OKC Barons Stopping After This Season... One Step Closer To AHL Western Division...???

((HT: KFOR-TV))

In the American Hockey League, anyway...

The AHL, which the HQ has been saying for a few months, is looking at some location swapping with franchises in the ECHL to create a truer representation for affiliate agreements announced the Oklahoma City Barons are not going to be a part of the league plans next season.

Here are the prepared statements:

Statement from Prodigal

"The decision to cease operations of the OKC Barons at the end of the current season was business-driven. This was a very difficult decision to make because we love the team, love the city and love our fans," said Bob Funk Jr., CEO of Prodigal, the OKC Barons' management company. "Without a more equitable financial agreement with economic terms to provide the best opportunity for sustained success, we can no longer justify additional investments in the operations without higher returns. We have the highest regard for the Edmonton Oilers organization and it has been a privilege serving as its primary development club. Even though we were not successful at completing an agreement, we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Edmonton Oilers' management and coaching staff over the past five years. We are also grateful for the committed partner we have had in the City of Oklahoma City. They shared our passion for bringing hockey to Oklahoma City. Most of all, we want to thank our fans in Oklahoma City for five years of unconditional enthusiastic support. We appreciate your dedication to the OKC Barons and the sport of the hockey. The management team at the OKC Barons is unequaled. They are simply the best. We will never say never to bringing professional hockey back to Oklahoma City in the future. We will always leave the door open."

Statement from Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett

"I love hockey and I've been a fan since the time of the Oklahoma City Blazers. I am appreciative to Prodigal for bringing professional hockey back to Oklahoma City five years ago with the Barons. Throughout their tenure in Oklahoma City, Prodigal, through the Barons, Energy and other events, has enhanced the quality and variety of entertainment offerings available in our growing city," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said. "I want to personally thank Bob Funk Jr. and his team at Prodigal for bringing the Barons to Oklahoma City and running a first class operation. The recent overwhelming success of the OKC Energy during its inaugural season points to good things ahead for the company and Oklahoma City."

Statement from Edmonton Oilers

"The players, coaches and fans of the OKC Barons have been outstanding partners to our organization as our development team affiliate. We have enjoyed a solid working relationship with the City of Oklahoma City as well as with Prodigal, the Barons' management company, throughout the team's five years," said Oilers Entertainment Group President & COO Patrick LaForge. "The decision to move on from Oklahoma City, although not easy, will open new opportunities for the Oilers organization and our AHL business. We want to thank Bob Funk Jr. and his team at Prodigal for their partnership in bringing professional hockey to Oklahoma City."

This isn't to say that the Barons, or hockey in general, couldn't return to Oklahoma City for 2015 and beyond. It will just take some work figuring out what the city thinks can proceed.

If they should even make the effort...

Here's Bob Funk discussing the decision


So, taking our previous posts into account, Anaheim or Edmonton would make their play for an expansion franchise next season (or taking the Barons assets) and what Gerry Cantlon talking about back then may be coming into play after all.

Carrier Dome Sets Indoor Hockey Attendance Record

((HT: WSYR-TV))

With a little over 31,000 in house for a doubleheader involving SUNY-Oswego and, then later, an AHL game between Utica and Syracuse.

Here's the fan perspective


The old record came from Tampa and was during the Lightning days when they played at the Suncoast Dome.

Reason 427,000 That People Will Want To Ban Hockey Fighting

((HT: Some Hockey Videos))

It hasn't been a good few days for the Adirondack Flames...

First, the franchise introduced its new mascot to the world with a picture of a fallen firefighter at its feet...

Get it...??? Flames beat firefighter...

Yeah... it didn't go over all that well...

So, tonight A-Flames enforcer Trevor Gillies- a dimishing job idea- went against anyone willing to go...

Gillies found William Carrier and his head...


This won't go well with the AHL bosses at all...

The HQ is anticpating a big fine and suspension over this one...

The New Round Of Minor League Hockey Relo Ideas Involving 3 Leagues

((HT: Howlings.net/Cantlon))

Gerry Cantlon says that the formulation of a Pacific Division in the AHL could go down by the 2015-16 season...

When the CHL's Denver Cuthroats and Arizona Sundogs pulled out of their upcoming season, it set off a new set of alarm bells. Two sources to Cantlon have those two teams bought by the Avalanche and (another team). They go immediately into the American.

Here's the rest of the West as of now from Cantlon:

The original five would be LA (from Manchester to Ontario, CA), San Jose (Worcester to Fresno, CA), Winnipeg (St. John’s to Thunder Bay), Phoenix and Anaheim.

Anaheim who will go to San Diego and play out of the Valley View Casino Center (12.920) is said to be the last team that needs to buy an AHL franchise and then apply to relocate as per AHL standard franchise rules.

