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Utica Comets enter 10 year affiliation with the New Jersey Devils

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I don't mind the "Utica" Devils logo, what they did logo wise in Lowell, Albany, then Binghamton was awful lol. Walter Robb (God rest his soul) even offered the Devils use of the river rats name and logo. I know its a sting to Binghamton more then it was for Albany. The Thunder has built a solid club and the level of play in DI is on point nowadays it really wasn't a major loss for Albany. I hated the A Devils logo, I always wore River Rats gear at the A Devils games, I never bought merchandise either. Lets face it, the Albany Devils logo sucked. It looked like a Devil urinating. The former Rats owner offered the Devils organization the opportunity to continue on with the River Rats logo and copyrights, they flat out refused. The organization barely had any games on the radio, and the first few years played games down in Atlantic City and Newark....The fan base had had it with the Devils. Union College and their 2014 National Championship team plus the ECHL in Glens Falls, there is plenty of solid hockey. With exception of a couple seasons the Devils had become a glorified practice squad, a systems development squad not a play to win for albany franchise. Thats just not a reality in today's AHL. The colleges want to win, and ECHL clubs not owned by NHL teams also want to win.
 
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(Starts typing a whole slew of questions... then stops)

(Researches)

So Long Beach Arena will host Handball (the team version) for the 2028 Olympics. That wouldn’t likely motivate them to install luxury suites. Or does LBA already have some?

I think Stockton would be better. Suites are the primary reason. Getting lost in the LA market is a strong second.

EDIT- I know so many of you are preoccupied with practice time. If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for market viability. It’s a burden and a better predictor (not too much, but enough) of franchise behavior.
 
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This was just terrible lol 400px-Albany_Devils_logo.svg.png
 
PCSPounder said:
(Starts typing a whole slew of questions... then stops)

(Researches)

So Long Beach Arena will host Handball (the team version) for the 2028 Olympics. That wouldn’t likely motivate them to install luxury suites. Or does LBA already have some?

I think Stockton would be better. Suites are the primary reason. Getting lost in the LA market is a strong second.

EDIT- I know so many of you are preoccupied with practice time. If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for market viability. It’s a burden and a better predictor (not too much, but enough) of franchise behavior.
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The pictures don't appear to show any luxury suites, and it doesn't appear like there's any space to add them.

And market viability is only important if the team involved cares about market viability. If the team doesn't care how much they'll lose playing there, then that throws everything else out the window.
 
PCSPounder said:
(Starts typing a whole slew of questions... then stops)

(Researches)

So Long Beach Arena will host Handball (the team version) for the 2028 Olympics. That wouldn’t likely motivate them to install luxury suites. Or does LBA already have some?

I think Stockton would be better. Suites are the primary reason. Getting lost in the LA market is a strong second.

EDIT- I know so many of you are preoccupied with practice time. If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for market viability. It’s a burden and a better predictor (not too much, but enough) of franchise behavior.
Click to expand...

go talk to the Stockton fanbase, PCS.... and those fans will tell you the Heat's practice facility when they were there is in so bad a shape it ought to be either condemned or imploded to start anew, tbth....

there's no guarantee except what the Flames management has told the Heat fanbase they are committed to that market... yes, the NBA Kings G-League team shares Stockton Arena as well but they are a party to this, but not actively and it was stated that if the Flames elect to keep the Heat in Calgary past this season...there's no guarantee Stockton will ever be relevant as a market.....Sacramento could elect to take their franchise to the Kings training facility
 
CHRDANHUTCH said:
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.
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Do you have a link on the extension?

I had presumed any practicing was done in Oak Park Arena. There's also rumours of Manteca building an arena for some reason.
 
[QUOTE="CHRDANHUTCH, post: 177428714, member: 1111"here's no guarantee Stockton will ever be relevant as a market.....Sacramento could elect to take their franchise to the Kings training facility[/QUOTE]

Stockton was a very relevant market with the Stockton Thunder. Stockton may have it's many, many, many, many problems but one thing it has done is grown. Any team other than the Flames organization would have done well here. Not sure why the Oilers chose Bakersfield considering the Thunder already had an association here.
 
LuckyDay said:
Do you have a link on the extension?

I had presumed any practicing was done in Oak Park Arena. There's also rumours of Manteca building an arena for some reason.
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I saw that one report but I think due to the pandemic they had held off on the construction of that facility.....but I'd have to look again to that article to see, but that might be a better answer from the Kraken fanbase to truly answer what that plan is.

the AHL arena for Palm Springs/Desert hadn't been approved nevermind a registered trademark for a name was rejected.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
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.
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Right? I can't believe having a bunch op prospects from a team and city we seem to have the most hate against didn't work. Abby along with Surrey, Langley, etc are big areas of Nuck fans, they would never support a flames team.
Now if it was an American team not from the Pacific it might have worked but any thing else was doomed to fail.
Having a chance for people who can't afford NHL or just like watching the kids before they become stars will easily make this a success imo if it happens. Will they still be the comets?
 
LuckyDay said:
[QUOTE="CHRDANHUTCH, post: 177428714, member: 1111"here's no guarantee Stockton will ever be relevant as a market.....Sacramento could elect to take their franchise to the Kings training facility
Click to expand...

