I could see Arkansas back, but not in the Barton Coliseum. If the CHL goes back to Little Rock, it will be the Alltell Arena where the af2 Twisters play.

[nksports]

If it were to happen (and I haven't heard anything about it), it would be Global/ICC (the operating company of the WPHL-CHL conglomerate) taking over the UHL.
To answer the question about weak links, when the WPHL-CHL merger went through, there was a pretty big purge of the weaker franchises, including much of the southeast.
The CHL would love it, because it would tie Youngstown to teams in the same time zone, but look for them to dump what's left of the eastern teams. It would also mean that expansion would be tied to anyone who built an ICC-run arena.

[nksports]

after reading the CHL post, he might be right on El Paso and Arkansas (they tie in with other franchises well). The Fort Worth franchise is still alive, just homeless. The City of Fort Worth, which operates two arenas, told him they'd rather have the D-League, even though they weren't drawing diddly, than the hockey team, which was good for about 3,500 a night. They wouldn't even offer him a lease. (someone must be on the take there). The Fort Worth owner was looking for a suburb willing to build a 5,000- to 7,000-seat arena

[Ellis05]

Fort Worth City Council are a bunch of idiots in the first place. And you have to feel bad for the fans of the Brahmas. But I think after reading few post regarding teams that might move to the ECHL. I think it could be possible to make the merger work, and some unstable teams would lose out in the end. But there are alot of leagues out there.

[phydeaux72]

The Fort Worth city council may not be entirely at fault here. From what I understand, there is a Jehovah's Witness group that has been tying up all the weekend dates at the facility that the Brahmas played at, making them unavailable to anyone else. The IFL has been trying to put an expansion team in this same facility for a couple of years now, and have been unable to do so for the same reason.

[rams80]

The UHL has quite a few weak links that I'm certain the CHL wouldn't accept if there was a merger. I personally like the UHL name better as it doesn't limit the league geographically, at least namewise. On the other hand, it would drastically cut travel for Youngstown and Rapid City, should they opt to go the CHL route.

I don't see El Paso back in the CHL without first getting a new facility. Don't get me wrong. The EPCC is a beautiful old facility with lots of history. And they've drastically improved it over the past several years. But it just doesn't live up to the standards that the CHL has set for expansion teams lately.

I could see Arkansas back, but not in the Barton Coliseum. If the CHL goes back to Little Rock, it will be the Alltell Arena where the af2 Twisters play.

Rapid City would still be on a far island in this CHL.

[Dilbert]

Rapid City would still be on a far island in this CHL.

I could see Muskegon, Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo and Quad City in the CHL maybe Bloomington but not the rest

Elmira would look beter in the ECHL

[rams80]

I could see Muskegon, Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo and Quad City in the CHL maybe Bloomington but not the rest

Elmira would look beter in the ECHL

No way in heck that the ECHL would let Elmira in. They aren't that dumb to take in Afr.

[Dilbert]

No way in heck that the ECHL would let Elmira in. They aren't that dumb to take in Afr.

What does everybody have against Afr. All I know is that he failed in Louisville with the AHL but has had a pretty good run in Elmira.

[COACHRUD]

Someone please tell me how & the heck this "merger" could happen with the ridiculous travel that these teams would have.

[sportsguy12]

Someone please tell me how & the heck this "merger" could happen with the ridiculous travel that these teams would have.

teams would only play the teams in their conference. The league would be big enough that you wouldn't have to play the same time 18,000 times. With a 30 team league, you don't play everyone else - like the AHL.

[COACHRUD]

Thanks for the reply. That scenario does make alot of sense.

[phydeaux72]

Someone posting on chlforums.com emailed the CHL and got the following response:

Hello Eric, and thank you for your email.

Very interesting comments, certainly. Not true, save for the comments regarding ongoing discussions in Fort Worth, but interesting.

We revisited the concept of a return to Little Rock somewhat last year, but did not make significant progress with ownership and the venue. We have also not held recent discussions with El Paso, although we would like to return to the city should they ever get a new venue. As for the United Hockey League, we have not held any discussions with them in recent years towards any kind of possible merger or agreement, but for whatever reason that rumor has perpetuated itself as of late.

Best wishes, and feel free to contact me any time I can be of assistance. Stay warm, I hear you’re getting another dose of winter
this weekend.

Regards,

Steve Cherwonak
Vice President, Communications
Central Hockey League

So, I guess we can put this rumor to rest, at least for now.

[preeths]

Steve is a stand-up guy and one of the best in the business.

[rams80]

What does everybody have against Afr. All I know is that he failed in Louisville with the AHL but has had a pretty good run in Elmira.

He's failed elsewhere IIRC, and his Louisville failure was a spectacular nuking of a market.

[freddypuck]

The is no way the merger would ever happen. Not unless the UHL went down to four teams. Financially wouldnt work and only four of the U teams have a successful enough franchise and market for the CHL to even want to consider them. However the problem is; two of those teams will be changing next season.

