Notes:
Inter-league Play: In 2000-01 the WCHL and the CHL played 16 inter-league games which
counted in the standings.
2001-02 Major Changes: Team
moves and league realignments for the 2001-02 season were major and
dramatic. Although they are listed under Moves/Changes, they are
summarized here.
The International Hockey League ceased
operations after 56 years. From a high of 19 teams in 1997, the league
dropped to 11 in 2000-01. Six IHL teams moved to the American
Hockey League: Chicago Wolves, Manitoba Moose, Houston Aeros, Grand Rapids
Griffins, Milwaukee Admirals and Utah Grizzlies. The
Kansas City Blades, Detroit Vipers, Orlando Solar
Bears and Cleveland Lumberjacks are no more. The former Miami Matadors franchise will
move to Cincinnati
under the Cyclones name in the East Coast Hockey League. San Jose folded the AHL Kentucky Thoroughblades,
and established a new franchise, the Barons, in Cleveland. The AHL, long focused in the
northeast, is now be scattered across a huge area with Texas, Utah,
Manitoba, Newfoundland and Virginia at its extremes.
Meanwhile, the five-year old Western Professional
Hockey League and the nine-year old Central Hockey League merged,
retaining the CHL name. Lake Charles LA, Monroe LA and Tupelo MS of the
WPHL were not included, while CHL teams in
Huntsville AL and Fayetteville NC also became defunct. The CHL's Macon Whoopie
and Columbus Cottonmouths joined the ECHL.
New League for 2002-03: The Atlantic Coast League
started play in October with six teams, and is now included in our listings.
Shrinkage: Instead of planned
expansion, the WCHL will lose a team, the Tacoma Sabrecats, which folded
at the end of the season after losing to Idaho in the second round of the
playoffs. In their short history the 'Cats claimed one Taylor Cup. The
Colorado Gold Kings also suspended play.
WCHL to be Folded into ECHL: The ECHL
has accepted the application of all current and two future WCHL teams to
join the league. With other scheduled eastern expansion teams, the 27 team
ECHL will balloon to 37 teams spread across both coasts by 2004-05. A
joint meeting to discuss a name change and other issues will take place
some time in the winter of 02-03.
Other 2002-03 Changes: The UHL
B.C.
(Binghamton NY) Iceman have been forced into suspension due to the AHL team coming
to that city. The new San Antonio Stampede had to change their nickname to
Rampage because the Stampede name is owned by a semi-pro football team.
On the Move: The AHL Hamilton
Bulldogs will reportedly move to Toronto at the end of the 2002-03 season.
Toronto will become the second city to have both NHL and AHL teams (the
other is Philadelphia, with the AHL Phantoms).
Changes
for 2003-04: An organization is
preparing to bring back the long-defunct World Hockey Association,
supposedly at or near the level of the NHL, in 2004-05. An affiliated
minor league, WHA2, is planned for 2002-03, with ten to twelve teams.
Also scheduled to start play in the fall
of 2003 is a new all-Canadian pro league, the Federal Hockey League.
How likely are these leagues to succeed,
or even launch play? The Federal league has not announced any cities. The
WHA is advertising franchises available in 25 cities, with commitments in
place for 7 other locations. Meanwhile the struggles of several NHL clubs
have been well documented (Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Ottawa), and as many as
ten NHL teams may be for sale. Where will the players, fans and money come
from?
The
East Coast Hockey League has decided to retain it's current name (more or
less), despite the addition of the entire West Coast league. The league
will be called the ECHL, and will drop the text spelling out the name in
its logo.
Teams
set to play in the World Hockey Association 2 include Pelham (AL), a
suburb of Birmingham.
The all-Canadian Federal League has
plans for teams in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay,
North Bay, Hamilton, Quebec, Montreal and Saint John. The league will take
a radical approach to revenue sharing, with 100% of gate revenues spread
among teams, players, coaches and the league according to a pre-set scale.
The AHL has realigned into two
conferences, with two divisions each containing six or seven teams. This
replaces the three division alignment in each conference that was used in
2002-03. The new alignment is now shown under the AHL
section.
The ECHL has announced its
new conference and division lineups, to incorporate teams formerly
belonging to the WCHL. The new alignment is now shown under the ECHL
Section.
The September 1, 2003 update includes the
first official listing of the World Hockey Association 2.
