Schedule

[UticaHockey]

Get use to it… If anything it’s going to get worse especially once the AHL does move westward. You’ll get more divisional play, less interconference play and no cross-conference play at all. I’d venture to save a 75%/25% split. I wouldn’t be shocked if there was a reduction in the number of games played in the season as well, dropping down to 72 or even dare I say 68-game schedule?

I agree with Rum… They should have gone unbalanced conferences, but getting a variety of opponent is wishful thinking.

I would bet that you hit the nail on the head. If you think that you play the same teams over and over now wait until there is a division West of the Rockies.

 

[tigervixxxen]

You don't have to agree with me or not....all you have to do is not want your cake and eat too.
If everyone wants a strictly conference schedule format that's fine but then it has to be a true conference schedule....you ONLY play the teams in your conference...NO EXCEPTIONS...rivalries be damned...closeness doesn't count.

Why does St Johns play Hamilton and Toronto then?

 

[axecrew]

Why does St Johns play Hamilton and Toronto then?

Because the AHL cries wolf about a true conference format...they want their cake and eat it too. The AHL will tell whatever story they can to suit their needs. They talk about how they are going to a conference schedule format but they lie and do whatever they want to suit themselves. Pretty simple. If the AHL had its way there wouldn't be a team west of hershey and certainly not west of cleveland. This whole west coast movement thing has the AHL crapping their pants if truth be told. Problem is....they do what the NHL tells them to do period. The AHL wants to be in the Big Boys league...problem is they don't want to pay the Big Boys prices.

 

[Rumblick]

My $.02 on your $.02, axe:

Because the AHL cries wolf about a true conference format...they want their cake and eat it too. The AHL will tell whatever story they can to suit their needs. They talk about how they are going to a conference schedule format but they lie and do whatever they want to suit themselves.

Curious - where are these quotes about a "true conference format"? If they wanted a full-on conference schedule, they'd simply abandon this inane 15 & 15 format. I've seen them talk about "division heavy", and God knows they've got that locked up, but they've been screwed up on any conference schedule almost since the merger.


Pretty simple. If the AHL had its way there wouldn't be a team west of hershey and certainly not west of cleveland.

Which is why they took in the IHL, with teams as far west as Utah, and put a team in Abbotsford, as well as the whole Western movement, Which leads me to.....


This whole west coast movement thing has the AHL crapping their pants if truth be told.

Aside from potential loss of franchises (and for them, pants crapping would be understandable), the Western movement will be fine for the Eastern teams. There will then be a manageable number of Eastern teams to put out a schedule that doesn't have to go out of conference. I think the teams that move will feel the burn faster than the teams that remain.


Problem is....they do what the NHL tells them to do period. The AHL wants to be in the Big Boys league...problem is they don't want to pay the Big Boys prices.


First sentence is obvious (and includes your beloved Wolves and the other west teams), because the AHL is to an extent financed by the NHL; they are the prime feeder system for the AHL, so their existence is dependent on said NHL.
The rest of it makes no sense at all. What the hell is the "Big Boy's League"?

 

[Nightsquad]

Because the AHL cries wolf about a true conference format...they want their cake and eat it too. The AHL will tell whatever story they can to suit their needs. They talk about how they are going to a conference schedule format but they lie and do whatever they want to suit themselves. Pretty simple. If the AHL had its way there wouldn't be a team west of hershey and certainly not west of cleveland. This whole west coast movement thing has the AHL crapping their pants if truth be told. Problem is....they do what the NHL tells them to do period. The AHL wants to be in the Big Boys league...problem is they don't want to pay the Big Boys prices.[/QUOTE

LOL "Big Boys League", someone has been smoking some real good herb. With almost half of the AHL owned & operating under NHL control I guess it's fair to assert the AHL although minor league, it's really minor in name only. After all it's the individual teams that will absorb the travel expenses, not the league itself other then doing market visits. The teams have to pay the costs of the officials as well.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

Because the AHL cries wolf about a true conference format...they want their cake and eat it too. The AHL will tell whatever story they can to suit their needs. They talk about how they are going to a conference schedule format but they lie and do whatever they want to suit themselves. Pretty simple. If the AHL had its way there wouldn't be a team west of hershey and certainly not west of cleveland. This whole west coast movement thing has the AHL crapping their pants if truth be told. Problem is....they do what the NHL tells them to do period. The AHL wants to be in the Big Boys league...problem is they don't want to pay the Big Boys prices.

