ECHL and CHL To Merge...???

((HT: Pro Hockey Talk/Mahiban))

The HQ finds this interesting on a few fronts...

Dhiren Mahiban is rolling off a Tweet from agent Darryl Wolski that says the two leagues are in talk to come together.

Mahiban is maintaining that the Western Division of the ECHL- long an odd situation with regular season and playoffs with their four teams- could be losing them all to the American Hockey League so they could have a true Western Division base.

Which makes sense...

In return, the Central Hockey League, with ten teams of their own could help squinch the geography of the ECHL if they merge leagues.

It would project out to something like this in the ECHL/CHL of 2015-2016.

Northeast Division

Brampton
Reading Royals
Wheeling Nailers
Elmira Jackals
Kalamazoo Wings
Cincinnati Cyclones
Toldeo Walleye

Southeast Division

Fort Wayne Komets
Evansville IceMen
South Carolina Stingrays
Orlando Solar Bears
Greenville Road Warriors
Florida Everblades
Gwinnett Gladiators
Indianapolis (expansion)

Central Division (All CHL)

Allen, Texas
Missouri
Rapid City
Quad City
Tulsa
Wichita
St. Charles

Western Division

Denver
Arizona
Alaska Aces
Utah Grizzlies
Idaho Steelheads
Colorado Eagles

And they'd all be chasing what Alaska did last season
((HT: Alaska Aces their own selves))


This is contingent on the Western Division currently all being taken as a block- leaving the four teams currently in the projected West.

And it also presents an interesting issue when it comes to talent. The Central Hockey League is considered, in some circles to be more like single-A baseball while the ECHL is double-A. How would the ECHL front offices mesh with their triple-A brothers and how would the single-A front offices mesh with their double-A brothers...???

Both financially and in personnel matters...
Food for thought for all of the teams in the three leagues to figure out if this comes to pass...