Meanwhile, all but one team in the Atlantic League pulled out to form the
new South East Hockey League
(also added to our list,
at least until the next shakeup) Does that mean that Winston-Salem, the
sole team left in the old league, is a
lock for the ACHL cup?
ECHL players went on strike in late August. Teams
vowed to start the season on time, with or without the strikers,
recruiting from colleges and Europe. (PS: The strike was settled
before opening day.)
The ACHL appears to be
officially dead; it's no longer listed in The Hockey News, and in its
place is the SEHL. With this update, the the ACHL is shown as
dissolved.
Before the start of the
season, the ECHL re-named its Western Conference Divisions to Central and
Pacific. The Gwinnet Gladiators and the Augusta Lynx moved from the
Southern Division to the Central. These designations are reflected in the
league listings. The players strike was
settled in late September, prior to the start of training camps.
The SEHL's Tupelo T-Rex
(formerly of the defunct WPHL) was forced to fold before the season
started, due to a non-compete clause relating to their former league. This
leaves four teams active in the new league.
The SEHL's Winston-Salem
team, which has played without a nickname, is now officially the
Thunderbirds.
The Columbus (OH) Stars
have shut down as of January 9 (oops - we never put this team in the
active list). The UHL team cited poor attendance. Players become free
agents, and many are expected to join the ECHL.
02/19/04: Please don't ask how or why,
but we erroneously listed the Portland Pirates (AHL) as a team that had
stopped playing. In fact, the Pirates have been going strong since 1993
and we have never seen any reports to indicate any
changes.
04/02/04: Another mea culpa - we've
had two CHL teams listed as "teams of the future," although they
have been playing all season long. We have now added the Colorado Eagles
and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (Hidalgo TX) to the Central League
section. I swear I checked the CHL website or the Hockey News standings
near the start of the season, but maybe it was before the lineups were
set. The addition of these teams caused a couple of division moves for
other teams. Don't hesitate to send Email
if you spot any other errors.
5/11/04:
The World Hockey
Association 2 has announced that its member teams, including the Orlando
Seals, Jacksonville Barracudas, Asheville Aces, Lakeland Loggerheads,
Macon Trax, and Alabama Slammers will be leaving the league to align with
the reincarnated Eastern Hockey League of North Carolina. The Miami
Manatees franchise has been granted a temporary one year suspension of
operations while it looks to relocate for the 2005-2006 season. The Cape
Coral Florida franchise has agreed to follow the former WHA2 member teams
to the new league (but see below
for updates).
In the ECHL, teams are planned in
2005-06 for Burlington VT; Reno NV; and Bloomington IL. The latter is the
former WCHL franchise in Tacoma, which once planned to move to Ontario CA.
There is a possibility the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies will move to
New Orleans.
05/15/04:
The ECHL Peoria
Rivermen are in negotiations to move up to the AHL next season. In the
Central League, the Indianapolis Ice will likely move to a junior status,
while the Junior A U.S. League Danville IL Wings could replace them.
05/22/04: The Huntsville Channel
Cats are moving from the South East League to the Eastern League (leaving
just three teams in the SEHL). However, the WHA2 Alabama Slammers may go
to the SEHL instead of the EHL, and Columbus GA may ice a team in SEHL.
07/22/04: The ECHL has realigned
and re-named its conferences and divisions. The new combinations are shown
under the ECHL listing above.
As of July 2004 the Eastern
Hockey League has changed its name to the Southern Hockey League, although
things are in such a state that it may be the non-existent league by the
time the season starts. We haven't tried to include this league in the
league/team listings yet. No
official web site for the league could be found.
The SEHL in June announced that Pelham AL will
join the league; the Tupelo T-Rex also may return.
A correspondent reports new teams for Kansas City
and Fraser, Michigan. I have not been able to get any other
information on these yet.
Lots of today's updates (7/22/04) are because I
have added follow-up notes to some of the team changes from previous
years.
07/24/04: As of July 24 the Kansas
City and Fraser (Motor City Mechanics) teams have been confirmed as members of the UHL. The
league has reconfigured into three divisions, and the new team lineups are
shown in the listings above.
On July 23 the American Hockey league announced
that the Toronto Roadrunners would move to Edmonton for 2004-05.
07/27/04: Mass shuffling continues
in the Southeast and the again-renamed Southern Professional Hockey League
(which is now honored with a listing above). Several
teams have pulled out of the SEHL, and it's expected to fold. This leaves
the SPHL with nine teams, mostly from the former WHA2/EHL/SHL/SEHL
leagues.
