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AwesomeSauce
(The Next Level!)
159 Posts |
 Posted - 05/31/2011 : 3:52:03 PM
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| It looks like the AHL will be relocating the Manitoba franchise with the Atlanta Thrashers announcing their sale to True North in Winnipeg today. Is this the opening the Cyclones were looking for? Perhaps Gwinnett will make the jump? Any thoughts on a potential market for the Moose? |
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Obie
(Rookie)
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2011 : 4:05:50 PM
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It won't be us.
The Porkopolis podcast that was last week said we're staying put in the ECHL. |
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Cyclonesdiehard
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
552 Posts |
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Catch22
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
676 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2011 : 11:42:56 PM
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There will be an AHL team in Atlanta at some point. The city is too big and the arena too nice not to. Gwinnett is an Atlanta suburb, but it is 45 minutes outside of town in a suburban area that is basically as large or larger than most ECHL towns. It's not really direct competition to a AHL or NHL team downtown.
We don't even do all that well in attendance in the ECHL, so it'd be crazy to go AHL. Get over it.
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Yes, I grew up playing hockey... In Alabama. |
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cMan2KellyCup
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
540 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 1:05:11 PM
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100% agreed!!!! Realistically, we do not draw squat for games... I was in Oklahoma City for a few weeks and caught a few Barons games, and they could not draw crap either. Warm night in January and only 500, if that, showed for a game against the Wolves (a high tier team)... two weeks later, three inches of snow falls, and there were only 50, 60 people at the game. A week after I come back, I come over for a Kalamazoo game, and same scenario... same behavior with the Cyclones fans... and people think we deserve to jump to AHL with those numbers? HA!
And mind you both Cox Convention Center and US Bank Arena have the same dimensions, and seat about the same amount of people. |
KELLY CUP CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010
AMERICAN/EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010, 2014
DIVISION CHAMPIONS- 1996, 2008, 2009, 2013
2008 BRABHAM CUP CHAMPIONS
Boards + visitors = broken bones! |
Edited by - cMan2KellyCup on 06/01/2011 1:06:05 PM |
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AwesomeSauce
(The Next Level!)
159 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 2:12:47 PM
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| How would an AHL team playing at Philips Arena survive? There's nothing to "get over", I just wasnt sure if the Cyclones were seriously considering a possible move. It's no big deal to me if the Cyclones stay in the ECHL forever. The Cyclones ownership is in a far better position to succeed at the AHL level than an ownership group leasing Philips Arena from ASG though. Cincinnati and Atlanta are similar when it comes to supporting sports teams. Large suburban populations in both cities,and going downtown for games doesnt seem like a priority. |
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Catch22
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
676 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 5:32:35 PM
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Atlanta is so much bigger than Cincinnati you can't remotely compare the two. If 1% of the Atlanta population casually went to hockey games any AHL team would be fine.
The problem with the Thrashers is that the tickets were expensive and the team was never good. That just won't work in a non-traditional hockey town, especially in a recession.
Pre-Thrashers the Atlanta Knights did OK.
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Yes, I grew up playing hockey... In Alabama. |
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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 6:01:10 PM
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Hockey didn't fail in Atlanta; ownership did.
The Thrashers ownership group was incompetent. They didn't know how to build a fan base; how to engage the community.
There were no grassroots efforts to promote the growth and awareness of the Atlanta Thrashers in the market. There was no commitment from the team in getting involved and building youth hockey programs.
The NHL could have and should have worked in Atlanta. But they didn't have the right ownership to make it work. |
www.twitter.com/donhelbig |
Edited by - Donnie Hockey on 06/01/2011 6:09:54 PM |
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AwesomeSauce
(The Next Level!)
159 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 7:46:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Catch22
Atlanta is so much bigger than Cincinnati you can't remotely compare the two. If 1% of the Atlanta population casually went to hockey games any AHL team would be fine.
The problem with the Thrashers is that the tickets were expensive and the team was never good. That just won't work in a non-traditional hockey town, especially in a recession.
Pre-Thrashers the Atlanta Knights did OK.
