Utica Comets enter 10 year affiliation with the New Jersey Devils

[Roadhog]

Do they bus to Tuscon?

Might depend on the team and scheduling, it's less than 6 hours from San Diego. Pretty sure Henderson is closer.

 

[Roadhog]

I like the Abbotsford idea, except WestJet doesn't currently serve any U.S. cities from the airport there. Which means the home and visiting teams would have a bus ride of just over an hour to/from Vancouver airport. The Canucks former home, Pacific Coliseum, is still standing, and vacant.

 

[GKJ]

Might depend on the team and scheduling, it's less than 6 hours from San Diego. Pretty sure Henderson is closer.

I kind of always thought it made sense for Seattle and Vancouver to have their affiliates in the northwest with them. Wish they did it, because when the flames were affiliated in Abbotsford that seemed to make more sense for the Canucks. I feel like California is over-saturated now.

Colorado Eagles are kind of on an island to themselves as well.

If I’m looking at open markets with viable proximity, Salt Lake and Sacramento would seem to be the two markets but no clue what their ambitions are.

 

[gstommylee]

I kind of always thought it made sense for Seattle and Vancouver to have their affiliates in the northwest with them. Wish they did it, because when the flames were affiliated in Abbotsford that seemed to make more sense for the Canucks. I feel like California is over-saturated now.

Colorado Eagles are kind of on an island to themselves as well.

If I’m looking at open markets with viable proximity, Salt Lake and Sacramento would seem to be the two markets but no clue what their ambitions are.

Colorado is more likely switching division to the other western conference cause of vegas's AHL team bigger question who's the other one that has to switch division cause i don't see them going 9-8-8-7

 

[axecrew]

I like the Abbotsford idea, except WestJet doesn't currently serve any U.S. cities from the airport there. Which means the home and visiting teams would have a bus ride of just over an hour to/from Vancouver airport. The Canucks former home, Pacific Coliseum, is still standing, and vacant.

When the Chicago Wolves played in Abbotsford years ago they flew in to Washington state and bussed across the boarder to Abbotsford. It was actually quicker and easier then to fly into canada. Which also was the only time Abbotsford ever sold out the building...what a coincidence...Abbotsford sold out the building when the VANCOUVER CANUCKS affiliate was there to play....Imagine that.

 

[LuckyDay]

I want to hope the Canucks come here to Sunny Stockton. We lost an incredible team in the Thunder - they were quite popular here. What Calgary did here with the Heat is a crying shame and we have no hope of an ECHL team to replace it now that they are already gone.

With Seattle going to Palm Springs, another team in California is a no brainer - and we have a proven track record. Allegiant Air flies directly out of Stockton Airport but not directly to Bellingham. They'd need to fly out of Sacramento for call ups and everywhere else is a bus ride except San Diego , Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

 

[PCSPounder]

I kind of always thought it made sense for Seattle and Vancouver to have their affiliates in the northwest with them. Wish they did it, because when the flames were affiliated in Abbotsford that seemed to make more sense for the Canucks. I feel like California is over-saturated now.

Colorado Eagles are kind of on an island to themselves as well.

If I’m looking at open markets with viable proximity, Salt Lake and Sacramento would seem to be the two markets but no clue what their ambitions are.

I looked at the site shift for the Palm Springs proposal. Awfully fast for California permitting processes, especially to be breaking ground next month. Except it’s pretty much desert. Probably the least likely area to really be challenged. Also, it’s not like the original site in downtown Palm Springs is the irresistible center of the Coachella Valley.

My thought process at least allows for a course change by the Kraken. It’s not the way to bet. Thing is, you can fly into Bellingham with about as much hassle as when the division was making regular Texas stops.

BTW... Stockton is part of Sacramento’s TV market, and less than an hour away in all but rush hour traffic. Since most of the populated suburbs are to Sacramento’s north and east, it’s not as much of an issue as, say, Vancouver to Abbotsford.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have no idea whether an ahl team would work in abbotsford. What i do know was having Calgary's minor league team located there is one of dumbest things i've ever seen. Beyond dumb actually, maybe insane.

 

[Roadhog]

Abbotsford sold out the building when the VANCOUVER CANUCKS affiliate was there to play....Imagine that.

Same when the St. John's Maple Leafs would come in for games against the Toronto Roadrunners.

