PCSPounder
Stadium Groupie
New AHL franchise won't start play until the same times as the NHL parent team, in fall 2021.
12 of the 31 teams are not owned by their parent. So they are **potential** affiliate partners with Seattle, IF they don't want to own their own franchise (and let some other NHL team then get 32nd AHL team).
HOWEVER, my guess is that Seattle will want to own their AHL affiliate. (I don't recall either way if Seattle ownership has ever expressed an opinion on that.) More control over development.
The AHL may be more concerned over the AHL-PHPA CBA that expires 8/31/2019 today than the 32nd team (which won't start play until fall 2021).
I still think Seattle's best economic option is to nudge the Silvertips out of Everett. I don't think both WHL teams can survive the arrival of the NHL (evidence: the PDL teams that existed around Seattle before the Sounders went to MLS are now all gone except the Sounders U23 playing at some HS... and S2 plays in Tacoma now). That certainly happens in conjunction (if it happens) with the Canucks moving their affiliate west to, oh, maybe Abbotsford, maybe the long-rumored Surrey arena, maybe Langley, maybe any number of other options.
If this goes a different direction...
- Boise is sitting there with an uncertain ECHL future, thing being so is Utah. Problem: Boise won't accede to how Seattle will probably want to control things. If Seattle doesn't care so much, that may be a thing to watch.
- So, Portland now pops up. Main reason: the State of Oregon won't exempt the Winterhawks from minimum wage laws.
Stay tuned.