LOL "Big Boys League", someone has been smoking some real good herb. With almost half of the AHL owned & operating under NHL control I guess it's fair to assert the AHL although minor league, it's really minor in name only. After all it's the individual teams that will absorb the travel expenses, not the league itself other then doing market visits. The teams have to pay the costs of the officials as well.

Actually, you need to recheck that buddy. The league helps pay some of the travel costs for certain teams. They also pay the travel costs for the on ice and off ice officials

 

[go comets]

I can't complain about the schedule. Teams with seniority get to stay in the east, and newer teams have to stay in the west. Utica plays a heavy western schedule, with 6 vrs eastern teams the crunch and bingo.and a couple with Albany. Seeing how travel is their biggest expense, why wouldn't you play other local teams???

 

[sabrefan27]

I can't complain about the schedule. Teams with seniority get to stay in the east, and newer teams have to stay in the west. Utica plays a heavy western schedule, with 6 vrs eastern teams the crunch and bingo.and a couple with Albany. Seeing how travel is their biggest expense, why wouldn't you play other local teams???

LOL yeah right. Ask the Amerks how that's working out.

 

[CJNewman]

LOL yeah right. Ask the Amerks how that's working out.

That is a great point the only reason I can think it was Rochester who went to the west was the other choice was Hershey but I'm not sure. The problem with the league isn't a simple one answer thing it's a system failure. Dave Andrews is the commissioner he needs to start acting it. Instead of having a system where seniority rules and teams are allowed to do whatever they please they need to form a committee that votes on important decisions and votes based on what's best for business. Some examples are the divisional realignment. The original rumored plan would of had Adirondack for lack of a better term stay where they were, Lehigh Valley go to the East Division, and have Syracuse go to the North Division with their two biggest rivals Rochester and Utica, but Syracuse used seniority to veto it even though big picture it made sense for everyone involved directly and indirectly. If the league had a put this to a vote where every team had a say it would of probably came out different. Secondly the teams dictating who they play. It's ridiculous that every team doesn't have to play every team in their conference is ridiculous. The fact that they approved a schedule where Charlotte doesn't play any of the western conference New Uork teams is a joke. Finally do away with the 15-15 conferences it's a joke. NHL Deputy Comissioner said it best "our geography is what it is there's no really changing it" when asked about the imbalance conferences. Fact is the NHL could easily go 18-12 instead of the 16-14 they have. I feel the AHL should go with an 18-12 or even 20-10 conference breakdown until if or when the western movement happens with absolutely no crossover in the regular season. People are going to say this isn't fair for the playoffs but I have a solution. In the case of an 18-12 you seed the playoffs 1-16 based on overall league standing not by conference. My opinion this would make for some interesting matchups. In a 20-10 conference you seed the east 1-16 and the west 1-8. To even this out the east each plays a one game elimination to determine the 8 teams. I know these are radical ideas that probably won't ever happen, but it's better than what we got now like Portland playing Manchester 14 times.

 

[210]