 

[UticaHockey]

I know Seattle plans on having their AHL team in Palm Springs but what are their short term plans until the arena is built?

 

[wildcat48]

I like the Abbotsford idea, except WestJet doesn't currently serve any U.S. cities from the airport there. Which means the home and visiting teams would have a bus ride of just over an hour to/from Vancouver airport. The Canucks former home, Pacific Coliseum, is still standing, and vacant.

WestJet and Delta have a codeshare agreement so Delta would fly from Abbotsford to a US hub or vice versa.

 

[wildcat48]

it's not the Canucks, PCS.... IT'S Esche., which I agree there, 2) what is the issue specifically that the County has with the Devils, that the arena liason says they're a 3rd party to... because originally we thought it was Mitchell who had the dispute with the County which is why the Devils informed him they were leaving at the end of 21.

my point is County trustee boards should stay out of arena management disputes, whether it's there in Binghamton, or what transpired here in the midst of Portland's renovation of Cross Arena in 2012-14, with no assistance from Arizona.... leaving the franchise out to dry for an agreement that was in principle agreed to at the end of 2013.... that is why Portland junked the County involvement when Cross came aboard to sponsor the arena, that's why Lewiston's Colisee was employed along with the expansion of team territory to Central Maine, not just Portland....

Nobody gives a god damn about Portland....

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I want to hope the Canucks come here to Sunny Stockton. We lost an incredible team in the Thunder - they were quite popular here. What Calgary did here with the Heat is a crying shame and we have no hope of an ECHL team to replace it now that they are already gone.

With Seattle going to Palm Springs, another team in California is a no brainer - and we have a proven track record. Allegiant Air flies directly out of Stockton Airport but not directly to Bellingham. They'd need to fly out of Sacramento for call ups and everywhere else is a bus ride except San Diego , Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

THE PROBLEM with Stockton... is the same issues that the Flames have encountered there in the San Joaquin.... there's no real great practice facility for the AHL Affiliate to either switch to in case something fails at Stockton Arena (like what has occurred recently with Wheeling and SC and then Wheeling and Indianapolis.).. It's the intention before the pandemic changed the landscape on the RTP... where the Flames have said the Heat will return to Stockton, after this 2021 season.... now the clock restarts on the Flames getting a long term extension in Stockton... that's why we had the delay in the Canadian division of the 2021 season.... because once Stockton was allowed to temporarily relocate to Calgary.

Seattle's intention was Palm Springs originally but the application was revised to Palm Desert, and the arena there to house that affiliation just started construction from an article I read not too long ago from NBC Palm Springs.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Nobody gives a god damn about Portland....

uh, what, wildcat:

you're willing to throw your career out the window for pro hockey at any level in Portland, is that what you're saying and here you are saying forget that this state ever had professional hockey at any level...

wasn't it you that decried the trustee board's handling of that relationship at every turn no matter who the ownership and the affiliate was...

EXPLAIN May 1991 to the masses again and why Maine Hockey Partners left Portland for Providence.

are you also denying that May 2015 when Ron Cain pulled the plug on Portland ever happened or was acknowledged to even exist or occurred so are u now acknowledging that Portland should've fought back like Mitchell is doing there for the 3rd time in over 20 years to keep Binghamton relevant in the hockey world, now whether Mitchell's successful enough to achieve that remains to be seen.

you claimed that the AHL Was on the verge of change in 2014/15 and that continued into 2015/16... but didn't you also say it would've happened independent of that timeline had it not been 2014.....

 

[wildcat48]

uh, what, wildcat:

you're willing to throw your career out the window for pro hockey at any level in Portland, is that what you're saying and here you are saying forget that this state ever had professional hockey at any level...

wasn't it you that decried the trustee board's handling of that relationship at every turn no matter who the ownership and the affiliate was...

EXPLAIN May 1991 to the masses again and why Maine Hockey Partners left Portland for Providence.

are you also denying that May 2015 when Ron Cain pulled the plug on Portland ever happened or was acknowledged to even exist or occurred so are u now acknowledging that Portland should've fought back like Mitchell is doing there for the 3rd time in over 20 years to keep Binghamton relevant in the hockey world, now whether Mitchell's successful enough to achieve that remains to be seen.

you claimed that the AHL Was on the verge of change in 2014/15 and that continued into 2015/16... but didn't you also say it would've happened independent of that timeline had it not been 2014.....

