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Utica Comets enter 10 year affiliation with the New Jersey Devils

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CHRDANHUTCH said:
so originally was the move by TNSE, Adam, who moved the Manitoba Moose out of what is now Bell MTS Place when TNSE was awarded the rights of the Winnipeg Jets, then previously known as the Atlanta Thrashers.

it's why Ice Caps was selected in St. John's under Jets colors, because Moose, by definition, likely wouldn't fly in Newfoundland/Labrador...

then once the Jets were reestablished, the Moose returned to Winnipeg, and that's when Montreal stepped in turning that logo into rouge et blanc et bleue, (the french version of the Canadiens color schematic)....
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Yea, I know it was the Jets who were the IceCaps' NHL affiliate first. I was only mentioning that Habs went to St. John's temporarily while the arena in Laval was being built. Which maybe the Canucks can do if they move their AHL affiliate somewhere temporarily before bringing them to BC.
 
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Carl Annese is chairman of the Upper Mohawk Valley Memorial Auditorium Authority, which oversees Utica’s downtown arena where the Comets play. He is aware of the recent talk surrounding the affiliation situation.

Annese said the Aud Authority had not been notified of any possible change to the affiliation as of Tuesday afternoon. He noted there are inquires each year from teams about the possibility of playing in Utica.

“Right now I don’t have reasoning that it is not going to be Vancouver (as affiliate next season),” said Annese, who acknowledged that’s not to say there aren’t talks happening. “Talk is cheap. Right now, there is no offers on the table.”

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Any relocation has to be approved by the AHL Board of Governors. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 6, according to reports.

“There’s nothing that has been declared,” Annese said. “Everybody has to wait until the Board of Governors of the AHL meet to say if any of this is true.”

Utica Comets affiliation change would have to be approved by AHL Board
 
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CHRDANHUTCH said:
mostly correct, but Frank DuRoss shouldn't be trusted to run a franchise solely on his own, Ratitude, it was DuRoss WHO started that discussion AND/OR made the suggestion to go to Utica in the first iteration, but I wouldn't be shocked if DuRoss started the process of telling/advising Ed Anderson to leave for Providence in 1991 around the same time the Devils aligned with Robb in Albany.
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The (Rats) first owner was Al Lawrence when the franchise was the CD Islanders and then moved across the river to Albany to become the Rats. Al Lawrence had to sell the franchise, in doing so sold the team then to Walter Robb. All this franchise talk of who and when owned what comes down to debate and semantics. Guys like DuRoss, Esche, Robb, Lawrence, and Donner are all just good guys trying to do right.
 
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I have no doubt this is already a done deal. Looks like Esche jumped on the only option Utica would have.

No doubt the escape clauses were written so the either Vancouver or the Comets could get out of the agreement.

Sounds like NJ was unhappy with Binghamton deciding not to run due to covid.

Esche definitely made the right call in icing a team this year..... Kudos to him!!!
 
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Ratitude said:
The (Rats) first owner was Al Lawrence when the franchise was the CD Islanders and then moved across the river to Albany to become the Rats. Al Lawrence had to sell the franchise, in doing so sold the team then to Walter Robb. All this franchise talk of who and when owned what comes down to debate and semantics. Guys like DuRoss, Esche, Robb, Lawrence, and Donner are all just good guys trying to do right.
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uh, Disagree:

Duross conned the Devils into coming there to Utica, Ratitude, because why did it take two years before Calgary bought the franchise outright.... the Devils doublecrossed DuRoss just as DuRoss doublecrossed MHP, LLC.

Duross is as persona non grata in Portland as Petrovek was when he was unceremonially demoted from CEO in 2013-15.... which is why you saw Calgary do the same thing in the rumored move of the Heat to Colorado Springs that went nowhere.

it had nothing to do with Robb and his operation in Albany.

Utica was like Binghamton, Syracuse, and Rochester until Esche changed that....
 
