UHL back in Fraser

[Global-Hockey]

The UHL has expanded back into the Detroit Area with a new team to be located in Fraser Michigan, the former home of the Detroit and Michigan Falcons. The new coach was named today.

[Geoff]

Gary Unger. He coach of the Alabama Slammers of the WHA2 last season.

[patmc16]

According to today's Detroit News:

The United Hockey League has 12 teams in seven states, including five in Michigan. The other four are the Flint Generals, Kalamazoo Wings, Muskegon Fury and Port Huron Beacons.

The 5th would be Fraser , which I'm guessing will use "Detroit" in their name. This suggests that there are 12 teams with the Fraser francise, but there are already 12 without it with the addition of Danbury. So, is Fraser a new, 13th, francise, or are one of the existing ones relocating to keep it at 12? Is Fraser a go for 04/05? I assume so if they have a head coach already, but the article isn't clear on it.

[Global-Hockey]

Pac: My understanding is that it is an expansion team, and they will skate this season

[Geoff]

I've heard many places that they already have a name and, no, it doesn't have "Detroit" in it. They are to be called the Motor City Mechanics.

[patmc16]

Where are these "many places"? I am sitting less than a 10 minute drive from where they will play and can find very little about it anywhere. And, just out of curiosity, if you are 16 as you have stated in a previous post, how do you have access to said "many places".

I hope your wrong. That name sucks (imo). Reminds me of Mike & the Mechanics. I can hear it now as the players come on the ice "All I need is a miracle". :lol:

When they were trying to put indy baseball in Mt. Clemens, MI, I was partial to the name "Motown Sounds". Thats what I would have suggested if it had gone as far as a name the team contest. Don't know what the copyright implications would be, but it was a heck of a lot better than what the investors were calling the team the "Mt. Clemen's Clems", and is a heck of alot better than the "Mechanics". (again imo)

[Geoff]

That name, as well as the info on the franchise, was leaked before the franchise was ever made public. I've heard it on 4hockeyfans.com (wncsport.com goes there, too) and boards.sportslogos.net

[patmc16]

Yep, Geoff, your right. The local Fox station in Detroit just confirmed the name "Motor City Mechanics" on the morning news. Still don't like the name, but I guess I'll support them anyway. It's nice to have professional sports back in Macomb county for the first time since the Falcons packed their bags for Port Huron.

[whoopee23]

According to Great Lakes Sport Complex, where they will play, there is a press conference tommorrow at 1:00 p.m. Curious to see how they plan on marketing the next few months.

[Global-Hockey]

Tickets will go on sale July 8th for the Motor City Mechanics. The team is not a relocated team, but is an expansion team. Kansas City will be announced within the next couple days. The Mechanics will play in the old home of the Michigan/Detroit Falcons teams.

[Geoff]

http://www.theuhl.com/data/uploads/teams/mc.jpg

Eh? From the UHL website

[patmc16]

WOW! That logo really sucks! Way too dark colors. They're really not making it easy to get behind the team. The "C" being formed with a wrench is OK, the rest is pretty blah. Nothing eye catching at all. A hockey puck with a stick laying on top of it? They couldn't come up with anything any more creative than that? I hope they didn't pay a logo designer very much for it. I just don't see merchandise with that logo flying off the shelves.

That being said, I will probably still look into season tickets and do my best to support "our" team.

On a separate topic, with the return of hockey to KC, I started to think about the IHL. I wonder if they could have reorganized and survived? I really enjoyed that league. With KC in the fold, next year there will be either professional and/or high junior hockey in all but 2 of the cities that the "I" had teams in in the last 25 years of their existance. (The 1 year wonders, Albany Choppers and San Francisco Spiders being the exceptions). If all of these leagues could have teams in all of these cities, why couldn't the "I" survive in at least some of those cities? I know the cross country travel hurt them, but that could have been addressed in the reorganization that I mentioned.

[Global-Hockey]

The IHL started its downward spiral by Bob Ufer who thought more about what history had in store for him than the league. I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Ufer many times an he was always an "I did this, or I am going to do this" Never was there a statement about "The League". To be honest the IHL could have survived if marketed correctly. Problem was the travel was the killer. When the IHL was first formed it was a Michigan League (Bus League if you will) with Peoria Illinois and Ft. Wayne being the exception. Then came San Francisco, Utah, Houston, and you knkw the rest of the story. Hell Ufer wanted to put teams in London England and in Germany. Also, along came the PHPA and then once the union got involved other expenses were created. The UHL, CHL as well as the other lower leagues do not have union contracts to deal with, this cna keep down costs. The UHL is on the same path as the IHL was, they are expanding way to far away from the other league citys,