Rockford will become an AHL franchise
Kalamazoo will move to Indianapolis

So now your left with 2 teams - Fort Wayne and Muskegon

Elmira would work for ECHL and more than likely will go that way when the UHL disappears in the next couple of years.

Chicago will move or go dark - not enough money to go around with all the pro sports in the region

2007-08

UHL

Missouri (formerly Chicago)
Port Huron
Motor City (moving to the red light district, dark in 09)
Bloomington
Indianapolis (formerly Kzoo)
Muskegon (going CHL in 09)
Fort Wayne (going CHL in 09)

Missing

Rockford AHL
Elmira ECHL
Chicago (move to Missouri)
Flint ? (I dont think Perani will continue to hold the team up...it will fall)

[rams80]

Why do people keep thinking K-zoo's moving to Indy when we have no evidence to support that, and rather large (the continued existence of the USHL Ice) evidence to the contrary.

[patmc16]

What does everybody have against Afr. All I know is that he failed in Louisville with the AHL but has had a pretty good run in Elmira.

The way he handled the Michigan/Detroit Falcons/Port Huron BorderCats franchise was horrible as well. Without ranting on and on (I just did that in a soccer thread), while the franchise was playing in Fraser (same home as the first version of the Motor City Mechanics) he did somewhere between little and no marketing of the team and then put it on the booster club to sell tickets. Basically, he told them to sell X number of season tickets or he would move the team. I guess he thought he deserved a free sales force. He moved the team to Port Huron when they couldn't do it. In Port Huron he put the team in McMorran Arena (current home of the Port Huron Flags) but started to build an arena next to a small outlet mall outside of the city. To this day that arena sits partially built (barely started, really) because he didn't pay the construction company. I guess he thought he deserved free construction of the arena too.

Louisville had an ECHL team that they gave up in favor of the AHL team. Maybe they would still be in the ECHL of Doc hadn't come along. My understanding of the situation (I posted about it a while back) was that Doc game the team to his son to run. Tamir then treated the team like a toy to play with when he wasn't busy chasing women and cars. Not surprisingly, with that approach, it didn't take long for the team to go belly up.

[BreakersFan]

The way he handled the Michigan/Detroit Falcons/Port Huron BorderCats franchise was horrible as well. Without ranting on and on (I just did that in a soccer thread), while the franchise was playing in Fraser (same home as the first version of the Motor City Mechanics) he did somewhere between little and no marketing of the team and then put it on the booster club to sell tickets. Basically, he told them to sell X number of season tickets or he would move the team. I guess he thought he deserved a free sales force. He moved the team to Port Huron when they couldn't do it. In Port Huron he put the team in McMorran Arena (current home of the Port Huron Flags) but started to build an arena next to a small outlet mall outside of the city. To this day that arena sits partially built (barely started, really) because he didn't pay the construction company. I guess he thought he deserved free construction of the arena too.

Louisville had an ECHL team that they gave up in favor of the AHL team. Maybe they would still be in the ECHL of Doc hadn't come along. My understanding of the situation (I posted about it a while back) was that Doc game the team to his son to run. Tamir then treated the team like a toy to play with when he wasn't busy chasing women and cars. Not surprisingly, with that approach, it didn't take long for the team to go belly up.

They also owned an indoor football team that imploded....

[ECHLfan]

Was interesting to read the post from the commish of the CHL. I like how he runs the league.

There is a rumor of the ECHL and UHL merging. I was wondering what the problem was with the owner from Elmira, thanks for clearing that up. Too bad as the team in Elmira is drawing well this year.

I can't see the ECHL taking in all of the teams from the UHL (Flint, Port Huron and Chicago - poor attendance, Elimra - ownership), that leaves Quad City, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Bloomington and Ft. Wayne. Put Toledo with them and you have a nice six team division.

I would like to see Youngstown move to the ECHL and the ECHL ship Texas (Beaumont) and Phoenix to the CHL. Makes more sense. But when do you need sense to run a hockey league.

Whatever happens, good luck to all of the teams. To the cities and fans that might lose their team, what can you say.

[Dilbert]

I could see Texas Wildcatters in the CHL however as much as I want Youngstown in the ECHL it wont happen. The CHLs parent company built that arena so they will be in the CHL for a long while. They are doing something like this in Wenatchee, Washington which at last check is on the west coast and not Central. With that addition in WA, I could see a name change for the CHL

[Pounder]

While Global is finishing that arena in Wenatchee (it's an old mall or an old K-Mart site, so this is more of a renovation), the CHL will NOT be going in there.

The British Columbia Junior Hockey League will go there.

http://www.wenworld.com/sub/story.php?id=1169231289-867-657

I think Global got into this one with (1) some contacts in Washington, and (2) probably some public funding help.