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AHL American Hockey League

Weekly Sport League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
February 9, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)


BASEBALL

Continental Baseball League: The CBL plans to add four former teams from United League Baseball-the Amarillo Dillas, Edinburg Coyotes, Laredo Broncos and San Angelo Colts-for its 2009 season. The CBL will increase from four to eight teams in 2009. The CBL's Bay Area Toros and Texarkana Gunslingers will return from 2008 and the CBL will add two new franchises called the Dallas Aviators and the Alexandria Aces. The Aviators will play in McKinney (TX), where the CBL's McKinney Blue Thunder operated in 2008. The new Alexandria Aces CBL franchise had purchased the assets of the ULB's Alexandria Aces franchise after the 2008 season and decided to keep the same team name. The 2008 CBL franchise called the Corpus Christi BeachDawgs will not return in 2009. As of now, the only non-returning ULB market from 2008 is Harlingen (TX), which had the Harlingen WhiteWings.

Northern League: The Northern League announced a 2010 expansion team for the Lake County (IL) town of Zion, north of Waukegan. The six-team league plans to have 10 teams by the 2010 season and is still trying to add Burnsville (MN) in the Minneapolis market, along with two other teams.

Arizona Junior-Level Fall League: Major League Baseball is expected to create a junior-level Arizona Fall League as a replacement for Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB) in 2009. Reportedly, there was an initial offer to replace the HWB with a south Texas-based fall baseball league using some of the Double-A Texas League facilities.

BASKETBALL

Continental Basketball Association: The CBA decided to end its 2008-09 regular season earlier than scheduled and went right into a season-ending playoff this past week. The future of the league is uncertain and there was discussion about the CBA teams joining either the American Basketball Association or the Premier Basketball League. If the league plans to return next season, it would definitely have to add some new franchises to its current four-team membership.

Premier Basketball League: The PBL announced it has shut down its Montreal Sasquatch franchise for failure to comply with PBL rules, as there were reports of players not being paid. The league has expressed an interest in establishing another Montreal franchise in the future under different ownership.

Women's Blue Chip Basketball League: The semi-pro WBCBL will have a Toronto-based team called the Stealth as part of the league's 2009 season that starts in May. A new team based in Savannah (GA) called the Savannah Lady Warriors is holding tryouts for the 2009 season.

FOOTBALL

American Indoor Football Association: The AIFA is moving forward with plans to add a Richmond (VA) franchise in 2010. The league plans to own the team the first season as its looks for local ownership. Richmond had previous indoor football teams called the Richmond Speed in the arenafootball2 (2000-03) and the Richmond Bandits in the Atlantic Indoor Football League (2005) and American Indoor Football League (2006). A Trenton (NJ) franchise is also expected to join in 2010 and the league is reportedly trying to place a 2010 team in Wenatchee (WA).

Women's Football Alliance: The new WFA, which plans to start its inaugural season in April 2009, is already lining up teams for 2010. The league has announced the Bowling Green-based Kentucky Valkyries will start play in the 2010 WFA season.

Canadian Football League: A proposal has been made that the CFL consider adding a franchise based in the United States, possibly in either Rochester (NY) or the Detroit area. The CFL had an unsuccessful experiment with United States-based teams from 1993 to 1995. This included teams called the Sacramento Gold Miners (1993-94), Las Vegas Posse (1994), Baltimore CFL Colts/CFLs/Stallions (1994-95), Shreveport Pirates (1994-95), Memphis Mad Dogs (1995), Birmingham Barracudas (1995) and San Antonio Texas (1995). The CFL stated it does not have plans for expansion into the United States.

HOCKEY

American Hockey League: The Philadelphia Phantoms franchise, which is the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers, has been sold due to the demolition of its arena after this season. The Phantoms had considered the current ECHL market of Trenton (NJ) and the former ECHL market of Atlantic City (NJ) as possible relocation sites, but these were not options for the team. Speculation had the NHL's New Jersey Devils moving its Lowell Devils AHL affiliate to Trenton next season, replacing its ECHL Trenton Devils team. The Flyers will have an AHL affiliate next season, but it is uncertain where it will be located. The team could eventually move to a proposed new arena in nearby Allentown (PA) and temporarily play in Glens Falls (NY), which hosted a previous AHL franchise called the Adirondack Red Wings about ten seasons ago. The league's Albany River Rats are playing four home games in Glens Falls this season.

Central Hockey League: A new arena in Allen (TX) is expected to be ready for a new CHL franchise in the 2009-10 season. Allen is located in Collin County, just north of Dallas. The league has a current franchise called the Texas Brahmas not too far from Allen in the North Richland Hills area of Fort Worth. The CHL is also expected to add a new Independence (MO) franchise in 2009-10.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League: The QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan franchise, located in northern New Brunswick, has asked for a 30-day extension to submit a request to relocate the franchise. Speculation has the club moving to St. John's (Newfoundland) for the 2009-10 season. St. John's had the Fog Devils franchise in the league for the past three seasons, but that team moved to Montreal for 2008-09. The Titan has been in New Brunswick since moving from Laval (Quebec) for the 1998-99 season. The Lewiston (ME) Maineiacs are also looking to move for 2009-10, possibly to the city of Boisbriand near Montreal. The team will need permission from the league's Montreal Junior franchise to approve the move. Lewiston has been part of the league since the 2003-04 season.

Global Canadian Hockey League: The proposed GCHL is now planning to start its inaugural season in December 2009 with only four teams in Atlantic Canada-New Brunswick Schooners, Prince Edward Island Islanders, Nova Scotia Keltics and Newfoundland Republic. Two other teams, the Ontario Canadians and the Quebec Equipe Nationale, are now listed as teams that will start in 2010.

Major League Roller Hockey: The MLRH has confirmed the next event on its made-for-TV MLRH Pro Tour will be held in Chicago on February 21, 2009. The all-day event will feature matches with four of the six teams on the Pro Tour-Chicago RollerSnakes, Michigan Thunder, Washington Power and Florida Fusion. The event will also feature the debut of the made-for-TV and co-ed Slamm Hockey League with four of its six teams-the LA Cru, Washington Spin, New York Flash and Miami Mambo.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer: The announcement for the next two MLS expansion teams might not be made until late March or April. The league has completed its review of the five expansion markets. Vancouver and Miami appear to be the frontrunners with Ottawa, Portland and St. Louis having issues with financing or stadium deals. The Colorado Rapids club in the MLS has formed a partnership with the Real Maryland FC club in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division. Real Maryland FC will act as a developmental and feeder club for the MLS Rapids.

Professional Arena Soccer League: The new San Diego Sockers franchise is making preparations for joining the PASL-Pro indoor soccer league for the 2009-10 season. Many of the players that will be part of the Sockers club are playing with the San Diego Fusion club, which currently participates in the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier) and will serve as the Sockers' minor league affiliate next season.

OTHER

National Pro Fastpitch: The New England Riptide franchise, based in Lowell (MA), has announced it will sit out the 2009 season of the NPF. This will reduce the league to five participating teams. The Riptide hopes to return in 2010. The Riptide had been part of the NPF since it restarted league play in 2004 after evolving from the Women's Pro Softball League.

Major League Lacrosse: The MLL's outdoor lacrosse franchise called the Rochester (NY) Rattlers could be on the move to Orlando (FL) for the 2009 season. There was also talk of the MLL establishing a Toronto-based outdoor lacrosse franchise, which could be the MLL-owned Barrage franchise that was at one time based in Philadelphia.

Dan Krieger is the creator of "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest version can be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/2533047. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

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