8/09/04: The revived World Hockey
Association (WHA) remains a bit insubstantial, despite the presence of
former Blackhawk star Bobby Hull as commissioner. The league lists the
following as cities that will play in the first season: Dallas or
Vancouver, Detroit, Halifax, Hamilton, Miami, Quebec, and Toronto.
Ownership groups have reportedly paid the franchise fee for four of these.
They've conducted a draft, picking Sidney Crosby, next year's 99% certain
number one in the NHL draft. Observers doubt that he'll sign. Detroit has
a coach, and Quebec has a team name (the Nordiks).
Far less likely is the Northern League of
Professional Hockey (NLPH), which seems to be little more than a hopeful ad that
appeared in a recent issue of the Hockey News, seeking team owners. The
listed website is not operational.
8/10/04: Yet another new hockey
league has come to our attention - the International
Hockey Association. Unlike the elusive WHA and
the vaporous NLPH, the league has six teams complete with names and logos,
and lists plans for future expansion. The 2004-05 schedule link on their
website brings up a list of days with no dates or teams yet, but after
all, it's still only August. We'll list this league above when the
schedule appears. Teams for 2004 are Buffalo, Jamestown, Harrisburg,
Pittsburgh, Troy OH, and Sault St. Marie. I'm guessing that's Jamestown
NY; individual team information is not provided.
8/25/04: The
tentative Iowa team for the AHL has been confirmed for 2005 and is now
listed under teams of the future for 05-06. Based in Des Moines, they will
be known as the Stars, and have signed an affiliation agreement with
Dallas.
9/1/04: The St.
John's Maple Leafs will end a 14 year run in Newfoundland after the
2004-05 season, and will move to Toronto. The team is affiliated with the
NHL Maple Leafs.
The WHA is down to five cities: Detroit, Halifax,
Vancouver, Dallas and Quebec. In its issue of August 24, The Hockey
News declares the league's survival unlikely.
9/2/04: The
Southeast Hockey League clings to life, or at least to hope, with a
spokesman declaring that the league will be "dormant" for
2004-05. Three teams are said to be committed for 2005-06, but only Pelham
and Tupelo are named.
9/23/04: The
Hockey News compares them to "spoiled kids [squabbling] over a candy
bar" (a candy bar worth two billion dollars, as the writer notes).
The NHL and the NHLPA met a few times in late summer, but seemed only to
harden their already diametrically opposed positions. Bottom line - no
hockey till further notice, and the league speaks of trashing the entire
season. While the league's claim of losses seems to be valid, it's still
millionaire vs. millionaire, and who knows what the long-term costs of
their intransigence will be? Like many fans, I'm just as mad as can be at
both parties, but I'm a hard core fanatic, so I'll be watching the local
ECHL Fresno Falcons and waiting anxiously for the return of the big time.
Meanwhile, what about the Original Stars Hockey
League? Unlike the even more elusive WHL, the OSHL is intended only as a
fill-in and plans to suspend operations once the NHL is back in business.
A Google search did not produce a website for the league. In the latest
story found, the league says it has cancelled some preseason games, but
denies that the league has folded. They claim they will start their
regular season on October 7. This
story from the Toronto Star puts things in pretty good perspective.
Stay tuned.
As for the WHA,
on their website is a denial that they are selling the league to the NHL.
The latest update prior to that dates back to August 27. Don't hold your
breath waiting for this circus to provide hockey either.
9/29/04: The
Orlando Seals of the Southern Professional Hockey League have been forced
to suspend operations for the 2004-05 season, due to loss of their arena
lease. We've left them in the league listing, since they expect to return
on 05-06.
10/9/04:
Someone
asked me if there is a way to locate a particular player, to see what team
he now plays for. The
Joy of Hockey attempts to do just this. Log on to the site, then scroll down to the alpha links under "Joy of Hockey's Player Index." Each player's page lists his career statistics by year.
10/11/04:
The Cape Fear FireAntz (SPHL), based in Fayetteville, have adopted the
city name instead of the regional name, and will now be the Fayetteville
FireAntz. This change has been made in the listings above.
11/1/04:
The WHA has finally thrown in the towel, admitting it will not get off the
ground this year. There are still big plans for next year, and the
organization is for sale, with a wealthy lumberman reportedly interested.
12/2/04:
Another apparent towel toss comes from the Original Stars Hockey League.