Blah blah blah.

Nobody cares about Portland. It has absolutely nothing to do with the conversation and as far as my career is concerned your opinion matters very little to me but for your information I haven't been involved in sports media for almost 7 years.

Pay more attention.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Blah blah blah.

Nobody care about Portland. It has absolutely nothing to do with the conversation and as far as my career is concerned your opinion matters very little to me but for your information I haven't been involved in sports media for almost 7 years.

Pay more attention.

THEN why are u still here then....

 

[wildcat48]

THEN why are u still here then....

Oh. You got me.

 

[Ratitude]

I have been following sporadically with hockey cancelled for me locally (Adirondack, Union, and RPI). Nevertheless I see our good old Devils organization up to no good again playing games. I didn't see things going too well for Binghamton anyway. If the squad ends up in Utica I hope they retain the Comets brand they built. I can see the idiots in NJ forcing Utica to change branding etc, hope not.

 

[ckg927]

I know Seattle plans on having their AHL team in Palm Springs but what are their short term plans until the arena is built?

None that I'm aware of. Palm Springs won't start until '22. They COULD put some of the players in their system in Norfolk of the ECHL-since it's an independent team(and is expected to return next season); however, that's only a guess on my part.

 

[210]

None that I'm aware of. Palm Springs won't start until '22. They COULD put some of the players in their system in Norfolk of the ECHL-since it's an independent team(and is expected to return next season); however, that's only a guess on my part.

They can loan their players anywhere. Just have to work it out with the teams involved.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

I have been following sporadically with hockey cancelled for me locally (Adirondack, Union, and RPI). Nevertheless I see our good old Devils organization up to no good again playing games. I didn't see things going too well for Binghamton anyway. If the squad ends up in Utica I hope they retain the Comets brand they built. I can see the idiots in NJ forcing Utica to change branding etc, hope not.

Maybe the Utica Devils trademark filed by Esche is just for third jerseys on throwback night.

 

[UticaHockey]

None that I'm aware of. Palm Springs won't start until '22. They COULD put some of the players in their system in Norfolk of the ECHL-since it's an independent team(and is expected to return next season); however, that's only a guess on my part.

I hope they give Binghamton a consideration instead of loaning players out across multiple teams. They would supply the players and coaches while Binghamton already has an experienced AHL management staff in place. It is a long distance for call ups but very workable for a one or two year solution until the arena is built. Call ups were never a big issue from Utica to Vancouver the first seven years of the Comets affiliation. It became a problem this year because of the 14 day quarantine requirement when traveling from the US to Canada. Comets call ups rarely got inserted into the Canucks lineup because Travis Green and the coaches before him wanted the call ups to get several practices in before playing.

 

[Boeser Fan]

[QUOTE="Andy Dufresne, post: 177405407, member: 87036"]I have no idea whether an ahl team would work in abbotsford. What i do know was having Calgary's minor league team located there is one of dumbest things i've ever seen. Beyond dumb actually, maybe insane.[/QUOTE]
As a Canucks affiliate 100%! Anyone else as previously shown by the Heat absolutely not!

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

[QUOTE="Andy Dufresne, post: 177405407, member: 87036"]I have no idea whether an ahl team would work in abbotsford. What i do know was having Calgary's minor league team located there is one of dumbest things i've ever seen. Beyond dumb actually, maybe insane.

As a Canucks affiliate 100%! Anyone else as previously shown by the Heat absolutely not![/QUOTE]

I don't believe the city of Abbotsford is interested in pro hockey at any level... Canucks affiliation or not, wouldn't they need an ownership liason to run the franchise for them like Esche did in Utica? it's doubtful CSE can run two franchises in combination otherwise why wasn't Abbotsford selected the minute CSE acquired the franchise from St. Louis, Boeser, and why Utica and Esche was selected instead.

 

[210]

When the Chicago Wolves played in Abbotsford years ago they flew in to Washington state and bussed across the boarder to Abbotsford. It was actually quicker and easier then to fly into canada.

Similar situation as the WorSharks trip out there...they flew to Manitoba, then on to Abbotsford. After that, they bussed to Seattle to fly home.