That is a great point the only reason I can think it was Rochester who went to the west was the other choice was Hershey but I'm not sure. The problem with the league isn't a simple one answer thing it's a system failure. Dave Andrews is the commissioner he needs to start acting it. Instead of having a system where seniority rules and teams are allowed to do whatever they please they need to form a committee that votes on important decisions and votes based on what's best for business. Some examples are the divisional realignment. The original rumored plan would of had Adirondack for lack of a better term stay where they were, Lehigh Valley go to the East Division, and have Syracuse go to the North Division with their two biggest rivals Rochester and Utica, but Syracuse used seniority to veto it even though big picture it made sense for everyone involved directly and indirectly. If the league had a put this to a vote where every team had a say it would of probably came out different. Secondly the teams dictating who they play. It's ridiculous that every team doesn't have to play every team in their conference is ridiculous. The fact that they approved a schedule where Charlotte doesn't play any of the western conference New Uork teams is a joke. Finally do away with the 15-15 conferences it's a joke. NHL Deputy Comissioner said it best "our geography is what it is there's no really changing it" when asked about the imbalance conferences. Fact is the NHL could easily go 18-12 instead of the 16-14 they have. I feel the AHL should go with an 18-12 or even 20-10 conference breakdown until if or when the western movement happens with absolutely no crossover in the regular season. People are going to say this isn't fair for the playoffs but I have a solution. In the case of an 18-12 you seed the playoffs 1-16 based on overall league standing not by conference. My opinion this would make for some interesting matchups. In a 20-10 conference you seed the east 1-16 and the west 1-8. To even this out the east each plays a one game elimination to determine the 8 teams. I know these are radical ideas that probably won't ever happen, but it's better than what we got now like Portland playing Manchester 14 times.

It's called the "Board of Governors".

 

[RFA]

I don't think that any league in any sport really has a balanced schedule. Why would the AHL be expected to then? And the rosters change so much in the end of the year when college and jrs is finished, does the schedule really matter that much? 08-09 Rats are a good example. Early on two of the best players defect to Russia, then the bus crash (thank god they weren't on a plane), but by the end of the regular season they pick up basically a top line and pair of D from college/jrs. (Bellemore/McBain on D, Boychuk, Pospisil and Sutter up front). So does the schedule really matter when you can bring in ringers at the end anyway?

There was a season, around 2003 where the Rats played Hamilton a bunch of times and Hamilton was very good. There was some speculation around here that was the reason the Rats missed the playoffs. That was in the middle of the terrible stretch for the franchise, who knows maybe a playoff berth could have kept some fans from leaving for good at that point.

But to have Albany and Adirondack play each other only once in each barn is totally stupid. Whoever's fault that is should be fired on the spot. And if one or both of the teams said they don't care, they should be forced to play each other.

 

[axecrew]

That is a great point the only reason I can think it was Rochester who went to the west was the other choice was Hershey but I'm not sure. The problem with the league isn't a simple one answer thing it's a system failure. Dave Andrews is the commissioner he needs to start acting it. Instead of having a system where seniority rules and teams are allowed to do whatever they please they need to form a committee that votes on important decisions and votes based on what's best for business. Some examples are the divisional realignment. The original rumored plan would of had Adirondack for lack of a better term stay where they were, Lehigh Valley go to the East Division, and have Syracuse go to the North Division with their two biggest rivals Rochester and Utica, but Syracuse used seniority to veto it even though big picture it made sense for everyone involved directly and indirectly. If the league had a put this to a vote where every team had a say it would of probably came out different. Secondly the teams dictating who they play. It's ridiculous that every team doesn't have to play every team in their conference is ridiculous. The fact that they approved a schedule where Charlotte doesn't play any of the western conference New Uork teams is a joke. Finally do away with the 15-15 conferences it's a joke. NHL Deputy Comissioner said it best "our geography is what it is there's no really changing it" when asked about the imbalance conferences. Fact is the NHL could easily go 18-12 instead of the 16-14 they have. I feel the AHL should go with an 18-12 or even 20-10 conference breakdown until if or when the western movement happens with absolutely no crossover in the regular season. People are going to say this isn't fair for the playoffs but I have a solution. In the case of an 18-12 you seed the playoffs 1-16 based on overall league standing not by conference. My opinion this would make for some interesting matchups. In a 20-10 conference you seed the east 1-16 and the west 1-8. To even this out the east each plays a one game elimination to determine the 8 teams. I know these are radical ideas that probably won't ever happen, but it's better than what we got now like Portland playing Manchester 14 times.

This is a fantabulous idea.....potentially playing a team in your first round match-up that you didn't play that year or maybe have never played.
This is a great idea.....let's base our very playoff lives on beating a team we didn't play all year or have maybe never played in our history.
No clue why this wasn't thought of sooner.

 

[RFA]

Devils didn't play St. John's in the regular season last year- then played in 1st round. I heard no complaint, and Albany drew huge crowds.

There has been much more complaint about Albany only hosting Adirondack once all season (until the two meet in the Calder Cup Finals).