Expect the merger talks of what's left of the CHL and the ECHL to pick up speed now- Allen, Brampton, Quad City, Rapid City, St. Charles, Tulsa, and Wichita could feasibly slide- if they all are alive. But, the Central would have to live on its own for the 14-15 season since the ECHL schedule is already locked in place.

Here's what Allen did to get into the CHL history books at the end of last season...
((HT: CHL/Todd Carr))


Remember, in our initial report of the ECHL/CHL merger, faithful readers pointed out St. Charles might be out of commission and that would put the CHL at the 6-team minimum for official league designation.

As a bit of a trade, Cantlon continues, the eastern franchises in the AHL would drop to the ECHL for 15-16: Utica, Glens Falls, Worcester, Springfield, Portland and Manchester.

So, then, the ECHL in 2015-16 would go like this under the Cantlon variant... a 31-team monster of a league that would have a one-team affiliation with NHL franchises across the board with one team left over...

Northeast

Utica
Glens Falls
Worcester
Springfield
Portland
Manchester
Brampton

Midwest Division

Reading Royals
Wheeling Nailers
Elmira Jackals
Kalamazoo Wings
Cincinnati Cyclones
Toledo 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

Western Division

Alaska Aces
Utah Grizzlies
Idaho Steelheads
Colorado Eagles

Post-Season Goal Of The Year...???

((HT: WBS Penguins their own selves))

Just watch the guy taking the face-off...

See what we mean...???

So Much For The Abbottsford Heat

((HT: Sportsnet))

It was a relationship that wasn't working...

The city of Abbottsford, British Columbia was in a deal with the Calgary Flames to have their American Hockey League team be in the arena as the primary tenant. There was a ten-year deal that had been signed and, without the attendance figures matching what the city thought they would be and what the Flames wanted- the deal is over five years early.

The Heat are in the AHL playoffs, and when they're eliminated the moving sign is up...

"The economics did not turn out the way any of us intended, despite the tremendous efforts of many men and women who made it their mission to convert the allegiances of local hockey fans, at least at the American Hockey League level, to the Heat.

"Notwithstanding economics, our experiences in the Fraser Valley have been good," King said in a press release.

The team had moved from the Quad Cities and, with all the looks of it, they'll be headed to either Glens Falls or Utica, New York. They were the only team in the AHL that played in the western time zone.

The mayor at the time, George Peary, guaranteed the Heat owners almost C$6-million a year to play in the city's new 7,000-seat arena. So, taxpayers have been paying a little over C$7-million in subsidies to the team to make up for team losses.

So, for the record... here's the last regular season game in Abbottsford Heat history...
((HT: The Heat their own selves))

Nothing Like Crawling After An Opponent For A Fight

((HT: WCIU/AHL/Eye On Hockey, Peters))

Rockford lost to Chicago 6-0 in the American Hockey League over the weekend...
Here's the long version of the highlights...
((HT: wolfkeeper.org))


You noticed Rockford's Bobby Shea took out the Wolves Ty Rattie on the ice and Rattie had to leave the game...???

Something went in Shea's synapses as he was escorted off the ice and he went after Rattie again...

Here's the after effects of the stuff on the ice...


Shea has been suspended eight games by the AHL for fighting off the playing surface and for the elbow he gave in the fight on the ice that gave Rattie his injuries.

Your Average Normal, Every Day Line Brawl

((HT: AHL/youtube))

This time it's Adirondack and Portland


Translation: The game fell apart with Portland winning 2-0 and 20 seconds left...

152 minutes were issued in the first fight at 19:38...
Whoever was left, three seconds later, got another 75 minutes...

Totals...???

54 penalties, 299 minutes issued...

And we await the suspensions... at least the back-up goalies got 22 seconds of ice time themselves after the first-stringers were kicked out at the time of the first fight...

A Better Goalie Fight Than The Almost-NHL Version

((HT: Puck Daddy/Leahy))

The HQ always wonders aloud why refs and other officials never just let goalies go if they want to scrap...

Earlier this week in the big leagues, Marc Andre Fleury wanted to go with Peter Budaj, but the zebras stepped in...
((HT: Some Hockey Videos/TSN))


Last night, we got a longer version of the above...
And we actually got some action...

AHL... SWB and Norfolk...
Jeff Deslauriers and John Gibson...
((HT: EricBoulton26))


Here's how it was looked at locally...
((HT: WTKR-TV))


See...??? We told you it was better- even if it was briefer...

OKC Barons Locker Room Flooded During OKC Tornado

((HT: Josh Green's Twitter @greendogg12))

This is a small sample of what was happening in Oklahoma City today as the area took another direct hit from Mother Nature and her busy-bodyness... the captain of the AHL Oklahoma City Barons was taking pictures of the water coming from above in all of the rains and tornados that are hitting the town for the second time in a week-and-a-half...


