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MAJOR NEWS: Kings Preparing To Move Top Prospects To SoCal

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CNS

A World Alone
May 24, 2008
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MAJOR NEWS: Kings Preparing To Move Top Prospects To SoCal

In a story that MayorsManor has been chasing for the better part of two years, it appears the dominos are about to start falling in a move that should drastically change the landscape of developing pro hockey players for several NHL teams.

Through multiple league sources connected to the teams involved, we’ve confirmed that five to six NHL teams are prepared to move their top minor league prospects to a new AHL division based in Western U.S. markets.
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ScoreZeGoals said:
Sounds like Ontario would be the home of the AHL team
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Yep - that's exactly right. Makes a lot of sense. I might even be interested in season tickets if that happens. I'm only 10-15 minutes from Citizen's Bank Arena. Great venue.
 
Devastated.... The Monarchs were the only thing I had here in New England!

But, this will make my Kings trip to LA a little sweeter! On a plane right now headed to LA. Going to games 3 & 4!
 
I feel bad for the fans in Manchester, they have been a wonderful affiliate for over a decade, but this makes to much sense logistically.
 
As a Kings fan in New England I knew this was eventually gonna happen. But, as others have stated it just makes sense. I guess I gotta move back! lol
 
I'm confused by this part of the article:

the Abbotsford Heat (who are said to be moving next season anyway). Thus, they would most likely be part of the initial group of teams in 2015-16.
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Abbotsford is moving, as in won't be around and was rumored to be heading east next year. But they'll be apart of this new division the year after? How's that going to work? The team won't be on the west coast in 2015.
 
It's obvious (to me) that as their part of this, the Kings would move their AHL team from Manchester into Ontario, and either sell the Ontario franchise to some other owner who wanted a team in the ECHL in some other market, fold the franchise outright, or try to move it somewhere else to keep all three levels of players still under influence.

Purely for selfish reasons, though I have no indication this is anywhere close to happening, I -hope- the Kings would move the ECHL team to San Diego -- as AEG Live holds the lease on the Valley View Casino Center (formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena), so that would seem to be a win-win, from my biased seat :)

The scenario that has me bolting awake in fear at night (ok, slight hyperbole) is that Anaheim has worked out a way to buy an AHL team and move them into the VVCC instead.... *whimpers*
 
HansH said:
It's obvious (to me) that as their part of this, the Kings would move their AHL team from Manchester into Ontario, and either sell the Ontario franchise to some other owner who wanted a team in the ECHL in some other market, fold the franchise outright, or try to move it somewhere else to keep all three levels of players still under influence.

Purely for selfish reasons, though I have no indication this is anywhere close to happening, I -hope- the Kings would move the ECHL team to San Diego -- as AEG Live holds the lease on the Valley View Casino Center (formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena), so that would seem to be a win-win, from my biased seat :)

The scenario that has me bolting awake in fear at night (ok, slight hyperbole) is that Anaheim has worked out a way to buy an AHL team and move them into the VVCC instead.... *whimpers*
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Either way, you would be getting AHL hockey and the Baby Kings visiting like 6 times a season, if not more. Good point though: I did not think about San Diego.

This is just fantastic news. While it is always sad when teams move and I feel for those loyal Monarchs fans, it is so much better for the Kings and others to be very close to their farm team(s).

Can someone with more knowledge about the ECHL comment on what this would mean for the league in the event Ontario/Bakersfield/Stockton become AHL franchises?

I think Anaheim should be ALL OVER Long Beach. Very short drive for a large portion of their fanbase and, more importantly, an easy drive down the 22 to manage their prospects. San Diego's arena might be in better condition than the LB Convention Center, but the proximity is so sweet. I'd go to every game there when the Kings affiliate visited and would definitely go on a Saturday or Sunday as a "I've got nothing better to do today than sneak in some ripple and watch some AHL hockey".

I don't think hockey has ever been this popular in SoCal with the Kings recently winning the Cup and the Ducks being good at the same time. Long Beach could definitely support an AHL franchise as long as it was the Kings or Ducks affiliate.

I'm pretty pumped over this news. Just a great thing for hockey out West.
 
Brad Doty said:
Had to happen eventually.

Great news for all the Western Conf. teams with AHL affiliates really!
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I know DL has wanted this to happen since he took over. When you think about it, the teams out west suffer the most when they need to recall a player. It takes probably a day to get a player from Manchester to LA , yet a team like the Rangers or Leafs can have a player take a cab and be ready to go in an hour.
 
Nose of Sutter said:
So if Ontario becomes the AHL team, does Manchester become the ECHL team?
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Not automatically. Part of the reason that 2015 seems to make sense for this to happen (IF it does, and I've been seeing this story for more than a decade now, so I'm hesitant until I see OFFICIAL announcements) is that, as I understand it, the Monarch's lease with their arena runs out then. AEG doesn't manage that arena, IIRC -- I think that's SMG. So, for the ECHL team to go to Manchester, 1) the Kings would have to want to risk the fan base wrath at the downgrade from AHL to ECHL, and 2) convince SMG to give them a lease, instead of some other ownership group who might want to move an AHL franchise in to backfill.

There's not a lot of ECHL presence up there, either -- the closest team, I'm pretty sure, would be in Elmira, NY, driving past SEVERAL current AHL cities.

Short answer: No, it's not automatic. I mentioned San Diego as a possible destination - Fresno's Selland Arena is available (though questions remain about the mishandling of the market the last time the ECHL was up there), Tuscon is renovating their convention center, I think... there's options.

Or, AEG might just not want to own an ECHL team any more and just sell it to someone else to move it elsewhere, or they might just fold it.
 
Getting an affiliate in San Diego would be pretty awesome, although I kinda doubt how sustainable it would be. Back when Brian Burke was still in Anaheim, I think he mentioned San Diego as a potential location for the Ducks affiliate if it ever became feasible.
 
BigKing said:
Can someone with more knowledge about the ECHL comment on what this would mean for the league in the event Ontario/Bakersfield/Stockton become AHL franchises?
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Short answer: if they all three were replaced by AHL franchises that would leave a five-team division of questionable long-term viability - Alaska (Anchorage), Idaho (Boise), Las Vegas, Colorado (Fort Collins), and Utah (Salt Lake suburb West Valley City).

Not impossible to hang on and try to grow their western presence back, especially if the Kings and Oilers keep their ECHL franchises based SOMEWHERE in the West, and even more if other NHL teams join that model -- though I think that last one is a big stretch in likelihood.
 
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