The Hockey News issue of November 23, 2004, player paychecks have bounced
and games have been cancelled. The league still claims it will resume play
in December, but many high-profile players have given up on the
experiment.
The Orlando Seals, suspended for the 04-05
season due to the loss of their arena, have lined up a venue for 05-06 -
the Silver Spurs Arena in nearby Kissimmee. They will become the Florida
Seals.
12/4/04: The
St. Louis Blues are selling the Worcester Ice Cats (AHL) to the owners of
the Peoria Rivermen (ECHL), who plan to move the AHL team to Peoria. No
word yet on the fate of the Rivermen.
12/18/04: The
Exhibition Hockey League (EHL) is the latest in a long line of leagues and
tours attempting to provide hockey during the NHL lockout. It planned a
December launch, but the latest information on the Internet now says the
end of January. The Federal League fizzled out before any franchises were
established.
Referring back to the December
4 update, the latest word is that the former Worcester AHL franchise
will move to Peoria and take the Rivermen name. The ECHL Rivermen
franchise will either be sold or folded.
3/12/05:
Add another hopeful minor pro league -
the Northern League of Professional Hockey, which plans to start play in
October. The configuration is expected to include five to eight teams in
Ontario and the northeastern U.S. Possible locations include North Bay,
Niagara Falls, Welland, St. Catherine's, LaSalle, Cornwall and Brantford in
Ontario; and Danville IL, Roanoke VA, Hampton Roads VA, Huntington WV, and
Utica NY in the U.S.
The Calgary Flames are planning to place their
AHL affiliate in Omaha next season. The Flames suspended play of their
long-standing team in Saint John N.B after 2002-03.
The AHL's Portland Pirates are considering a move
to Massachusetts. A new arena in Portland could forestall the move.
There's also a rumor the Hartford Wolf Pack may move to Rye, NY.
The latest chapter in the long-running soap opera
that is the revived (or still moribund?) World Hockey Association has the
league aiming for an October start, with at least six North American
franchises.
3/30/05:
In the possible but hopefully not probable category, the Cleveland
Barons could move if attendance does not improve. Quad Cities, which hosts
a UHL team, is interested in the Sharks AHL affiliate. Note:
As of June 23, the franchise will remain in
Cleveland.
Toronto's AHL affiliate, the St. John's Maple
Leafs, will move to Toronto for the 2005-06 season, and will be known as
the Marlboros (see an update here).
4/12/05:
The UHL's Port Huron Beacons, after losing a million and a half dollars
since 2002, will either relocate, suspend play, or shut down when the
season ends. Any move would not take place until 2006-07.
4/21/05:
The Omaha AHL franchise (former Saint John Flames) will be known as the
Knights. (Click here for an update)
We've received notice that the Port Huron Beacon
(UHL) will move to Roanoke VA, and will be known as the Roanoke Valley
Vipers. However, hockey will continue in the
Michigan city with a new franchise known as the Port Huron Flags.
There is a
rumor that the Quad City Mallards might be moving from the UHL to the AHL.
Note:
As of June 23, the Mallards will remain in the UHL.
5/1/05:
The Toronto AHL team will actually be known as the Marlies, a reference to
the junior team. the Marlboros, which played there in the past.
5/12/05:
The Omaha AHL team will be known as the Ak-Sar Ben
Knights (no, it's not Arabic; ask Stan Freberg for an explanation).
6/1/05: OK,
there's confusion in Omaha, or bad info coming out, or something. The
latest word is that the Omaha team will be just plain Omaha Knights (thank
goodness) (but click here
for the latest).
The latest from the ghostly World Hockey League
says that the three-city, six-team tournament scheduled for late May is on
hold till early June. Promoter Phil Esposito has ended his association
with the league, saying he hasn't been paid. League president Ricky Smith
says he fired Phil. Everyone who still believes in the WHA, send in $500
for this bridge in Brooklyn that I'm selling.
The San Angelo Saints suspended operations after
an eight-year CHL run. The license rights for the franchise will be moved
for the 2006-07 season.
Also suspending play, at least for 2005-06, is
the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, who have lost their affiliation with the
Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the NHL.
Another AHL suspension is the Utah Grizzlies,
whose announcement gives no reason, but says "Exciting details
regarding hockey in Utah and in the E Center will be revealed in the near
future."
In the SPHL, the Macon Trax have suspended
operations. Several other teams are said to be on shaky ground, but the
web site doesn't have any information on this. Nothing is said of the Trax
either, but they are no longer listed as a member of the league.
