2013-2014 ECHL Thread

[buffhockey]

Wanted: Building with hockey rink, seating for 2,500 ? terms negotiable | Las Vegas Review-Journal

Do you own or manage a building in Las Vegas that can hold a hockey rink and at least 2,500 seats?

If you do, Billy Johnson would like to chat.

Johnson, president of the minor league Las Vegas Wranglers hockey team, said Thursday he is scrambling to find a temporary venue — or venues — for 36 home games in the 2014-15 season after Boyd Gaming Corp. declined to renew the team’s lease at Orleans Arena.

Boyd officials told Johnson on Dec. 6 that the lease would not be extended. The Wranglers have played in Las Vegas for 11 seasons.

Johnson, known for his creative promotional ploys to sell tickets, said he is thinking outside the box to sign up at least one transitional facility before Jan. 20, the deadline to submit home dates to the ECHL.

Johnson said he is considering enlisting more than one venue to host the 36 home dates, acknowledging that the temporary hockey venue or venues “won’t have the bells and whistles” of a regular hockey arena.

“The trick in this is that once we have find a transitional facility it re-sets the clock for a permanent location,” Johnson said. “We’re optimistic we can pull this off … whatever form it will take.”

Johnson said he was told by Boyd officials that the reason the gaming company did not extend the lease was that, “Financially, we did not work for them.”

Boyd in a statement said, “We are in the final season under the Las Vegas Wranglers’ current agreement with the Orleans Arena. Unfortunately, after several months of discussions, we have been unable to agree to terms for a renewal that would keep the team at the Arena after this season. We have greatly enjoyed our relationship with the Wranglers, and we wish them every success in the future.”

The Wranglers play in the ECHL, a Double-A league with 22 teams scattered across the country from Florida to California. The team is owned by Gary Jacobs of San Diego, managing director of Jacobs Investment Co. LLC. JIC was created in 1997 and is involved in real estate development, private and public equity and venture funds primarily in the U.S.

Johnson said the Wranglers organization will try its best to find a new home in Las Vegas.

“We love this town. It’s an amazing city to represent,” he said.

 

[IndyAndy]

^^^ Doesn't look too good, does it? I'm assuming that they need to average much more than just 2.5K crowds long term to meet the bills. - So what are their options, short of relocating?

 

[IndyAndy]

Just got back from what will be my last Komets game for about one month. The Kalamzoo Wings were in town. The Komets won, 4-2.

 

[puckhead]

ECHL's San Francisco Bulls cease operations | CSN Bay Area

 

[tabascojet]

i miss the ECHL..... southern division of the 90s was always fun

 

[dash]

ECHL's San Francisco Bulls cease operations | CSN Bay Area

I have been to the Cow Palace for a hockey game (I went to watch the San Francisco Spiders). They had a mascot named Spinner (you can't make this stuff up). Anyway, the Cow Palace is located in a pretty sketchy area, it doesn't surprise me that they have trouble drawing fans.

 

[Gooch1034]

The team here, Evansville Iceman, are new to the ECHL. They were an AHL team and gutted the entire franchise from top to bottom and are doing quite well this year. They are getting the people here into hockey. I have a couple friends that cant believe how fun hockey games are to attend. I have been telling them for years they were missing out. They play in a brand new arena on top of it all so these new hockey fans are being spoiled right from the get-go.

 

[IndyAndy]

How is Evansville these days?

I used to live in Newburgh (I was a dispatcher for an OTR trucking co. out in Rockport) back in '89-'94.

 

[Gooch1034]

How is Evansville these days?

I used to live in Newburgh (I was a dispatcher for an OTR trucking co. out in Rockport) back in '89-'94.

It is a lot different than you remember if you haven't been here in the past 10 years or so. Newburgh has really grown. Hell, even the drive from Rockport to Newburgh is completely different now. Lots of changes. Same with Evansville. They have fixed areas up but people are moving away from the city and into the suburbs.

 

[Gooch1034]

How is Evansville these days?

I used to live in Newburgh (I was a dispatcher for an OTR trucking co. out in Rockport) back in '89-'94.

