AHL West

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AHL West

Post by Pounder » Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:03 am

First, there's David Andrews using the state of the league address to make this comment:
We have been participating as a league with eight of the NHL’s Western-based teams, working with them on creating a West Coast presence for the American Hockey League. We have a consultant that was hired to do a feasibility study.
http://blog.timesunion.com/hockey/other ... ess/14437/

Then rumors started heating up about Calgary seeking to move their interests out of Abbotsford... and perhaps to Utica. Some of the possibilities have been discussed here: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1522341785/ ... ermen-move

Of course, Andrews used the words "doable" and "not ready yet," and I believe that. It's also hard to know whether "parent clubs" are going to want to try to make this move (which probably involves buying out existing ownerships in someone's markets, where applicable) en masse, or can work haphazardly.

Shrug.
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Post by chdahs » Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:48 am

[quote=""Pounder""]First, there's David Andrews using the state of the league address to make this comment:



http://blog.timesunion.com/hockey/other ... ess/14437/

Then rumors started heating up about Calgary seeking to move their interests out of Abbotsford... and perhaps to Utica. Some of the possibilities have been discussed here: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1522341785/ ... ermen-move

Of course, Andrews used the words "doable" and "not ready yet," and I believe that. It's also hard to know whether "parent clubs" are going to want to try to make this move (which probably involves buying out existing ownerships in someone's markets, where applicable) en masse, or can work haphazardly.

Shrug.[/quote]

THAT SO CALLED "Rumor" HAS EXISTED ever since the original I went into the expansion/merger back in 2001, the issue is and always has been that Anaheim has never operated under a sole owner of any affiliate, but look at Utah before that was sold to Cleveland, the question is do NHL teams want to own their own affiliates in this era, where outside of Toronto, tht sale by St. Louis of Peoria has been officially announced subject to league approval, as has been reported to Vancouver.... there's now an option that if Calgary stays in Abbotsford, that Peoria continues, just w/ the Canucks as the parent instead of the Blues who are heading to Rosemont, IL as of 4/1, THE Rivermen site has posted an impending sale of team to Vancouver. It's doubtful you'll see either SJ or LA move their affiliates westward, since SF and Ontario fit those profiles well, and Anaheim STRUCK OUT when they ruined Bakersfield once Iowa was terminated and sold to Dallas.... the other issue is does Houston stay?
Last edited by chdahs on Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Pounder » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:44 pm

So there's already Calgary in Abbotsford. Apparently, Utica seems like less of a rumor every minute. Abbotsford isn't pulling back from their contract yet, and Calgary's getting paid to play there. That would be an outlier.

With Vancouver buying the Peoria team and CLEARLY wanting to head west, that gives pause for thought. NOT so much because they want to go west. More because they're going to get 100% control over their AHL team.

Other west COAST based teams (I know some of them already own their affiliates) will tend to want to follow, or be forced to follow. At some point, it's as much a competitive advantage issue as anything. That leads to the other reason for moving west: if someone goes down, he could be replaced in a matter of hours instead of a matter of days.

Just because there's been past failures doesn't mean they're de-motivated to try again.
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Post by chdahs » Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:08 pm

[quote=""Pounder""]So there's already Calgary in Abbotsford. Apparently, Utica seems like less of a rumor every minute. Abbotsford isn't pulling back from their contract yet, and Calgary's getting paid to play there. That would be an outlier.

With Vancouver buying the Peoria team and CLEARLY wanting to head west, that gives pause for thought. NOT so much because they want to go west. More because they're going to get 100% control over their AHL team.

Other west COAST based teams (I know some of them already own their affiliates) will tend to want to follow, or be forced to follow. At some point, it's as much a competitive advantage issue as anything. That leads to the other reason for moving west: if someone goes down, he could be replaced in a matter of hours instead of a matter of days.

Just because there's been past failures doesn't mean they're de-motivated to try again.[/quote]

IT'LL never happen, Pounder, because both SJ And LA seem satisfied and SJ ownership has already stated they have no interest whatsoever going away from Worcester(you have to remember Peoria was the original Worcester franchise, even from the inception of hockey @ DCU)

Anaheim has shown no intention of going the route of a SJ/LA/TOR, even if that were an option, it's unlikely given the other two already are established in CA W/ SF/Ontario, and Bakersfield ownership wanted nothing to do w/ the Ducks after that failed experiment a few years back....

remember, the so-called West AHL Expansion was floated by former Leafs GM Brian Burke, who's back in ANA as a scout, it's been a rumor ever since, but it's improbable unless Anaheim joins that philosophy that they want total control over a franchise, something which hasn't happened.

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Coyotes want Western Affiliate

Post by LandRoverUT60 » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:44 am

The rumors keep circulating:

Coyotes Want Arizona-based AHL Affiliate

I can't see an AHL team being located anywhere else in Arizona besides Tucson, but then again Glendale would make a great spot for an AHL team.

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Post by plasmon » Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:03 am

[quote=""chdahs""]IT'LL never happen, Pounder, because both SJ And LA seem satisfied...[/quote]

Au contraire. Evidently L.A. is seriously looking at moving their Manchester NH affiliate to Ontario CA.

http://mayorsmanor.com/2014/04/major-ne ... -to-socal/

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Post by Pounder » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:03 am

If only Tucson had an arena besides the convention center.

The Mayor's Manor blog was brought to my attention elsewhere. My suspicion, given the time frame, is they need a 5th team. So much for Abbotsford... the city bought out the contract with the Heat and they're gone (and don't be surprised if Abbotsford is in the WHL in 2 years).

Reviewing:

San Jose-Stockton (The Sharks are sitting on too much money to not buy out a Worcester contract AND the Stockton-ECHL deal)
Los Angeles-Ontario (As already noted)
Anaheim-San Diego (at first blush, anyway... new signs of life in the arena in San Diego don't hurt, but Anaheim is NOT sitting on piles of money and are a possible drag on this movement)
Phoenix- what if it's not Prescott or Tucson? What if it's Fresno and Selland? Or the new Sacramento arena when completed? I'd also say Las Vegas, but I think you know the story of the arena deal by now (except no more rooftop at Plaza Hotel; it'll replace some of their surface parking). BTW, Anaheim is a drag on this proposal, Phoenix may be a black hole.

How about Edmonton, who BOUGHT ECHL Bakersfield and currently is saddled with AHL Oklahoma City? There have been rumors around OKC anyway.

See what I've done there? It may be a division set well apart from the rest of the AHL, but it's a relatively tight geographical fivesome by AHL standards (and quite tight by Western US standards, BTW). It's also can fly out of LA and SF and not miss too many beats.

Still, in some cases, teams have to be bought and moved (probably while affiliations are switched), and teams have to trust other teams actually carrying through on their commitments. I think it'll happen, but it might take more time than advertised.
Last edited by Pounder on Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Hockey » Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:25 pm

Tucson CC is getting an 8mil facelift right now.

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Post by Minor League Man » Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:49 pm

Not gonna happen...because their current affiliates have a solid fanbase.

Seriously, does nobody care about the fans of these Northeast teams which might be moving west? They come in droves, and they would riot if such politics were the reason they lost these teams...
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Post by dmbishop » Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:08 pm


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