AHL expansion?

[bluelinebob]

i have heard rumors that the AHL wants to get into 2 more markets next year and 2 more for 06, bringing a total of 4 new teams into the league .
is there any truth to the rumors?.i knoe about Iowa but who else??? I'll get of the air and listen.
BLUE LINE BOB.............UR DONE!

[HockeyCanuck]

I know that Des Moines, IA is one of the new markets they are going into.

[Geoff]

The Iowa franchise leaves room for only one more team. Per league policy, each team must have an NHL parent club thus only allowing 30 AHL teams at this time.

[Shootmaster_44]

Not that I put much truth into this but yesterday in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, there was an article detailing a proposed trade between Saskatoon and Edmonton. Apparently, the Oilers want to buy the WHL's Blades and give the Brodsky's (the Blades current owners) the AHL's Roadrunners. I thought the Oilers moved the Roadrunners to Edmonton so they can keep a closer eye on their prospects? Why would they want a WHL team instead?

[HockeyCanuck]

Probably because once the NHL starts back up next season the AHL team wont draw nearly as well as it would in Saskatoon. The WHL team wont cost nearly as much to run either.

[Shootmaster_44]

Yeah could be, but Brodsky says he's not up for it. Too bad actually, I'd like to see AHL hockey here in Saskatoon.

[patmc16]

I'm confused. Is the proposal for the owners of each francise to just swap teams, or to actually move them. I got the impression that the same teams would be in the same cities in the same leagues, but the ownership would switch. Are they looking to move the AHL operation to Saskatoon, and the WHL operation to Edmonton?

[E5]

The Oilers brought the Roadrunners to Edmonton for two reasons: 1. they were forced to take control of the team after it was kicked out of Ricoh, and 2. they wanted something in Rexall place this year. This was the best option after failing to land a WHL team.

Long term, the AHL does not make sense in Edmonton because of the travel. The nearest teams are in Winnipeg and Utah. The cost of travel is ridiculous, especially with the Oilers subsidizing the costs to fly teams into Edmonton.

Saskatoon is much closer to Winnipeg, allowing for bus travel, which would reduce the travel costs, while Edmonton could hope to duplicate the success the Flames have had with the Hitmen in a league with much more managable travel costs.

As for the AHL, there will be only one more team, and it will be in the US midwest. The Flames intend to resurrect their dormant franchise next season. I would guess Des Moines would be the most logical choice. We'll likely have an announcement within a couple months.

[bluelinebob]

i agree its the flames who will bring in a expansion team..but its not iowa. iowa is with the stars......there has been some rumors that Omaha is in line.

[Shootmaster_44]

I'm confused. Is the proposal for the owners of each francise to just swap teams, or to actually move them. I got the impression that the same teams would be in the same cities in the same leagues, but the ownership would switch. Are they looking to move the AHL operation to Saskatoon, and the WHL operation to Edmonton?

The way I understood it was it would be a 1 for 1 swap. The Oilers would gain control of the Blades and the Brodskys would get the Roadrunners. Therefore the Blades would be based in Edmonton and the Roadrunners in Saskatoon. A weird deal if you ask me, since the Brodskys would then have a much higher budget to contend with. He did say that the WHL would probably block any such move as it would kill the other Saskatchewan based teams. How Saskatoon being out of the league would cause Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Regina to die is beyond me. I can see the added travel costs for Prince Albert, so they might be a casualty.