The Cox Convention Center is the only place in Oklahoma City that has an ice surface. Any game in the area can't be played at Chesapeake Energy Center, the home of the Thunder, because it wasn't built to have an ice surface at all.

No word on when the series between the Barons and the Grand Rapids Griffins will resume.
Here's clean-up video from inside Cox...
((HT: OilersTV))

Your Normal, Every Day AHL Playoff Brawl

((HT: AHLPenguins/Puck Daddy))

The Eastern Conference semifinals are now heading to a Game 6 after the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins shut out the Providence Bruins 4-0 last night.

But, a most chippy series go, there are a certain amount of fireworks- and last night gave it to us...

The two teams combined for 113 penalty minutes- most of them when Bruins forward Graham Mink fell on top of Penguins goalie Brad Theissen after he froze the puck. Mink had had a tete-a-tete with Theissen a few minutes before:

Here's the full highlights from Scranton-Wilkes Barre and the fight starts about the 7:00 mark...
With another round a minute later in the highlights...


You gotta like Pens play-by-play guy Tom Grace and all of his warnings- partial or otherwise...

And, for the HQ, it was interesting to see that Garnet Exelby is in Providence and that Riley Holzapfel and Steve MacIntyre are with WBS... nothing like knowing your enforcers and old draft picks

Drew MacIntyre's Save Is Ridiculous...

((HT: MarliesTV))

All we're going to say is you need to watch this all the way through just to see how sick this is...


The voice of the Marlies, FOSG Simon Bennett, probably still can't process what went down...
Frankly, we're still figuring it out...

Hockey Silly Season Begins: Houston Aeros Relocating To Iowa

There are three regular season games left in the history of the Houston Aeros franchise in the American Hockey League...

Sources on both ends of the Minnesota Wild organization in the Twin Cities and Houston are saying that the Aeros are moving to Des Moines after this season ends...

The current lease agreement was signed in 2008 and the arena and the Aeros have been negotiating for the past year to try and re-up the deal.

Didn't happen...

"We were not able to find agreement on terms of a new arena lease which would allow us to continue to successfully operate our franchise. We thank Toyota Center for the partnership we've had since moving there in 2003," said Matt Majka, Wild chief operating officer said in a press release.

"We have enjoyed a very strong relationship with the Aeros dating back to Toyota Center's inaugural 2003 season. Both parties worked diligently and in good faith during this process, but unfortunately we were unable to reach an agreement. We wish the Aeros continued success," said Tad Brown, Houston Rockets/Clutch City Sports & Entertainment chief executive officer.

"On behalf of our Board of Governors, I would like to thank the fans of the Houston Aeros for the terrific support they have shown their team and the American Hockey League for the last 12 years," said David Andrews, American Hockey League president and CEO.

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis-St. Paul says the AHL has approved the move and the team will play in the Wells Fargo Center.

Here's the end of the last home game the Aeros played in Houston...
((HT: Oliver Guerrero))


This won't be the last move in the off-season for minor league hockey...
Guarantee...

DEVELOPING: AHL Game Suspended After On-Ice Seizure

((HT: The AHL/HockeyVideoHD))

The game between the Springfield Falcons and Adirondack Phantoms was suspended when Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Wade McLeod was checked into the boards by Phantoms' defenseman Brandon Manning and, subsequently, suffered a seizure on the ice.

Manning got a two-minute penalty for boarding on the play...

Here's the hit and McLeod being taken off the ice...


McLeod is listed as stable in a Springfield area hospital.

The team released the following information on their website:

Springfield Falcons forward Wade MacLeod was stable and alert after suffering a seizure following a hit into the glass during the second period of Sunday afternoon's game against the Adirondack Phantoms.

MacLeod was brought by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Players and coaching staffs on each team unanimously agreed to postpone the game.

The family released a statement on their own:

"We would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming show of support for Wade tonight. Wade is alert, in good condition, in positive spirits, and is resting comfortably at Baystate Medical Center. He will remain at the hospital while he undergoes tests. We are deeply appreciative of all the caring and kind words we have received from family, friends, and fans."

More when we know more...

Jordan Eberle Score HT In 2:43

((HT: Edmonton Oilers))

Jordan Eberle is abusing people in the American Hockey League this year since the minors are the only place in North America where we can go see any action...

He's toiling in Oklahoma City and got a hat trick in 2:43 the other night...
The first two goals were nine seconds apart...

Not bad...


Go Barons...

Phantoms Celebrate New Years In Style

((HT: @darrenrovell))

The American Hockey League, and minor league hockey in general, have never looked a good promotional opportunity in the mouth...

Here's the Adirondack Phantoms approach to New Year's...
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