Utica Comets

[MatthewRoach7 130]

My home town is getting a new AHL team the Utica Comets. The name is a throw back the the old Clinton or Mohawk Valley Comets. Can't wait to have some AHL hockey in my back yard!

[gerbe3:16 19]

Well I sure am glad they took away the Icecats to move them to Peoria a few years ago.

Icecats forever, Sharks never.

[akravetz 29]

Don't get me started on the theft of the Rivermen from Peoria. The decision to move the team was done without any attempt to find local ownership and was announced in late March, giving us no time to put something together. Vancouver wanted the sun, moon and the stars from Peoria who turned them down. That's all fine. No hard feelings.

The Blues and the Canucks hosed Peoria but such is life. Good luck, Utica. I wish you well. hope your team does great. And your logo is kinda cool. Soccer-like but kinda cool

Andy in Peoria

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2013/6/14/introducing-the-utica-comets.html

"Sash" names with numbers are dumb

[Shayzam 0]

I have a very hard time wrapping my head around an Ahl team sale... Am I alone here?

[Chadd 916]

I have a very hard time wrapping my head around an Ahl team sale... Am I alone here?

There has been at least one team sold every 12-18 months or so for as far back as I can remember.

Utica must have offered one hell of a deal to get them to move, it's not like they're going to make much money on attendance.

http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2013/6/14/introducing-the-utica-comets.html

"Sash" names with numbers are dumb

The numbers on the front make no sense at all on that design.

[Zjack38 46]

My cousins live in Utica, now when I visit I can go watch some hockey :)

[SirJW 207]

Would have liked the thirds to be green, makes no sense to me to use same jersey for two...

[noodle3872 40]

So much for the rumors around my neck of the woods that the Abbotsfor Heat would be moving out of to allow the Canucks to move their farm team in.

[Shayzam 0]

So with the sale who becomes the Canucks farm team, the wolves or the comets? Where do the blues prospects play?

[mickz 107]

So much for the rumors around my neck of the woods that the Abbotsfor Heat would be moving out of to allow the Canucks to move their farm team in.

The Heat only sell out when the Canucks' affiliate come to town and during their loonie hot dog/toonie beer games. All the other nights they're barely attracting a crowd. The city has already agreed to eat the losses for the next decade which makes absolutely no sense. Why not allow a move to make the team actually profitable?

So with the sale who becomes the Canucks farm team, the wolves or the comets? Where do the blues prospects play?

Utica becomes the Canucks' farm team since they're both Aquilini owned. They signed a 2 year deal with Chicago which is now done. The logical thing would be for the Blues to sign a deal with the Wolves otherwise they'll have to disperse their players among several teams; like what the Dallas Stars did a couple years back.

[BenderHockey 127]

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning for having an AHL team on the other side of the country from the big club. Here with the 'Nucks, and with San Jose/Wocester. That makes for a hell of a commute for a call up, and can't do wonders for their body being rested and ready to go that night if necessary.

[akravetz 29]

The Blues are now with the Wolves of Chicago. That was done almost a month ago. The 'Nucks wanted the same deal the flames had with ABB which was for the city to guarantee their losses. For a small rust-belt city like Peoria, that was a nonstarter. That said, the civic center authority didn't deal much as the fix was in, of sorts, for us to drop down to the class A SPHL. It's easy for me to gripe as it's not my money but the fan base didn't want the SPHL but rather the ECHL. However, no local owner would step up so we got stuck with the low level SPHL.

Blues are putting the failure of the Rivermen on the fans but that's not true. As someone who went to about 20 to 25 games a year, the Blues did nothing to promote the team nor to put anything into the community. Attendance averaged about 5,000 in a 9,000-seat stadium. In reality, the Blues' owner doesn't have the cash to support both the NHL and the AHL club. So they went with the Wolves which will dramatically cut their costs. The Wolves pick their own coach, have about a third of the roster as their own players and pay for all front office costs. Blues get to park about 13 players.

Again, you can tell its emotional. Peoria has had a triple A team for more than 25 of 31 years and those six years without were the ECHL. That said, life moves on and I wish the Comets well. And I wish Vancouver well. While I think they did not negotiate in good faith with the city, it's life.

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning for having an AHL team on the other side of the country from the big club. Here with the 'Nucks, and with San Jose/Wocester. That makes for a hell of a commute for a call up, and can't do wonders for their body being rested and ready to go that night if necessary.

It's not really a big deal as its just a plane ride really and the close proximity to the other AHL clubs will cut down dramatically on travel costs.

Andy in Peoria

[Shayzam 0]

Just seen on tv Peoria was supposed to be moved Seatle instead of Uthica, which makes much more sense geographically to the Canucks. Senators rink however is locked up in the possible Coyotes move. Seatle seems like a pot destination to move a NHL team imo.