I wasn't comparing the size of Atlanta to Cincinnati,just that Atlanta seems to be similar in support of their pro sports teams.
It would be great if the AHL had a team in Atlanta,just would take the right owners and lease agreement with the arena to make it go. |
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AwesomeSauce
(The Next Level!)
159 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 7:49:40 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Donnie Hockey
Hockey didn't fail in Atlanta; ownership did.
The Thrashers ownership group was incompetent. They didn't know how to build a fan base; how to engage the community.
There were no grassroots efforts to promote the growth and awareness of the Atlanta Thrashers in the market. There was no commitment from the team in getting involved and building youth hockey programs.
The NHL could have and should have worked in Atlanta. But they didn't have the right ownership to make it work.
Columbus has been almost a mirror franchise of the Thrashers. Hopefully their on ice and organizational struggles will come to an end soon. Could very well be in the same situation as Atlanta in the next few years if they dont turn it around. Maybe a move to the Eastern Conference would help? |
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Catch22
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
676 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 11:20:32 PM
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I lived in Atlanta when the Thrashers started up and there was excellent fan and media support. The team never did anything with the support, never progressed passed a bottom 4 team in the East, and wasted more money on flop goalies than any team I can think of.
In short, I mostly agree with Donnie. The potential is there, but Atlanta folks aren't going to spend triple digit prices on tickets to watch a bad team.
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Yes, I grew up playing hockey... In Alabama. |
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cMan2KellyCup
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
540 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 7:10:38 PM
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Problem with Atlanta was they had an ownership in Atlanta Spirit that only really gave a rats ass about the Hawks... all the money, all the ads, everything was solely lodged in the Hawks... in short, they didnt care about hockey. The ownership never gave the team a chance to compete, and the result was declining ticket sales and only one division title (barely won) to show for it. They are better off in Winnipeg. The hockey hungry Canadians in Winnipeg, Manitoba will not allow this franchise to falter
As far as the Moose go, the Moose carry with it Vancouver's AHL rights... we COULD cover AHL expectations, no doubt. But 1. We already committed to ECHL this year, 2. the AHL kind of frowns upon gorish fighting, and 3. no doubt Vancouver would want us as the Cincinnati Canucks... no way... |
KELLY CUP CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010
AMERICAN/EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010, 2014
DIVISION CHAMPIONS- 1996, 2008, 2009, 2013
2008 BRABHAM CUP CHAMPIONS
Boards + visitors = broken bones! |
Edited by - cMan2KellyCup on 06/04/2011 7:12:51 PM |
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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 8:08:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by cMan2KellyCup
As far as the Moose go, the Moose carry with it Vancouver's AHL rights... we COULD cover AHL expectations, no doubt. But 1. We already committed to ECHL this year, 2. the AHL kind of frowns upon gorish fighting, and 3. no doubt Vancouver would want us as the Cincinnati Canucks... no way...
The AHL Manitoba Moose franchise is owned by True North, owners of the new Winnipeg NHL franchise. Wherever the AHL Manitoba franchise relocates to, it would only be affiliated with Vancouver for the short term (2011-12), if at all. Winnipeg will ultimately be the AHL Manitoba franchise's NHL affiliate.
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www.twitter.com/donhelbig |
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cMan2KellyCup
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
540 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 10:30:07 PM
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| that is true.... but what i was saying was currently Vancouver owns the right to put their players there |
KELLY CUP CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010
AMERICAN/EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010, 2014
DIVISION CHAMPIONS- 1996, 2008, 2009, 2013
2008 BRABHAM CUP CHAMPIONS
Boards + visitors = broken bones! |
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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
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cMan2KellyCup
(Been Here Awhile)
USA
540 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2011 : 1:51:25 PM
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| the St. John's Jets perhaps??? |
KELLY CUP CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010
AMERICAN/EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS- 2008, 2010, 2014
DIVISION CHAMPIONS- 1996, 2008, 2009, 2013
2008 BRABHAM CUP CHAMPIONS
Boards + visitors = broken bones! |
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