[Rumour] Are the Flames moving on from Stockton?

[Angelino]

Sacramento has a brand new NBA stadium downtown. Would be great to watch some Heat games there!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by pepper24

How many farm team relocations under Ken King now? Seems excessive and would be good to have some stability. Maybe it doesn't matter and other teams constantly move as well. Just seems really high for the Flames.

Outside of a couple teams where the team is a very long established AHL team/ franchise I feel like the teams do change and move around a fair bit.

[Ozy_Flame]

I think the big determining factor now is travel distance and cost to other teams, hence why most of the Pacific are in California now. I think that model is working well - no reason to think it isn't. Palm Springs just got a team, so I would imagine that Calgary - if Stockton is no longer on the table - is probably looking at equal sized or larger. Sacramento, Fresno, or Oakland come to mind. Most of these are accessible regionally, and have the population base.

I like Salt Lake City personally though. Good hockey town, quick flight to/from Calgary, and is a winter city, but probably a hike from the other California teams.

Perhaps there might be a growing hockey market in Reno too because of VGK and the the relative strength of the regional market. It is about the same size as Stockton too.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Bring the Heat to Saskatoon.

The WHL team here doesn't draw and the arena is outside the city but I'd make the trip. Not sure anyone else would, but hey.

Same

[Monahammer]

I like the idea of salt lake or Sacramento. Bigger cities without abundant sporting options will equal a decent fan base which will build some organizational pride and engrain that into our prospect development.

Salt lake city might be a little boring for the prospects due to puritan culture... but I like that it could theoretically be good catchment area for new flames fans too.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by pepper24

How many farm team relocations under Ken King now? Seems excessive and would be good to have some stability. Maybe it doesn't matter and other teams constantly move as well. Just seems really high for the Flames.

There's a ton of movement for many teams.

The Lightning, for instance, have had 7 different AHL affiliates since 2000: Detroit --> Springfield --> Hamilton and Hershey shared --> Springfield again --> Norfolk --> Syracuse.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Hey Connor, It's Mess

Yeah when the players hear gunshots from their apartments it may be time to relocate.

Unless they're relocating out of America, I don't see how that's going to change from one podunk town to another.

[getbak]

16 of the 31 AHL teams were either created or have moved at least once since 2010. That number grows to 25 if you go back to 2000.

That doesn't take into account the various affiliation changes that have occurred in addition to the relocations.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Bring the Heat to Saskatoon.

The WHL team here doesn't draw and the arena is outside the city but I'd make the trip. Not sure anyone else would, but hey.

It would sell out, but the Flames would never step on the WHL’s toes, at least right now.

If the minimum wage lawsuit against the CHL craters its business model then I could see a AHL team move to a city like Saskatoon. But junior hockey would have to become more local as Major Junior, Junior A, & Junior B figure something out.

If hockey patrons in cities like Saskatoon, Regina, Brandon, Red Deer and a few others watched a Major Junior game one night & an AHL game the next, they would understand how much of an inferior entertainment product Junior Hockey is.

It’s literally watching men play hockey vs. watching boys play hockey.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

They want arena improvements?!

lol... it's not you it's me!

[troutman]

1980-1981 Birmingham Bulls CHL

1981-1982 Oklahoma City Stars CHL

1982-1984 Colorado Flames CHL

1984-1987 Moncton Golden Flames AHL

1987-1993 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL

1993-2003 Saint John Flames AHL

2003-2005 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL

2005-2007 Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights AHL

2007-2009 Quad City Flames AHL

2009-2014 Abbotsford Heat AHL

2014-2015 Adirondack Flames AHL

2015-2019 Stockton Heat AHL


http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/d...t.php?tmi=5090

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by nobles_point

If hockey patrons in cities like Saskatoon, Regina, Brandon, Red Deer and a few others watched a Major Junior game one night & an AHL game the next, they would understand how much of an inferior entertainment product Junior Hockey is.

As someone who has done exactly that, screw that. I'd never trade the Hitmen for an AHL team.

[The Yen Man]

I've never been to Stockton, but it doesn't sound like a very fun place to be. So if you asked me honestly, I'm kind of glad they're moving (if true). Seems like it'd be better for our prospects.

[Norland]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Salt lake city might be a little boring for the prospects due to puritan culture... but I like that it could theoretically be good catchment area for new flames fans too.

As a long suffering fan stuck with an ECHL squad, I miss the days of the IHL and AHL, I really hope the Salt Lake speculation turns true. That it would be Calgary's farm team would be a sweet cherry on top of a sweet pie slathered in whip cream.

As a local, it feels like Salt Lake's reputation is changing. For example the Utah Jazz had a rare off season of bringing multiple upper tier free agents, when in years past that would be unimaginable. Also, in Theo Fleury's book, he said Salt Lake was the first place he did cocaine (not that it's a selling point or even a note of pride, just it's not exactly the locked up Puritanical paradise it's portrayed to be) and on top of that, there's even a lesbian mayor.

So, that's all. Mostly I wanted to write that I hope to see the farm here soon.

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Salt Lake Scorch.

The Sacramento Scorch.

I like it.

[Reggie Dunlop]

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I've never been to Stockton, but it doesn't sound like a very fun place to be. So if you asked me honestly, I'm kind of glad they're moving (if true). Seems like it'd be better for our prospects.

I went there once, literally just to catch a Heat game on an off-day during a Flames trip. It was alright... as long as you really only drive to and from the arena. Stockton actually seemed like a nice enough place. I have extended family from Stockton though, and they thought I was crazy to go. So that says a lot, imo.

Sacramento was quite nice. Would be a good place to shift to, imo.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Sacramento has never had a pro hockey team at any level (as far as I can determine).

[Buff]

Now that the NHL club is getting a new arena they can say that it wasn't like their threats to move were hollow they were just talking about the AHL affiliate.

[David Struch]

Saskatoon Heat has a nice ring to it.

But a return of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles sounds awesome! (< see Avatar)

Great fans with either choice.