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AHL Plot Continues to Thicken - Cincinnati Partnership with Wayne Gretzky?

by Chris Meiman
June 8, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders


The Arizona Republic is reporting the Phoenix Coyotes are in talks with two cities about their homeless AHL players. According to the Republic, one of the cities was for a full ownership deal while the other was for a shared affiliation. Cincinnati is the only city that has a dormant AHL franchise, while the Minnesota Wild have been looking to replace the Dallas Stars with another team to share their AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros. The Republic was unable to verify which cities the Coyotes were in contact with. The AHL might push for the full affiliation with Cincinnati after two more franchises have reportedly pulled out for next season.

Earlier in the week, the Edmonton Oilers announced that they will suspend operations of their top AHL team, the Edmonton Road Runners in order to focus on the NHL. Reports have it that the Edmonton Oilers will send their players to Hamilton, Ontario and share the Bulldogs franchise with Montreal. Other reports have it that the San Antionio Rampage will fold up shop in the AHL and follow Utah's lead into a lower league, this time the Texas dominated Central Hockey League. All of this adds to the already uncertain picture the AHL is projecting for next season.

Rogers Sportsnet is reporting that the Oilers have reached an agreement to place most of their players with Hamilton and some with the new Iowa Stars, splitting up the franchise that played in Edmonton last year as the Road Runners. The move to Hamilton makes sense for the Oilers as they had the same arrangement with Montreal until 2003-2004, when the Oilers place a team in Toronto, calling them the Road Runners. After the Toronto club defaulted on its lease, the Oilers moved the team to Edmonton for the 2004-2005 season. In Edmonton, with the Oilers locked out, the Road Runners were the third best draw in the AHL, despite a disappointing season that found the Runners outside the playoff picture. The Oilers have given no indication as to where a team might play in 2006-2007 or if they will return a full team to the AHL at all.

Rogers is also reporting that the drama involving the San Antonio Rampage is reaching a conclusion. That conclusion involves the folding of the Rampage as an AHL team and the parent Florida Panthers splitting their players between the Chicago Wolves (Atlanta) and the Toronto Marlies (formerly the St. Johns Maple Leafs). The San Antonio Express-News also reports that the Rampage will likely not play in the AHL next season, but morph into a CHL team with local rivalries in Austin, Fort Worth, and other Texas cities. The Express-News reports that the Panthers are still looking into moving their whole team to Orlando for next season, but that would be contingent on their being able to sell their 50% stake in the Rampage. The NBA's San Antonio Spurs, currently in the NBA finals, own the other 50% of the Rampage and according to the Express-News are behind the move to the CHL.

If the Panthers are unable to move their players to Orlando, they may be forced to take a split affiliation with Houston being the likely candidate. There is a chance Phoenix might buy Florida's 50% stake in the Rampage; there have been reports of negotiations between the two, even before the Utah club folded. The chances of the Spurs putting up with another poorly-attended AHL season are not good. The Coyotes could buy out both the Panthers and the Spurs and move the AHL team to wherever they would like. A move to the Phoenix area seems unlikely as a new ECHL team, the Phoenix Road Runners, with begin play next season in downtown Phoenix. Worcester, Massachusetts just lost its team, the Ice Cats, to Peoria, Illinois and might be receptive to a new affiliate. Of course, the Coyotes could just sign an affiliation agreement with Cincinnati, who already owns an AHL franchise, and not buy anything.

This carousel throws a serious monkey wrench into the stated AHL goal of 30 teams, all singularly affiliated with an NHL team. If the Rampage does fold and the Panthers do not move their team to Orlando that would make a net loss of two franchises for the AHL this off season, reducing the number to a total of 26. Edmonton and San Antonio are two reportedly on the way out. Cincinnati had its players moved to Portland, Maine by the parent club Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and is without an NHL partner for next season. Utah folded up shop last month and will play in the East Coast Hockey League next season, leaving the Phoenix Coyotes without an AHL affiliate. The AHL may push Phoenix to place their team in Cincinnati next season to stem the tide of folding franchises. There is no timetable for when this might work itself out. Much of the Rampage drama will wait until the Spurs are finished with the playoffs. That would force Florida's hand in whether or not they can relocate to Orlando. This is easily the most promising news for Cincinnati hockey fans, which are bracing for the first hockey-less season since 1990. An agreement with the Coyotes, even for one year, would help preserve hockey in Cincinnati.

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American Hockey League Stories from June 8, 2005


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