 

[CJNewman]

This is a fantabulous idea.....potentially playing a team in your first round match-up that you didn't play that year or maybe have never played.
This is a great idea.....let's base our very playoff lives on beating a team we didn't play all year or have maybe never played in our history.
No clue why this wasn't thought of sooner.

Your right that never happened a team playing a playoff series against a team they didn't previously play that year or ever except for the past few Calder Cups but they aren't important series or anything. You don't like me and that's fine I don't care and I admit I don't know everything, but alls you do is criticize without offering any kind of solution. So to be fair ill issue you this challenge. Come up with a better plan than I did or be quiet. Anybody can criticize, but it takes brains to attempt to come up with a solution.

 

[adsfan]

Your right that never happened a team playing a playoff series against a team they didn't previously play that year or ever except for the past few Calder Cups but they aren't important series or anything. You don't like me and that's fine I don't care and I admit I don't know everything, but alls you do is criticize without offering any kind of solution. So to be fair ill issue you this challenge. Come up with a better plan than I did or be quiet. Anybody can criticize, but it takes brains to attempt to come up with a solution.

I believe that Milwaukee didn't play Rochester during the 2003-04 season, but they did play them 5 games in the third round of the playoffs, so it may go back more years than you think.

I would like to see Milwaukee play every team in their conference every season, even if it is only 2 games. I am excited that the Amerks and Utica are coming to Milwaukee for the second season in a row. Adirondack is also coming to town. Glens Falls is a long way from Milwaukee, over 900 driving miles.

 

[CJNewman]

I just remembered St. John's only played one of their four playoff opponents in the regular season.

 

[210]

I believe that Milwaukee didn't play Rochester during the 2003-04 season, but they did play them 5 games in the third round of the playoffs, so it may go back more years than you think.

I would like to see Milwaukee play every team in their conference every season, even if it is only 2 games. I am excited that the Amerks and Utica are coming to Milwaukee for the second season in a row. Adirondack is also coming to town. Glens Falls is a long way from Milwaukee, over 900 driving miles.

Jan 22, 2004 Rochester Americans 1 @ Milwaukee Admirals 5
Jan 30, 2004 Milwaukee Admirals 2 @ Rochester Americans 1

 

[axecrew]

Your right that never happened a team playing a playoff series against a team they didn't previously play that year or ever except for the past few Calder Cups but they aren't important series or anything. You don't like me and that's fine I don't care and I admit I don't know everything, but alls you do is criticize without offering any kind of solution. So to be fair ill issue you this challenge. Come up with a better plan than I did or be quiet. Anybody can criticize, but it takes brains to attempt to come up with a solution.

First off let's get a few things straight ok? Not ok? Tough we're going to anyway.

#1...You need to learn what sarcasm looks like and love it.
#2...Nobody on here has ever claimed to know everything, including me, but some of us actually do know details that others don't and you'd be wise to maybe think before you spout off and realize that maybe that person does know something you don't instead of looking to argue with every point made.
[mod]

You want a different plan fine....who's to say what's BETTER... It's simple....2 15 team conferences with 3 divisions in each. A 1-8 playoff seeding format. Each team in a conference will be REQUIRED to play the other 14 teams in it's own conference during the regular season to ensure the integrity of the playoff seedings. Wanna move teams around...go for it...wanna move Adirondak, Utica and Rochester to the eastern conference and the 3 western most teams out of the east and into the west....go for it...but gone would be the crying about spending money to travel some. How sad is it that the AHL has in the past billed itself as the second best league in the world, and yet even the ECHL teams travel more. Orlando, Florida,Reading, Elmira etc all travel to Ft. Wayne Indiana to play....not exactly a booming metropolis with a major airport and yet they manage to do it.
Next point..to the owners...you don't want to spend the money to travel in this newly revamped conference...no problem move down a league or 2...gone are the days of not playing a team in your conference, no matter where they are located and likewise gone are the days of playing teams in the other conference.
One last point...playing or possibly playing a team in the playoffs without playing them during the regular season is exactly what led Wolves gm to ***** about not playing Rochester in about 5 years prior to this past season, and what happened....played them in the first round this year.