The new ECHL franchise in Stockton will be known
as the Thunder.
6/3/05: We've
now received confirmation that the Winston-Salem Polar
Twins of the SPHL have suspended operations. This is the city's 7th hockey
franchise to take a fatal slip on the ice.
6/23/05: The
Utah Grizzlies will resume play in the coming season as an ECHL team.
Edmonton will suspend play of their AHL affiliate Roadrunners over
concerns about competition with the NHL team (both were scheduled to play
in the same arena in Edmonton). A possible move of the Sharks AHL team
from Cleveland to Quad Cities will not occur; the UHL Mallards will
continue their successful run in the Iowa-Illinois border area. By the
way, in case you're wondering, the Quad Cities
are Rock
Island and Moline in Illinois, and Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa.
6/25/05: With
three new teams for 2005-06 (Phoenix Roadrunners, Stockton Thunder, and
the Utah Grizzlies) the ECHL will have 27 teams playing in 16 states and British Columbia, and has done a major realignment of divisions and
conferences. The new alignments are shown in the ECHL
team listing above.
7/19/05: OK,
we're putting this to rest once and for all. The AHL team in Omaha is the
Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (it's Nebraska spelled backwards). Someone else owns
the rights to the name "Omaha Knights."
9/19/05: Due
to Hurricane Katrina, which has been called the worst natural disaster in
the history of the United States, Mississippi Sea Wolves operating owner
Mike Rogers has announced that the team would not be able to operate in
2005-06 but that it would return to action at the Mississippi Coast
Coliseum in 2006-07.
What's up with the elusive World Hockey
Association? We haven't seen any news lately on line or in The Hockey
News, but the WHA web site has a message that reads "WHA SUPER JUNIOR LEAGUE - TRYOUT CAMP 2005-2006 Season to consist of six teams in Florida division."
10/11/05: In
addition to the Mississippi Sea Wolves, the Texas Wildcatters will also
not play during 2005-06 because of hurricane damage to their arena in Beaumont.
1/19/06:
The name of the new CHL team in Prescott Valley AZ will be the Arizona
Sundogs.
1/31/06:
Robbie Nichols, the popular coach of the
Richmond RiverDogs is being shipped by the team's owners to Hoffman
Estates, Ill., to help start up their new UHL franchise there. Although
there are hints the 'Dogs will move or fold, the team has said no decision
will be made till the end of the season. With
a projected loss of $400,000 for the team this season, a bet on the team's
survival doesn't look like a good investment.
2/28/06:
The Bloomington IL UHL franchise will be known as the Prairie Thunder.
3/19/06: As
projected above (1/31), the Richmond RiverDogs franchise is moving to
Hoffman Estates, Illinois in 2006-07. Local businessman Allan B. Harvie is
trying to bring in a Southern Pro League franchise to fill the void.
4/3/06: There's
a possibility the Quad City Mallards (UHL) may move to the American League
and become the Edmonton Oilers top farm team. Some observers question
whether the team can generate the necessary revenue to move up.
The New Jersey Devils have ended their
relationship with the AHL Albany River Rats, and will purchase the AHL
team in Lowell MA, where they will place their prospects. The Rats are
exploring possible affiliation with other clubs.
4/9/06: The
proposed new AHL team for Cincinnati, the Railriders, have been unable to
sell enough season tickets for 2006-07 and will not play next year. The
team ownership continues to hold the rights for an AHL franchise in
Cincinnati, but no further plans have been announced.
4/21/06:
The ECHL announced on Friday that the Cincinnati
Cyclones have informed the Board of Governors that they will return to the
ice at US Bank Arena for the 2006-07 season. The team told the Board that
preparations are already underway and playing dates have previously been
submitted to the League office.
5/18/06:
The annual change partners dance has begun as some NHL teams change their
AHL affiliates. The Carolina Hurricanes will join forces with the Albany
River Rats, severing ties with the Lowell Loch Monsters. The Rats end a
lengthy partnership with the New Jersey Devils. Colorado will share the
Albany affiliation, also ending a relationship with Lowell. Click
here to see the latest listing of NHL farm teams.
The Mississippi Sea Wolves (ECHL) have received
permission to extend their voluntary suspension through the 2006-07
season, pending completion of repairs to their hurricane-damaged rink.
5/31/06:
The Missouri River Otters (UHL) may be
finished for good. The current owner has closed down the team office, and
unless someone steps in to buy the team, it will not return next season.