Peterpuck7810 said:
I have no doubt this is already a done deal. Looks like Esche jumped on the only option Utica would have.

No doubt the escape clauses were written so the either Vancouver or the Comets could get out of the agreement.

Sounds like NJ was unhappy with Binghamton deciding not to run due to covid.

Esche definitely made the right call in icing a team this year..... Kudos to him!!!
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Comets, Canucks extend affiliation deal
The new deal has options after the two-, four-, and six-year marks to continue the affiliation. The original deal was set to expire after this season.
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I'm not sure how much involvement Frank DuRoss has with the Comets any more. Esche partnered with him in 2013 the first year of the Comets because DuRoss had the experience of running an AHL team. It is all Esche these days even though DuRoss is still listed as part of MV Gardens.

Damn I didn't realize how many people don't like him until I just looked at Frank DuRoss' Wiki page.

Frank DuRoss - Wikipedia
 
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Roadhog said:
That article is from December 2018.

"The extension ensures Vancouver’s top prospects will continue to develop their skills in Utica through at least the 2020-21 season."
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which has been extended to this season....Roadhog.... is this not 2021? as of January when the league returned...
 
Tao Jones said:
I don't know. I'd guess Nashville is returning to Milwaukee. If Carolina pulls out of Chicago, maybe the Wolves get Seattle players until the Palm Desert facility is completed?
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not likely would Seattle agree to that arrangement because that franchise arrives the same season and you'd run the same risk that Vegas did when they took over once they joined because the AHL already approved that. it's doubtful once the PD Arena is built... they'd want to be there ASAP.

Nashville, St. Louis and Florida are all expected to resume their relationships, just as if the last 2 seasons hadn't been either interrupted as 2019/2020 was.... or the deal that 2021 was made and in effect now. Providence likely returns to downtown Providence and resumes their contract there instead of Marlboro....

it's likely New Jersey is ceding the "Binghamton" franchise to Esche since he now has filed for the trademark... and where Vancouver ultimately lands with the Comets franchise.
 
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Centrum Hockey said:
It would be Florida that would end up with the Wolves in that Scenario.
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Florida has that contract with Charlotte in place after not extending with Springfield, Centrum.... that's why the Blues are persona non grata with Levin and why they chose Springfield.... I believe the Panthers would prefer an ETZ Affiliate..... that's the reason they left San Antonio to Colorado to St. Louis to Vegas/Henderson....
 
Tao Jones said:
I don't know. I'd guess Nashville is returning to Milwaukee. If Carolina pulls out of Chicago, maybe the Wolves get Seattle players until the Palm Desert facility is completed?
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Carolina does not own a AHL franchise. But I guess vancouver could go to chicago short term, but I doubt it.....
 
CHRDANHUTCH said:
why would Kahn sell the Checkers if Carolina dropped them a year ago.... Centrum.... why did Dundon drop the Checkers for Chicago if there were no other options left?
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What Carolina did made little sense other than maybe Chicago offered more $$$ for the affiliation. The only thing Chicago does that Charlotte did is to cut down on travel and more practice time.
 
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Peterpuck7810 said:
What Carolina did made little sense other than maybe Chicago offered more $$$ for the affiliation. The only thing Chicago does that Charlotte did is to cut down on travel and more practice time.
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Or "MAYBE" after the issues between ownership groups of Charlotte and Carolina came to a head, Don Waddell ( you remember him right?) wanted to work with the people that he spent 10 years working with before?
 
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axecrew said:
Or "MAYBE" after the issues between ownership groups of Charlotte and Carolina came to a head, Don Waddell ( you remember him right?) wanted to work with the people that he spent 10 years working with before?
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who cares about Don Waddell unless he's buying an AHL Franchise, axe..... and then elects to relocate out of Rosemont, Illinois permanently...... remember, if it can happen to Binghamton, it will happen to the Wolves and there's nothing anyone can do to change that MO once it's been announced, that's the one thing you keep constantly ignoring here
 
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