To add to my reply that will explain more how much Newburgh has changed..........the Lloyd Expressway is now 6 lanes all the way through Newburgh.

 

[thedddd]

Brian Rafalski released from ECHL team after three games - CBSSports.com

 

[IndyAndy]

Just back from my 1st game in 4 weeks: Once again, the opponent was Kalamazoo. This was also pretty much my 1st trip out of the house in all of that time for something OTHER than: A) going to work, or B) replenishing the pantry in anticipation of riding out the next round of shitty weather!

That alone made tonight's game special. Seeing my 1st ever "in person" hat trick - after attending around 12 to 18 minor league hockey games per year for the last 11 - made it all the sweeter.

The Komets won, 5-2.

 

[IndyAndy]

I've never really though of myself as hating Pittsburgh, but when the Wheeling Nailers took to the Ft. Wayne ice tonight sporting exact duplicates of the Penguins road jersey (except for the Nailers logo; though they had Penguins logo shoulder patches), my first thought was; "I don't like these guys!"

... Was that wrong of me?

Anyway, they have a lot of fast guys who are capable of a very up-tempo game but, fortunately, the Komets were up to the challenge, defeating them 4-3.

 

[dash]

The sky's the limit for the Wranglers:

Report: ECHL's Wranglers to play home games on roof of hotel

 

[IndyAndy]

I know that this is as much about lucky timing as it is skill, but still ... THIS IS SWEET!!!

 

[IndyAndy]

Something of a 'coup', if you ask me.

The Indy Fuel, who don't as of yet have a single player on their roster & won't even start playing until next season, have inked a deal to join the Chicago Blackhawks developmental ladder.

www.indystar.com

 

[forty_three]

Something of a 'coup', if you ask me.

The Indy Fuel, who don't as of yet have a single player on their roster & won't even start playing until next season, have inked a deal to join the Chicago Blackhawks developmental ladder.

www.indystar.com

Just read that and was coming here to post it. Awesome for Indy.

 

[IndyAndy]

As likely last games of the season that I will attend go, that was a stinker!

The Komets matched the Cincinnati Cyclones in intensity, but NOT in hockey smarts! They kept clinging to this "One more no-look pass & we'll juke them right out of their skates" mentality all night, even though the only ones who they were out-foxing were themselves. There were turnovers & perfectly good shot opportunities not taken aplenty. Not surprisingly, Cincy prevailed; 5-2.

With only three games left in the season, the Komets have a shaky hold on the 8th seed in the ECHL East, with the Florida Everblades breathing down their necks.

 

[IndyAndy]

Okay; now that was (a bit) more like it...

I managed to make it to the Komets' last game of the regular season tonight. Having punched their ticket to the post-season last night vs. Evansville, they might not have had much to play for vs. Toledo, but they still put on a much better show than they did at my last outing. Ft. Wayne should have won 3-2 in regulation, but the Walleye tied it up with under 20 seconds to go. It took the Komets seven shooters into 2O before they pulled this one out.

I'm probably not going to make it to any playoff games, especially if Ft. Wayne doesn't last past the first round.

 

[IndyAndy]

Managed to snag my company's season tickets (just off center ice, about ten rows up ) for tonight's playoff showdown between the #8 seed Komets & the #1 seed Redding Royals. The Komets already had the Royals down 3 games to 1, so this one had the potential to be the final dagger thrust.

Things got interesting EARLY, with a near full squad on full squad melee during the pre-game warm-up skate! Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.

The Komets got on the board early, & then immediately proceeded to try & sit on their one goal lead, skating slow & passing carelessly. Somehow, they only managed to give up one goal to Redding through the rest of regulation, sending the game to OT.

Finally, after about five minutes of 1OT, the Ks got serious about playing again, but by that time they were almost completely wrung out, and proceeded to make even more careless mistakes. It was only by the superb play of their goalie that they were able to hang on until nearly half-way through 2OT, when they FINALLY buried the puck in Redding's net once more.

Now they get to await further developments in the other ECHL Eastern Conference playoff series to see who their next opponent will be.