 

[UticaHockey]

The AHL should stop billing themselves as the second best league in the world because that is not what their charter is. The AHL is the primary farm and development league for the NHL plain and simple. You don't see the AAA baseball International and Pacific Coast Leagues claiming to be the second best baseball leagues in the world.

Because the AHL is primarily a development league the argument that all teams should play a balanced schedule to make the playoff seedings as fair as possible has no merit at all. If the AHL was an independent league then yes I would agree that a balanced schedule would be needed. But as a farm league who cares if Team A never played Team E during the regular season if Team A lost 4 of their best players to NHL call ups late in the season and Team E just got restocked because their NHL parent team didn't make the playoffs or were swept in the first round.

Some of you guys get so worked up over balanced scheduling and playoff seeding that you can't see the forest through the trees. This is a development league!

 

[CJNewman]

First off let's get a few things straight ok? Not ok? Tough we're going to anyway.

#1...You need to learn what sarcasm looks like and love it.
#2...Nobody on here has ever claimed to know everything, including me, but some of us actually do know details that others don't and you'd be wise to maybe think before you spout off and realize that maybe that person does know something you don't instead of looking to argue with every point made.
[mod]

You want a different plan fine....who's to say what's BETTER... It's simple....2 15 team conferences with 3 divisions in each. A 1-8 playoff seeding format. Each team in a conference will be REQUIRED to play the other 14 teams in it's own conference during the regular season to ensure the integrity of the playoff seedings. Wanna move teams around...go for it...wanna move Adirondak, Utica and Rochester to the eastern conference and the 3 western most teams out of the east and into the west....go for it...but gone would be the crying about spending money to travel some. How sad is it that the AHL has in the past billed itself as the second best league in the world, and yet even the ECHL teams travel more. Orlando, Florida,Reading, Elmira etc all travel to Ft. Wayne Indiana to play....not exactly a booming metropolis with a major airport and yet they manage to do it.
Next point..to the owners...you don't want to spend the money to travel in this newly revamped conference...no problem move down a league or 2...gone are the days of not playing a team in your conference, no matter where they are located and likewise gone are the days of playing teams in the other conference.
One last point...playing or possibly playing a team in the playoffs without playing them during the regular season is exactly what led Wolves gm to ***** about not playing Rochester in about 5 years prior to this past season, and what happened....played them in the first round this year.

What is this sar casm am I saying write you speak of I've never heard if it please oh please teach me oh wise one.

As for everyone not knowing everything, but some of us knowing more than others I couldn't agree more. For example the fact that you didn't know teams face other teams in the playoffs every year that they didn't play in the regular season if ever and everybody else did.

[mod]

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Disagree without resorting to attacks on other posters, folks.

 

[axecrew]

What is this sar casm am I saying write you speak of I've never heard if it please oh please teach me oh wise one.

As for everyone not knowing everything, but some of us knowing more than others I couldn't agree more. For example the fact that you didn't know teams face other teams in the playoffs every year that they didn't play in the regular season if ever and everybody else did.

[mod]

This is the point right here......I DO AND DID KNOW....HAVE FOR YEARS...THAT STILL DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. JUST BECAUSE YOU GET AWAY WITH SOMETHING DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.

I'm done with you...it's obvious you are on here simply to start crap.

 

[axecrew]

The AHL should stop billing themselves as the second best league in the world because that is not what their charter is. The AHL is the primary farm and development league for the NHL plain and simple. You don't see the AAA baseball International and Pacific Coast Leagues claiming to be the second best baseball leagues in the world.

Because the AHL is primarily a development league the argument that all teams should play a balanced schedule to make the playoff seedings as fair as possible has no merit at all. If the AHL was an independent league then yes I would agree that a balanced schedule would be needed. But as a farm league who cares if Team A never played Team E during the regular season if Team A lost 4 of their best players to NHL call ups late in the season and Team E just got restocked because their NHL parent team didn't make the playoffs or were swept in the first round.

Some of you guys get so worked up over balanced scheduling and playoff seeding that you can't see the forest through the trees. This is a development league!

