[News] AHL new Pacific Divison announced. Flames will move affiliate to Stockton

[sureLoss]

http://poststar.com/blogs/flames/ahl...ba2d86e06.html

The AHL will hold a news conference in San Jose on Thursday and the Adirondack Flames will hold one locally on Friday. It would make sense for those announcements to be about the new Pacific Division of the AHL. The league could announce those moves and then the Flames could announce a new ECHL team.

Under threat of being fined, no one is talking about what happened at the AHL Board of Governors meeting on Sunday. However, league president Dave Andrews alluded to a vote having been taken and passed.

He said the board can vote to approve a proposal contingent on conditions and it will not have been passed but another vote does not have to be taken to approve the proposal.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the board voted to approve the creation of a Pacific Division contingent on something like the sales of a few organizations. Anaheim is reportedly buying its AHL affiliate in Norfolk and Calgary is in the process of buying the ECHL team in Stockton, California. That would give the league the loophole of saying the proposal had not been approved after the meeting and then it could approve it and announce when it wanted.

That is the announcement expected in San Jose on Thursday. The Adirondack Flames would then be open to announce that they are moving to the ECHL on Friday.

[Muta]

Love the idea of an AHL Pacific division. It's still weird, though, that Stockton will be our AHL affiliate. I was hoping we'd get a city like San Diego or Sacramento... more easier and interesting to travel to.

In Stockton's arena, they should use the Flames font to plaster the following slogan across the dressing room of the opposing team:

"Don't be scared, homies"

[Finger Cookin]

Less than an hour's drive south on the 5 from Sacramento to Stockton.

[FlamesAddiction]

So, I take this means that the Flames buy Stockton, transfer them to the AHL and keep the "Thunder" branding, and the Adirondack Flames simply transfer to the ECHL and maintain their affiliation with the Flames.

Does that affect our current affiliation with the Colorado Eagles, or is that set to expire anyway?

[Phanuthier]

^ Yeah like said above, its 1 hr away, really close... I know there's a lot of concern about how ghetto Stockton is, but players probably won't end up living there.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

So, I take this means that the Flames buy Stockton, transfer them to the AHL and keep the "Thunder" branding, and the Adirondack Flames simply transfer to the ECHL and maintain their affiliation with the Flames.

Does that affect our current affiliation with the Colorado Eagles, or is that set to expire anyway?

I think one of the reasons Flames choose to buy the Thunder was the existing fan base. So yes I think the Flames will likely keep the Thunder branding to keep the fans.

ECHL affiliations are very fluid, teams break them off at any time for whatever reason. Eagles will stay an affiliate for the rest of the season and then move to Adirondack.

[sureLoss]

Steinberg just said on 960 that his sources tell him the new team in Adirondack will be called the Thunder.

[Red Menace]

Still think this is a bad idea.
Staying in the East would be more beneficial to the team in my opinion.
Even more beneficial would have been a move closer to a city with a major airport in the East.
Playing more games against 4-5 opponents in California is sort of a help I guess...but wouldn't it be better to be closer to the other 25 teams in the AHL?
I think they should have waited until other teams tried this first, and maybe made the move in a few years when/if there was a greater presence out west.
It's still 1600 km away from Calgary.
And I'm not even mentioning the supposed terrible reputation of the city itself.
Anyway, hope for the best...

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Steinberg just said on 960 that his sources tell him the new team in Adirondack will be called the Thunder.

That is dumb. Unless we plan to relinquish the franchise to a local owner who would rather use a neutral name.

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
#Flames GM Brad Treliving will be present at tomorrow's major AHL announcement in San Jose.

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
#Flames are set to move their AHL affiliate to Stockton, California. The ECHL's Stockton Thunder will become the Adirondack Thunder.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

That is dumb. Unless we plan to relinquish the franchise to a local owner who would rather use a neutral name.

Plus, they will need to start from square one regarding merchandising and branding in both cities now.

[chopper89]

The new "Stockton Anarchy". Do it.

Can even re-use this logo.

[JBR]

Stockton Scorch. Book it.

[Roof-Daddy]

My bet is the very simple Stockton Flames.

Flaming 'S' anyone?

[sureLoss]

John Shannon @JSportsnet
Over the next year, we will hear that potential cities for AHL teams in the new division will include Prescott,Arizona and Boise,Idaho.

[sureLoss]

Stockton will hold another press conference tomorrow to introduce the Flames as the new owners

http://www.stocktonthunder.com/2015/...ss-conference/

The Stockton Thunder, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders and AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, announce a press conference on Thursday, January 29 at 4:30 to introduce the NHL’s Calgary Flames as the new ownership group of the Stockton Thunder.

Flames General Manager Brad Treliving will be in attendance along with Thunder Team President Dave Piecuch and city dignitaries to speak about the changes to ensure a bright future of hockey played in the Central Valley.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Muta

"Don't be scared, homies"

the franchise will be in Stockton not Compton.

i think the Flames should just move their AHL franchise on a yearly basis - let everyone get to love Scorchy

[KelVarnsen]

Darren Haynes
‏@DarrenWHaynes

Overheard in the press box last night was a witty scribe wondering how the #Oilers will do next year as part of the AHL’s new West Division.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

the franchise will be in Stockton not Compton.

I take it you don't know who Nick Diaz is.

[Reaper]

Stockton Inferno. Make it happen.