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Utica Comets enter 10 year affiliation with the New Jersey Devils

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DudeWhereIsMakar said:
Now that it's official that the Comets are moving to Abbotsford, I guess it's official that the Utica Devils are returning.

But this time, I expect this affiliation to last longer.

If the Charlotte Checkers are for sale, I think the St. Louis Blues should buy them and Florida goes back to continue their affiliation with the Springfield Falcons. Don't know where the Blues would put their AHL team, but if I had to guess I'd probably assume Kansas City, Peoria or Memphis.
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The blues would probably happily affiliate with a AHL team in a place like Kansas City if someone like Lamar Hunt Jr was the local owner/operator.
 
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DudeWhereIsMakar said:
Now that it's official that the Comets are moving to Abbotsford, I guess it's official that the Utica Devils are returning.

But this time, I expect this affiliation to last longer.

If the Charlotte Checkers are for sale, I think the St. Louis Blues should buy them and Florida goes back to continue their affiliation with the Springfield Falcons. Don't know where the Blues would put their AHL team, but if I had to guess I'd probably assume Kansas City, Peoria or Memphis.
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Not impossible I guess, but I would be a bit surprised if the Blues went out and randomly bought the an AHL team. Ownership hasn't displayed much of an interest since buying the team, and sold the Peoria Rivermen franchise at the time, so if they did buy a new AHL franchise it's not going to Peoria.
 
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Centrum Hockey said:
The blues would probably happily affiliate with a AHL team in a place like Kansas City if someone like Lamar Hunt Jr was the local owner/operator.
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Centrum:

stop playing games here:

Who owns Utica, just because it was Worcester and Springfield originally... doesn't mean the Blues are being discussed here..... they have a contract with the Thunderbirds......

it has NOTHING to do with Independence or the Mavericks, who are not thrilled with Calgary, but it's doubtful as Norfolk SHOWS US being independent the last full season.

St. Louis wants nothing to do with the owner/operation business likely due to the backlash they got from handling the transfer to Peoria, whether it be publically or privately as was played out then.

now:

we knew that this might be coming at some point.... BUT now the question to Canucks Sports is do you have an operator to self sustain the operational costs now that Esche isn't footing that bill for you....

2) what franchise name hasn't been taken or trademarked for like what Esche did with 'Utica Devils' AND are we setting up another trademark fight a la Palm Desert over 'Firebirds' or the sidebar over 'Golden Knights' having multiple meanings.
 
Seattle Totems said:
It was stupid the moment he said it but he kept arguing it anyway.
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you mean kinda like now? The only person on here who didn't admit that the only reason abottsford failed the first time is due to the fact they were a Calgary team plopped into Canucks fan territory...is the same person now arguing the losing side once again. Is anyone really shocked that Vancouver is doing exactly what everyone said they should or would...ok well outside of 1 individual is anyone shocked?
 
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axecrew said:
you mean kinda like now? The only person on here who didn't admit that the only reason abottsford failed the first time is due to the fact they were a Calgary team plopped into Canucks fan territory...is the same person now arguing the losing side once again. Is anyone really shocked that Vancouver is doing exactly what everyone said they should or would...ok well outside of 1 individual is anyone shocked?
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Hey did you guys know Portland is the only market to ever win back to back AHL championships???
 
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Lots of petty nonsensical bickering going on here about franchise history and owners this and that etc lol. The same folks who said Abbotsford wasn't going to be and AHL market again lol. Actually, the same folks who a decade ago said utica was a dead market lol.
 
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PCSPounder said:
What’s the old parable about getting into the mud with a hog?

I actually had to remind myself of the teams that eventually renamed the UHL to the IHL... and now I’m having to tell myself that this wasn’t THAT long ago. I’m not THAT old. That’s not gray you see there.
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No team in either iteration of the IHL played in Rockford, whether it was the real IHL or the renamed UHL.
 