It's really quite simple.....it does make a difference, it makes a huge difference. Nobody said anything about a balanced schedule,although seeing all the teams in the league would be nice, it's never going to happen.
Where it makes a difference is to the fans, as evidence by the comments on here, not to mention it matters to the teams and their owners...winning cures a lot of woes. Fans will support a winning team before a losing one. More fans equals more money, playoffs equals more money, thus more money equates to your team being much more stable in it's marketplace and not as likely to be sold or moved. Why do you think teams like Hershey, Grand Rapids and Chicago and others like them are in the top 5 every year in attendance in the AHL? You never hear about those teams relocating do you, like you do Albany and Springfield or Lowell in the past. And this is just from a fans and owners point....what about the players?? Why do you think players go to certain organizations to play....to win. Why did Ray Bourque go to Colorado? Wasn't because he liked to ski.
It's just as much about winning as it is developing players...players develop better in a winning enviroment, they learn more and are more receptive to things when they enjoy coming to the rink each day and not dreading it like it's a job.
If winning doesn't matter, then why do they keep score in the AHL...or give out a trophy for the best team at the end of the year? Afterall it's just a developmental league and really doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of the NHL.
So in the end it does matter because they do keep score and give out trophies etc....and all you can ask for as a fan or as a team owner or even a player is for a fair level playing field. And since the playoffs is where names are made, you want as honest a chance to get there as possible, and not playing against all of the teams you are competing against for that chance isn't a fair level playing field.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

LOL yeah right. Ask the Amerks how that's working out.

They came out west this year for the first time in like 10 years so they do get their way.

Jan 22, 2004 Rochester Americans 1 @ Milwaukee Admirals 5
Jan 30, 2004 Milwaukee Admirals 2 @ Rochester Americans 1

That was a decade ago. Nice current reference. The only way that is current is if you are a Chicago Cubs fan.....

What is this sar casm am I saying write you speak of I've never heard if it please oh please teach me oh wise one.

As for everyone not knowing everything, but some of us knowing more than others I couldn't agree more. For example the fact that you didn't know teams face other teams in the playoffs every year that they didn't play in the regular season if ever and everybody else did.

[mod]

We ALL know that this happens and most of us do not like it. We have almost all suggested that at least a one and one with all teams within conference and some type of one and one with the other conference or one division in the other conference one year and alternate with the other divisions the way MLB did when they went to interleague play.

 

[UticaHockey]

It's really quite simple.....it does make a difference, it makes a huge difference. Nobody said anything about a balanced schedule,although seeing all the teams in the league would be nice, it's never going to happen.
Where it makes a difference is to the fans, as evidence by the comments on here, not to mention it matters to the teams and their owners...winning cures a lot of woes. Fans will support a winning team before a losing one. More fans equals more money, playoffs equals more money, thus more money equates to your team being much more stable in it's marketplace and not as likely to be sold or moved. Why do you think teams like Hershey, Grand Rapids and Chicago and others like them are in the top 5 every year in attendance in the AHL? You never hear about those teams relocating do you, like you do Albany and Springfield or Lowell in the past. And this is just from a fans and owners point....what about the players?? Why do you think players go to certain organizations to play....to win. Why did Ray Bourque go to Colorado? Wasn't because he liked to ski.
It's just as much about winning as it is developing players...players develop better in a winning enviroment, they learn more and are more receptive to things when they enjoy coming to the rink each day and not dreading it like it's a job.
If winning doesn't matter, then why do they keep score in the AHL...or give out a trophy for the best team at the end of the year? Afterall it's just a developmental league and really doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of the NHL.
So in the end it does matter because they do keep score and give out trophies etc....and all you can ask for as a fan or as a team owner or even a player is for a fair level playing field. And since the playoffs is where names are made, you want as honest a chance to get there as possible, and not playing against all of the teams you are competing against for that chance isn't a fair level playing field.

When did I ever say that winning isn't important? Sure it is. It is important to the fans, coaches, players, staff etc..... My point is that if two teams face each other in the playoffs who never met in the regular season that fact is insignificant in the grand scheme of things and is far out weighed but roster raids or significant additions at playoff time. Such are the realities of being a farm team in the AHL.