Indy Returning to IHL?

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Primis
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Indy Returning to IHL?

Post by Primis » Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:38 pm

Blake Sebring of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel has stated he has received an email regarding putting an IHL franchise back into Indianapolis:

http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/spor ... ts/?p=1930

Rumors of the IHL trying to get back into Indy have been around for some time, but this is the first legit-sounding thing we've seen.

Dayton (since losing the Bombers) and Quad Cities (losing the Flames) are also possibilities, and both have been in talks with the league apparently.

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Post by Minor League Man » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:06 pm

If any team comes to Conseco, it'll HAVE to be an AHL team.

Pepsi Coliseum could work out for the lower-levels, though...Heard Hara Arena was interested in trying again...

Seriously, all the AHL Flames had to do was buy the rights and change their name to the MALLARDS so fans would recognize them...Why is that so friggin' hard?
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Post by Primis » Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:05 pm

I've heard they're having problems maintaining the ice at the Pepsi. There seem to be some concerns about that.

I'd love to see a return of the Ice but I don't know how possible it is. I'd be very happy if they could go form 6 to 8 teams and then stabilize again. 6 teams is just too few. However, they HAVE to get some franchise stability going first...

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Post by mrsummitcitypigskin » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:46 am

The problem is not with the Pepsi Coliseum in Indy.
The problem is with our Governor not wanting an IHL
team in there. Something about Gov. Daniels knowing
the owners of the Jr. league team that plays there now
and he would like to see them stay. Mike Franke w/ Ft.W
says thats been the sticking point all along. Here in
Ft.Wayne we've heard Quad City's coming back, Madison,
Wi. and the Youngstown, Oh. team. An Indy IHL franchise
could not afford a lease w/ Conseco, so the Pepsi Coliseum
@ the fairgrounds or the Pan-Am Center downtown, could
be the only option.

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Post by Primis » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:41 pm

[quote=""mrsummitcitypigskin""]The problem is not with the Pepsi Coliseum in Indy.
The problem is with our Governor not wanting an IHL
team in there. Something about Gov. Daniels knowing
the owners of the Jr. league team that plays there now
and he would like to see them stay. Mike Franke w/ Ft.W
says thats been the sticking point all along. Here in
Ft.Wayne we've heard Quad City's coming back, Madison,
Wi. and the Youngstown, Oh. team. An Indy IHL franchise
could not afford a lease w/ Conseco, so the Pepsi Coliseum
@ the fairgrounds or the Pan-Am Center downtown, could
be the only option.[/quote]

So then is there any reason the Jr. team couldn't stay? I don't see any conceivable reason why a junior team couldn't simply share an arena with a minor pro one...

And I've heard all the rumors too. Add Cincinnati and Dayton to your list, and possibly Peoria if the Blues decide to move their AHL affiliate like they have expressed interest in doing.

The one thing Indy has going for it though is proximity. The other cities are a much longer trip, for the most part. And the IHL badly wants to stay a bus league similar to the old "I" of the 1980's.

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Post by mrsummitcitypigskin » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:40 pm

[quote=""Primis""]So then is there any reason the Jr. team couldn't stay? I don't see any conceivable reason why a junior team couldn't simply share an arena with a minor pro one...

And I've heard all the rumors too. Add Cincinnati and Dayton to your list, and possibly Peoria if the Blues decide to move their AHL affiliate like they have expressed interest in doing.

The one thing Indy has going for it though is proximity. The other cities are a much longer trip, for the most part. And the IHL badly wants to stay a bus league similar to the old "I" of the 1980's.[/quote]

We have heard the Peoria, Dayton and Cincy, rumors too. Indy would
be a great addition. I hope someone can get it done. Bottom line is
the IHL needs more then 6 teams. Gets boring seeing the same teams
night in and night out. They can add 2 or 3 in 2009-10 and maybe a
few more in 10-11. I know the economy is really the tell all right now.
But yes, I think the IHL and for that matter, the indoor football CIFL
have the same idea, as far as a bus league....

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Post by zcientist » Tue May 26, 2009 5:47 am

[quote=""Primis""]So then is there any reason the Jr. team couldn't stay? I don't see any conceivable reason why a junior team couldn't simply share an arena with a minor pro one...

And I've heard all the rumors too. Add Cincinnati and Dayton to your list, and possibly Peoria if the Blues decide to move their AHL affiliate like they have expressed interest in doing.

The one thing Indy has going for it though is proximity. The other cities are a much longer trip, for the most part. And the IHL badly wants to stay a bus league similar to the old "I" of the 1980's.[/quote]

All the more reason I want Toledo to dump out of the ECHL and join the "I". It's been three years since a Toledo team has hit the ice and there aren't as many potential rivalries in the ECHL league map for them as before.

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Post by chdahs » Tue May 26, 2009 5:50 pm

[quote=""Minor League Man""]If any team comes to Conseco, it'll HAVE to be an AHL team.

Pepsi Coliseum could work out for the lower-levels, though...Heard Hara Arena was interested in trying again...

Seriously, all the AHL Flames had to do was buy the rights and change their name to the MALLARDS so fans would recognize them...Why is that so friggin' hard?[/quote]

Because Calgary has owned 1/2 of their AHL affiliate since 1993, no matter where they've been, Knights was tried in Omaha, wasn't it, MLM, THE Mallards were on their last breath anyway...

Indianapolis would also need an NHL partner to even be considered for an AHL Franchise(in the bylaws, otherwise not considered)....
Last edited by chdahs on Tue May 26, 2009 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Primis » Tue May 26, 2009 8:50 pm

[quote=""chdahs""]Indianapolis would also need an NHL partner to even be considered for an AHL Franchise(in the bylaws, otherwise not considered)....[/quote]

Or more-accurately, they'd need one of the current 30 AHL franchises to sell to them. The AHL does not allow more than 30 franchises at a time (though they granted Austin a one-year exception... which should be interesting because if they can't somehow buy, say, Iowa or Edmonton's franchises the league won't allow Austin to exist any longer. They're counting heavily on one of those franchises selling to them. Dallas took a huge gamble here... and with Anaheim cutting ties with the Chops it now sets them up in an even tougher position. No affiliate, and maybe no hope of one even...
Last edited by Primis on Thu May 28, 2009 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by chdahs » Wed May 27, 2009 6:46 pm

[quote=""Primis""]Or more-accurately, they'd need one of the current 30 AHL franchises to sell to them. The AHL does not allow more than 30 franchises at a time (though they granted Austin a pone-year exception... which should be interesting because if they can't somehow buy, say, Iowa or Edmonton's franchises the league won't allow Austin to exist any longer. They're counting heavily on one of those franchises selling to them. Dallas took a huge gamble here... and with Anaheim cutting ties with the Chops it now sets them up in an even tougher position. No affiliate, and maybe no hope of one even...[/quote]

no, but everyone in our league gave the Schlegels the benefit when the Austin/CP/Texas franchise was originally brought up, Primis, they made the decision to boot DAL, and now this w/ ANA, doesn't help their credibility w/ Polk County ready to collect on the franchise, essentially making it homeless, in addition to no NHL Affiliation....

I hope to see a new bylaw, that limits the # of years any franchise goes dormant, even if there's no chance of that occurring, or as Edmonton has shown, affiliating w/ an active while holding an inactive one at the same time. Dallas likely from all indications will be leasing the Oilers' dormant but the AHL Has INDICATED THEY'RE NOT SATISFIED w/ that charging HSG W/ SECURING THE FRANCHISE PAST NEXT SEASON.

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