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CrazyEddie20 said:
No team in either iteration of the IHL played in Rockford, whether it was the real IHL or the renamed UHL.
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And I checked that as well on the way out, and, eh, price tea in China and all that.
Or it’s time for me to do my Best Coast Best with “all your franchise are belong to us” stuff. It’s total troll candy and yet more relevant than a cavalcade of dead leagues.
 
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Well nothing announced in Utica today about the Devil's moving here. All the local news said was that Esche was confident that they could have AHL hockey here next season.
 
CHRDANHUTCH said:
Centrum:

stop playing games here:

Who owns Utica, just because it was Worcester and Springfield originally... doesn't mean the Blues are being discussed here..... they have a contract with the Thunderbirds......

it has NOTHING to do with Independence or the Mavericks, who are not thrilled with Calgary, but it's doubtful as Norfolk SHOWS US being independent the last full season.

St. Louis wants nothing to do with the owner/operation business likely due to the backlash they got from handling the transfer to Peoria, whether it be publically or privately as was played out then.

now:

we knew that this might be coming at some point.... BUT now the question to Canucks Sports is do you have an operator to self sustain the operational costs now that Esche isn't footing that bill for you....

2) what franchise name hasn't been taken or trademarked for like what Esche did with 'Utica Devils' AND are we setting up another trademark fight a la Palm Desert over 'Firebirds' or the sidebar over 'Golden Knights' having multiple meanings.
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Absolutely correct and as we ALL know those contracts are iron-clad just like wet TP.
 
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UticaHockey said:
In a radio interview today Esche said they won't be the Utica Devils and that multiple teams expressed interest in Utica. We will find out tomorrow but my money is on keeping the Utica Comets name but affiliated with the NJ Devils.

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This would be great news to see the Utica Comets brand preserved, I love that. Esche probably locked the U-Devils brand for throwback games which would be awesome. Having Utica and Adirondack in your pipeline is a win win.
 
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UticaHockey said:
In a radio interview today Esche said they won't be the Utica Devils and that multiple teams expressed interest in Utica. We will find out tomorrow but my money is on keeping the Utica Comets name but affiliated with the NJ Devils.
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I wonder if the New York Rangers could be one of those teams that has expressed interest in Utica. Be interesting to see if they make a big financial push to pull the Rangers AHL team out of Hartford and move into Utica. I could see that happening and the Devils put their AHL team in Trenton.
 
UticaHockey said:
In a radio interview today Esche said they won't be the Utica Devils and that multiple teams expressed interest in Utica. We will find out tomorrow but my money is on keeping the Utica Comets name but affiliated with the NJ Devils.

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It sounds like it will just be the comets branding with the devils Affiliation and color scheme.

GrGriffins said:
I wonder if the New York Rangers could be one of those teams that has expressed interest in Utica. Be interesting to see if they make a big financial push to pull the Rangers AHL team out of Hartford and move into Utica. I could see that happening and the Devils put their AHL team in Trenton.
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The Rangers chould pull out of Hartford for anyone of the open Upstate NY markets but their is little reason to. Anyone who thinks Hartford will ever work as a ECHL market is kidding themselves.
 
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GrGriffins said:
I wonder if the New York Rangers could be one of those teams that has expressed interest in Utica. Be interesting to see if they make a big financial push to pull the Rangers AHL team out of Hartford and move into Utica. I could see that happening and the Devils put their AHL team in Trenton.
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I doubt the rangers would have an interest in Utica, if they did Esche would be all over it. My guess is the Islanders as it looks like the sound tigers are getting re branded....
 
Peterpuck7810 said:
I doubt the rangers would have an interest in Utica, if they did Esche would be all over it. My guess is the Islanders as it looks like the sound tigers are getting re branded....
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The rangers could have been using Utica as a stalking horse to get a better deal from Hartford at one point without any serious desire to move the wolf pack. UConn is moving a lot of dates to a on campus arena and the live event industry is no where close to what it was a decade ago. The XL center probably needs the wolf pack to justify keeping the lights on.
 
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