With the Richmond RiverDogs moving to Hoffman
Estates, IL, the former Richmond ECHL team the Renegades will be revived
as a SPHL team for 2006-07.
6/20/06: The
UHL may drop from 14 teams to 11 for the 2006-07 season. The Bloomington
(IL) Prairie Thunder is a new expansion team, but the league may lose the
Roanoke Valley Vipers, Motor City Mechanics, Missouri River Otters and
Adirondack Frostbite. The Vipers and Mechanics are a definite
"no," while it would take new ownership to saved the Otters and
the Frostbite.
6/29/06: The
Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), now affiliated with the New Jersey Devils,
have adopted the parent team's nickname.
There's a rumor, unconfirmed by the league but
reported in The Hockey News, that the owners of the ECHL Greenville
Grrowl have folded the team. Meanwhile reports that the UHL Danbury
Trashers will suspend operations for the 2006-07 season have been
confirmed.
6/30/06: The
ECHL San Diego Gulls stopped operations today. A pending sale could not be
finalized in time for the team to compete in the 2006-07 season. The Gulls
have operated in the now defunct International and West Coast Hockey
Leagues as well as the ECHL for many years. A personal note: Since my
local Fresno Falcons joined the WCHL in 1996, the Gulls have been our most
loved and hated rivals. They will be missed.
7/22/06:
Although the ECHL has not made an official announcement, the Greenville
Grrrowl are not listed in the recently-released 2006-07 schedule;
therefore we're listing them as a defunct or suspended team that played in
05-06.
8/8/06:
It's two in and two out for the ECHL. The final team lineup includes the
Cincinnati Cyclones and the Texas Wildcatters (Beaumont), who return after
suspending play last year due to Hurricane Rita. Greenville and San Diego
are out for now.
The Central League's Fort Worth Brahmas are
suspending play for the 2006-07 season due to a dispute with the city over
their arena lease.
8/14/06:
The Chicago Blackhawks will share an ECHL affiliation with the Toledo
Storm. The Storm are also affiliated with Detroit.
The 2006-07 season might be called the year of
going back. A half dozen or more players are returning to teams they
played for in the past. Perhaps the biggest move was Colorado's Rob Blake
returning to the L.A. Kings. Blake won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche.
Other moves: Jeremy Roenick back to Phoenix, Travis Green to the Anaheim
Ducks, Dominik Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings, Mark Recchi to the
Pittsburgh Penguins, and Doug Weight to the St. Louis Blues.
Big name moves to new teams include Brendan
Shanahan to the Rangers, Chris Pronger to the Ducks, Eric Lindros to the
Stars, Alex Tanguay to the Flames, Michael Peca to the Maple Leafs.
9/28/06:
It appears that the ECHL has done away with divisions for the
2006-07 season. Nothing has been said about it, but the team
listings show conference line-ups only, so we're making that
assumption till we hear otherwise. (See the next note for the
latest.)
10/21/06: Finally
the ECHL has revealed the division lineups, and we've made the
changes in the league listing above.
11/2/06:
A Windsor, Ontario organization, Ice Track Corp., plans to purchase
the AHL Cincinnati franchise, and establish a team in a new arena in
Winsdor, starting in 2008-09.
12/6/06: The
Chicago Blackhawks would like to place their prospects in an AHL
affiliate in Rockford IL, much closer than their present location
with the Norfolk Admirals. The plan is complicated by the fact that
Rockford has a UHL team, the IceHogs, and that the Admirals have no
interest in moving.
2/16/07: The
SPHL Florida Seals have folded after the arena locked them out due
to unpaid bills. As a result, the league will base final standings
on win percentage, since it's now mathematically impossible for all
teams to play an equal number of games.
2/26/07:
Hockey is heading back to Cleveland once again. The owner of the
NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and their arena will run the operation, to
be known as the Lake Erie Monsters. The AHL team is expected to play
next season (2007-08) and will be affiliated with the Colorado
Avalanche.
3/30/07: Officials
in Glens Falls NY are exploring the level of support for getting an
AHL team back in the city. The Adirondack Red Wings flourished there
for many years until financial problems forced them to shut down
after the 1998-99 season. A United League team, the Adirondack Frostbite,
ceased operations last June.
According to a March
19 news release, the Chicago Blackhawks will move their AHL
affiliation to Rockford IL, and the UHL Ice Hogs will apparently
move up to the higher level league (see update
below). Chicago ends its seven-year
affiliation with the Norfolk Admirals, who are expected to partner
with Tampa Bay.
