Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
NAHL team in Lewiston, Maine approved for the 2019-20 season
NAHL team in New Mexico approved for the 2019-20 season
The NAHL announced today that they were expanding into longtime target, Lewiston, Maine. The Maine Nordiques will start play next year with the same owner and facility as the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques of the NA3HL. Joining them next year will be the New Mexico Ice Wolves playing in Albuquerque as part of the South Division. Ownership sounds similar to the Maryland Black Bears, with ownership owning and investing money into revamping the rink, and dedicated to growing youth hockey.
The L/A Nordiques currently average about 500 fans per game, which is fairly good considering it's the NA3 and the only junior hockey market in New England to remotely garner any fan interest. The rink and market have been continuously linked with an eastward expansion first by the USHL and then with the NAHL ever since the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL folded. Will be very good for the Eastern Division considering the only two teams that rely on ticket sales rather than other forms of income are the Jamestown Rebels and Johnstown Tomahawks. The first year Maryland Black Bears have occasionally had a respectable crowd. But the NJ Titans, NE Generals, and WBS Knights play in front of empty seats every game, despite what the official attendance figures might say.
Interesting move by the NAHL in New England. It's clearly attempting to block the tuition free Twin City Thunder that will start play next year 10 minutes away for the USPHL-NCDC. Expansion was expected to be limited since it seemed like the NAHL was happy with the scheduling and infrastructural advantages that comes with having even divisional play, in addition to avoiding further watering down the talent pool. This only increases speculation that the NAHL is going to add one or two franchises in Alaska to help the viability of a resurgent Kenai and the model franchise Fairbanks.
NAHL team in New Mexico approved for the 2019-20 season
The NAHL announced today that they were expanding into longtime target, Lewiston, Maine. The Maine Nordiques will start play next year with the same owner and facility as the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques of the NA3HL. Joining them next year will be the New Mexico Ice Wolves playing in Albuquerque as part of the South Division. Ownership sounds similar to the Maryland Black Bears, with ownership owning and investing money into revamping the rink, and dedicated to growing youth hockey.
The L/A Nordiques currently average about 500 fans per game, which is fairly good considering it's the NA3 and the only junior hockey market in New England to remotely garner any fan interest. The rink and market have been continuously linked with an eastward expansion first by the USHL and then with the NAHL ever since the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL folded. Will be very good for the Eastern Division considering the only two teams that rely on ticket sales rather than other forms of income are the Jamestown Rebels and Johnstown Tomahawks. The first year Maryland Black Bears have occasionally had a respectable crowd. But the NJ Titans, NE Generals, and WBS Knights play in front of empty seats every game, despite what the official attendance figures might say.
Interesting move by the NAHL in New England. It's clearly attempting to block the tuition free Twin City Thunder that will start play next year 10 minutes away for the USPHL-NCDC. Expansion was expected to be limited since it seemed like the NAHL was happy with the scheduling and infrastructural advantages that comes with having even divisional play, in addition to avoiding further watering down the talent pool. This only increases speculation that the NAHL is going to add one or two franchises in Alaska to help the viability of a resurgent Kenai and the model franchise Fairbanks.
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