Stockton was a very relevant market with the Stockton Thunder. Stockton may have it's many, many, many, many problems but one thing it has done is grown. Any team other than the Flames organization would have done well here. Not sure why the Oilers chose Bakersfield considering the Thunder already had an association here.[/QUOTE]
DIFFERENT scenario LD:

The city went insolvent, as @LadyStanley reported back then, which led to the Flames switching Adirondack and Stockton... which is why the Heat inherited the lease that the Thunder had negotiated before being relocated. That's why Abbotsford went away after the option wasn't exercised because that's how Abbotsford negotiated that lease at that time 2 separate 5 year PDC's w/ the Flames. the Caveat WAS Abbotsford could choose to elect out after the 1st 5 years which they did... that's why Adirondack returned for that brief stretch after Detroit's run ended when the merger of 2001, between the AHL/IHL occurred... Ottawa was in Grand Rapids which is why DET took that slot then...

not sure why Bakersfield is being brought up after the fact.... the Oilers bought the Condors which the AHL Franchise was in OKC for five years after the AHL threatened to revoke the Oilers affiliation/franchise after what they had tried to pull in downtown Toronto in MLSE'S BACKYARD.... Lyle Abraham says hello, again, LD.

THAT excommunication of the Edmonton/Toronto Road Runners from what is now Coca Cola Coliseum is what forced MLSE to flip the NOW Marlies FROM Newfoundland despite the interference by SJSE, who operates Mile One Centre to this day now with the ECHL Growlers filling that slot in Newfoundland.

the Condors ECHL affiliate then was sold to Norfolk because Anaheim had just bought the AHL Admirals and besides Arizona, Anaheim had not subscribed to the owner/operation model that's become the standard MO the way the AHL is now being operated with a few exceptions... just as you saw Chicago recently complete the acquisition of Rockford outright....
 
GKJ said:
Do they bus to Tuscon?
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Roadhog said:
Might depend on the team and scheduling, it's less than 6 hours from San Diego. Pretty sure Henderson is closer.
Click to expand...

(Times given as car driving. May need to add time for bus.)

San Diego to Tucson: about 6 hours
San Diego to Henderson: about 5.5 hours

Henderson to Tucson: about 6 hours

Ontario to Tucson: about 6.5 hours (7.5 hours from El Segundo where they practice)

SD-H-T are kinda an equilateral triangle.


If San Jose is "just" playing SD, they will often fly down to the game rather than the 8ish hour bus ride. (But if they are playing other teams to/from, they bus)



Fresno is nicely located between Stockton and Bakersfield, kinda. Multiple arena options.
 
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folks:

the practice that the Flames used in Abbotsford when the Heat were there and what TNSE/MLSE/Montreal used in Newfoundland for their travel budget to get the visiting teams to St. John's or Abbotsford no longer is allowed by AHL Rule.... even though the Growlers were granted that rule when they were awarded to Deacon by the ECHL....

that was posted in both the Vancouver Sun and the Province newspapers which serve the Vancouver market on the Canadian side as of Sunday 4/13/21....

the Province is suggesting that one of three potential scenarios.... depends on whether the Canucks exercise the right to release Esche from his operation of the Comets franchise and branding.... as Esche physically has the rights to the operation currently in Utica.... independent of where the Utica Devils trademark file stands.... in essence, for legal purposes... yes, the Canucks own the physical franchise that is active as the Utica Comets, but Esche is the one who built said brand....

they could remain in Utica, return to Vancouver, play at the Pacific Coliseum, barring upgrades to that facility and its operator PSE.... who has not commented publically to the Province or the Sun instead directing any correspondence back to the Canucks organization.. the WHL Giants tried the Coliseum and it wasn't feasible when they tried to operate it.

Abbotsford is still there and what's left independent of what Calgary does with Stockton past this season or NJ's status with the outgoing Binghamton franchise.
 
210 said:
Not the smartest move to post that from WooHockey...which then lost their press privileges early the next season and went on hiatus.
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I am not familiar with Woohockey but I guess that April fools joke caused a little stir lol, it was funny though. Definitely can see how it could be troublesome legal wise. I am all for stirring up a rivalry. I am sure the ECHL wasn't happy and some fans from Adirondack may have saw that and were like WTF
 
Ratitude said:
I am not familiar with Woohockey but I guess that April fools joke caused a little stir lol, it was funny though. Definitely can see how it could be troublesome legal wise. I am all for stirring up a rivalry. I am sure the ECHL wasn't happy and some fans from Adirondack may have saw that and were like WTF
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Everyone knew it was a joke...but certainly not a professional way to conduct one's self.
 
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Tao Jones said:
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Wow, kind of subtle. You would think a little more gratitude would have been displayed. They did in fact had built something special in Utica, very good partnership and the community was all in. Had the pleasure of attending their very first game,against Albany of course. Night Ranger, fireworks, and Mr Hockey himself. What a special night.
 
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As much as a sting this is to the Binghamton market this really shouldn't be a surprise given the organization's history of not going full terms on contracts. They just never are a reliable partner, they suck and fans in Albany die hards and casuals alike didn't trust the Devils. They bolted Albany for Binghamton before the ink dried on a new 3 year contract about a month after signing it. Thats even after Albany county spent millions on upgrades. The Devils should have never signed a lease agreement, that was dirty. Albany like Binghamton, and if it pans out true Utica all were just trying to make a deal with the devils to keep AHL hockey.
 
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