4/14/07: The
Blackhawks have signed a 10-year affiliation agreement with the new
AHL team in Rockford. The Hawks had been affiliated with Norfolk for
seven years, but wanted a team closer to Chicago.
Tampa Bay will end
its agreement with Springfield; the likely new relationship is with
Norfolk. Springfield will be the AHL farm team for Edmonton, which
has not had it's own affiliate for two years.
The ECHL has
approved the application of the Elmira Jackals to move from the
United League effective October 2007.
4/23/07: The
Rockford AHL team is actually the former Cincinnati AHL franchise,
but will retain the Ice Hogs name.
4/29/07: The
ECHL stands to lose two American Conference teams for the 2007-08
season. The Pensacola Ice Pilots lease has expired, apparently
ending ten years of hockey in that Florida city. The Toledo Storm
has requested a voluntary suspension of operations (more
below).
5/18/07: The
Peedee Cyclones of the Southern Professional Hockey League are
looking for a home in a new city. The team has been unable to make a
profit in their present location.
The International
Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will launch a European championship
league in 2008-09. Talks are in progress about having the Euro
champion play the Stanley Cup champion each September. If this comes
about, winners of these prizes will be listed on our Hockey
Cup Winners page.
5/19/07: The
New Jersey Devils' ECHL affiliate in Trenton has changed their name
from the Titans to the Devils, thus completing the
"devilish" hat trick (the AHL affiliate, Lowell changed to
the Devils last season)
6/2/07: More
changes in the hockey world - The ECHL loses another team with the
shut-down of the Long Beach Ice Dogs. According to an official with
another ECHL team, the Dogs were playing in front of
"crowds" of 600 near the end of the season.
Meanwhile, the UHL
loses another team to higher ambition. The Quad City Mallards, one
of the more successful low minor league teams, will become Calgary's
American League affiliate, and will be known as the Quad City
Flames.
There has been no
confirmation regarding shut-down of the Toledo Storm or Pensacola
Ice Pilots. The Storm are promoting season ticket sales on their web
site and the Ice Pilots introduced a new coach on May 31 (more
below).
6/8/07: The new Quad City Flames team will
actually be Calgary's former Omaha Knights. Omaha proved to be the
wrong market for an AHL team. Fans remained loyal to the US League's
Lancers and the University of Nebraska team.
After sharing the
Albany River Rats with Carolina, Colorado will have an exclusive
franchise with the Lake Erie Monsters (Cleveland), coached by former
NHL journeyman Joe Sacco. The New York Islanders will have an ECHL
affiliate for the first time, the Utah Grizzlies.
6/9/07: After a week or two of rumors, the UHL
has officially announced that the Chicago Hounds are shutting down.
The reason given is lack of a reasonable lease costs.
6/18/07: We
have received confirmation via Email from an official with the
Pensacola Ice Pilots that the team will definitely play in 2007-08.
We had no response to an inquiry to the Storm. However, the team no
longer has a link on the ECHL home page, and the Storm page is
"under construction." A look at the schedule for one of
the American conference team shows no games scheduled with Toledo.
Therefore we're listing the Toledo Storm as a team that no longer
plays.
6/19/07:
One of our faithful hockey fans has brought to our attention two new
minor pro leagues. The 4-team North Eastern Hockey League has
completed its second year, and provides the following information on
its website (http://www.northeasternhockeyleague.com/):
"The North Eastern Hockey League is a second year minor hockey league. We use NHL rules with a few variations. The NEHL is a high scoring, fast paced league. In the first season games averaged 15 goals per game between both teams. The NEHL is based on affordability for both the owner and the fans."
Teams have been added to the league
listings above.
The Mid-Atlantic
Hockey League is new and is hiring staff and holding team tryouts.
The league's web site (http://www.mahlhockey.com/)
lists two teams in one area and three in another (Mon Valley PA,
Wooster OH and Indiana PA). This team
will be added to the listings when play starts this fall. (More
below)
6/21/07:
The United League has changed its name to the International Hockey
League, taking the name of the former triple A league that operated
for 56 years with a high of 19 teams. The new IHL will start play
with six team, The Bloomington PrairieThunder, Flint Generals, Fort Wayne Komets, Kalamazoo Wings, Muskegon Fury,
and the Port Huron Icehawks. The fate of the other UHL teams are as
follows: Elmira Jackals and Rockford IceHogs are moving to the ECHL;
the Port Huron Flags become the Icehogs; the Chicago Hounds are shutting down,
and the Quad City Mallards are replaced by the AHL Quad City Flames.
