Sunrise isn't Miami Dade County it's in Broward County adjacent to Fort LauderdaleSince Florida is the only remaining NHL team without a working agreement for an AHL club it would make sense for them to hook up with Charlotte since it's a short flight between Miami and Charlotte. Better than the distance with Springfield that they had.
the change from Carolina ownership might have played a role in that, then there's the Wolves insistence that they be held to a higher standard than the rest of the league..... as to why St. Louis was 'done' AFTER Vegas bought San Antonio.....then there's the rule that you are required to be affiliated to be an active franchise, something they've known in Rosemont since their addition in 2001.That seems kind of surprising from the outside looking in. Was there some acrimony between the Raleigh and Charlotte ownership groups or something?
Is it past the deadline for Charlotte to revert to the echl color scheme, logos and uniforms for 20/21?. Charlotte Checkers Logos - American Hockey League (AHL) - Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net
The panthers have said before they do not have the cash flow or desire to own a AHL team. Maybe the caps will buy them so they can have a local ahl team in the beltway area without moving the bearsSo much irony in this. The team who beat the Chicago Wolves is kind of turning into the Chicago Wolves, not just that but I think it's stupid because this will likely drive down ticket sales with the Charlotte Checkers, similar with the Abbotsford Heat/Calgary Flames affiliation. I thought Carolina did really well with the Checkers, but prior to the Checkers they hadn't really been the best when it comes to AHL affiliates so I see how this somewhat makes sense. But also, Charlotte is the team furthest from the other teams, the closest one being Hershey.
I thought the Panthers and Wolves would've been excellent partners.
I expect the Panthers to buyout the Checkers and re-locate their team. Although I think Vegas should've just bought the Charlotte Checkers, the Panthers and Rampage had a good relationship.
Where would that "local ahl team in the beltway area" call home ice?The panthers have said before they do not have the cash flow or desire to own a AHL team. Maybe the caps will buy them so they can have a local ahl team in the beltway area without moving the bears
Ideally Baltimore but royal farms has a lot of issues.Where would that "local ahl team in the beltway area" call home ice?
Where would that "local ahl team in the beltway area" call home ice?
This is all going to be interesting. Not just the Canes & Checkers situation but the whole sports entertainment landscape. I can't speak for the average Charlotte Checkers fan but this has got to be huge hit. Be interesting to hear from some longtime Checkers fans (not Canes fans) on their opinions, those are the opinions that count, rest is just outsider speculation.
As a fan of both (but moreso Canes) I'm ticked off. This is the perfect scenario for Hockey in the Carolinas and those in charge are going to throw it all away, right when the Checkers are coming off a Championship and the Canes are on the upswing. Interest in Hockey is at an all-time high in the state of NC.
W/ social distancing likely to continue for awhile it may not matter next year since no one will be allowed to attend any games but once the fans come back, that's when I question what happens with the Checkers going forward. The Panthers or whoever aren't going to be loyal to this market and who knows if Atlanta and/or Orlando want to "upgrade" from the ECHL in 3-5 years. No reason to think they won't, teams relocate and change affiliation all the time. It's just too bad they didn't (and Norfolk left) do it beforehand and help keep Charlotte from being such an outlier, could have cut down some on travel cost which I'm sure plays a factor in this.
I'm not looking forward to this at all. The Wolves are notoriously bad to partner with and everyone who leaves them dances for motherf***ing joy when they do. This is going to be a huge mistake, but short-term profits talk I guess.