The new lineup is now included in the team
listings above.
7/8/07: Division
alignments for the AHL Western Conference have changed with the
addition of two teams and the movement of another. Colorado's AHL
franchise, the Cleveland based Lake Erie Monsters will join the
North Division. The Rockford Icehogs (moving from UHL) and the Quad
City Flames (formerly Nebraska) will be in the West Division. The
new alignments have been entered in the
AHL listings above.
7/18/07:
The Central Hockey League Lubbock Cotton Kings will suspend
play for a year. There's a chance the team could move to nearby San
Angelo, where the Saints suspended operations at the end of the
2004-05 season.
In the Southern Professional Hockey
League, the Pee Dee Cyclones, having experienced many ups and downs
through the years, will move to Winston-Salem as the Twin City
Cyclones.
8/7/07: The
new Mid-Atlantic Hockey League has announced its 2007-08 schedule,
to begin November 2, as well as the teams that will play. The league
is now included in the listings above.
The new Europeans
Champions Hockey League will begin play in September, 2008 with 24
clubs from seven countries participating. The 60-game format will
conclude in January, 2009 with a two-game, home and away final. The
Champions League winner will play in the Victoria Cup, a new annual
tournament between three European teams and an NHL challenger,
starting in the fall of 2008.
3/20/08: Effective today
new notes will appear here at the top of the page, and will be moved
to the bottom whenever they build up to what I think is enough to
move (or six months, whichever comes first). And they won't be in
red.
We haven't had much going
on in the way of changes this season; the last new item was last
October. Teams folding, moving, starting up, etc., usually happen
late in the season or during the summer, but still, the hockey world
seems remarkably stable this year.
Someone asked a question
which may be of interest to others, so I present it here:
Q:
I was just wondering which NHL team acquires players from the
Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL. I realize it's not a direct move,
but if a player from the Ice Bears were good enough, what would his
exact path to the NHL be? Just curious as to which stepping stones
he would take and which NHL team Knoxville is affiliated with.
A:
Usually the NHL teams do not have a formal agreement with minor
league teams other than the AHL and ECHL. (If anyone knows
different, please Email me.)
However, players from lower leagues do often move up to higher
leagues, either by being signed, or temporarily on loan. If they
shine during the loan period, they might get a contract from the
higher team next season.
Our
local ECHL team, Fresno Falcons, has no current NHL/AHL affiliate,
but two or three players were loaned to different AHL teams during
the season. Although we wish them well in the future, we hope they
come back soon, with the playoffs coming up.
So
a long answer to a simple question:
1.
Be one of the best players in the SPHL
2.
Put out feelers to ECHL and/or AHL teams (via an agent if
possible)
3.
Get signed and be one of the better players in that league
4.
Get called up to the NHL
Although
a lot of NHL players have spent brief periods in the ECHL and lower
leagues, you can usually assume that a long-term (two seasons or
more) minor league player is not likely to move up permanently.
We
had one player, Greg Spenrath, who was a heavy hitter, goal scorer,
leader, fighter, responsible defensively, who spent most of one
season with an IHL team (back in the old IHL days). At that
time we were in the West Coast league and had no affiliation. But
even though he scored ten or more goals, he didn't get invited back.
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey
League (MAHL) announced that the Jamestown VIkings (Jamestown, NY)
will relocate for their 2nd Season starting in the fall 2008.
The team will now be known as the Lake Erie Vikings and will return
to Ohio for the upcoming season. Where in Ohio? you might ask? I
checked both the league and Vikings web sites without finding an
answer. But I'd look for it somewhere in the northern part of the
state.
An expansion team, the
South Shore Shooters, located in Dyer IN, will join the league for
the 2008-09 season.
3/28/08:
There's a reference in a brief item in The Hockey News of March 25 that says the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League has folded. In fact, they
are recruiting for next season, and a representative quickly
responded to my Email inquiry, stating that the league is NOT
shutting down. They expect to have around ten teams for the 08-09
season.
More
likely to be found among the missing is the Northeast Hockey League.
The web site lists games scheduled through April, but there have
been no scores entered and no news items since January. Email to the
league president came back undeliverable, and mail to another
address went unanswered. We'll leave the league in
the active list for now, and see what happens during the summer.
