The Springfield Falcons will fly down to Florida and play a regulation game in the same building that I watched the Bolts win the Stanley Cup this past spring. My Dad is pumped up for this while I am pissed. This is a clear indication that NHL clubs will try and have a few AHL games in their NHL arenas as has been rumored to happen with the Pack at MSG.
Now this sounds great to you, right?
You have been hard up to watch live hockey, the AHL teams have great talent and the tix prices would be lower than an NHL ticket (or one would assume). With Jamie Lundmark re-joining the Pack it's not like you don't get to see NHL talent....what could be so wrong about this?
Well, I'll tell you what's wrong with it.....it's BS.
Let's assume you are a season ticket holder for the Pack. You have already paid for a game that will now be at MSG. You will have to endure the charges associated with traveling to MSG not to mention the extra time it will take to get back and forth. That's if you can even go. And, don't forget about the vendors, the parking guys, the bars and restaurants in the Hartford area that will miss out on the business they'd get for a home game. So, this is the NHL owners saying screw you to a whole other base of fans, ones who were quite happy these days.
But let's say you don't care about all that, this is live hockey right? Well....it sure is. The owners know you need your fix so they offer up an AHL game or two. They are heroes, right? Bullshit.
The owners can't seem to run their own league successfully so instead they offer you games from the minors. This is almost replacement hockey. The players do not deserve to be treated as replacement players. It's one thing to televise the AHL which I endorse, but for the owners to have AHL games in NHL arenas just screams how little respect the owners have for the fans of the NHL teams as well as the AHL fans. Screw everyone, as long as the owners are perceived to be for the fans.
Folks, instead of putting AHL games in NHL arenas the owners should be working their asses off to try and bring this lockout to an end. I'm not saying they have to give the players everything they've asked for......but I am saying that a feeble attempt to make the lockout more "pleasant" for the hardcore fans is actually just the opposite.
I'm sure some of you will not agree with me on this and that's OK.....but allowing the owners to pull this over on you is a real slap in the face in my opinion. You will be feeding the people who have intentionally LOCKED OUT the players, laid off employees while robbing you of this season. Just say no to AHL hockey in NHL arenas......don't support those are not doing what they should be doing....working on an agreement that ends this silliness.
----}- Bird
Posted by Bird at November 18, 2004 10:21 AMeMail this entry!
You're a little late on this --- I don't mean reporting resentment of what is going on but AHL games in NHL arenas. I believe Cinncinatti played a game in Anaheim a few weeks ago and San Jose's affiliate was playing San Jose... There may have been other games as well but I am not aware...
Posted by: John on November 18, 2004 12:13 PMYeah the Admirals played here in Nashville last month. I agree with what you are saying to a point Bird. When the Ads came to Music City, Milwaukee season ticket holders were crying foul. I had not considered the AHL arena employees losing money, I guess everybody is getting shat on with this. I must say that I did enjoy the game and would watch another if it comes here. Of course I've been watching live division three hockey so I'm a bit desperate.
Posted by: Charlie on November 18, 2004 03:21 PMGreat commentary. As an NHL fan living in an AHL market, I agree with you whole-heartedly. At the same time, it appears like most NHL fans are so desparate to see live hockey, they don't care about the fact that owners are simply pacifying them by showcasing another city's AHL team.
The bottom line here is that the AHL and NHL are partners in this deal. AHL president Dave Andrews is trying to milk as much exposure as he possibly can, and it that means having the St. John's Maple Leafs play a few games at the ACC, so be it. Screw the Newfoundland fans that have supported the team for 13 years.
Posted by: Joe T. on November 18, 2004 04:33 PMI want to post something thta I skipped posting on Boltsmag (before I went on a trip) with regards to announcing this deal:
----------------
"I had several reasons for agreeing to this change of venues for the game. I will not be dishonest and tell you that there is the possibility of a financial profit for this game by moving it to Tampa. It is the worst date on our home schedule and we know that even a large number of our season ticket holders would choose not to attend if it were in Springfield. Secondly, I have been working with Tampa on bringing an NHL exhibition game to Springfield and this move will help us in our efforts."
Falcons' season ticket holders can either get a refund for that game or two complimentary tickets per season ticket holder to another regular season game. Anyone (from Springfield) interested in attending the game in Tampa will get complimentary club seats. The Falcons are also working with an airline carrier to see what the best price is for flights to Tampa.
-------
Doesn't sound like a screwjob.
http://www.sunshinenetwork.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=frmLightning&Number=15019&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 (post by DOUG is where text was taken from)
Posted by: John F on November 18, 2004 06:41 PMm i think it might be a slight over reaction bird. i can see your point if they were playing say more then 3 games at the garden but one or two is hardly going to cause alot of damage.and it will give those young guys in the pack who are looking to play with the rangers a chance to have a real slog out on the garden ice and get a better feel for it
Posted by: justin aka aussie ice on November 18, 2004 07:58 PMAnd you wonder why I don't come to this site anymore...
It's like you think this is a new idea, playing AHL games in NHL arenas. The Albany River Rats did this in the Meadowlands last year and likely several years before that as well.
To look at it from the glass half full perspective, people who wouldn't get the chance to be working on a regular basis will get an extra paycheck from the game being moved into their facility. People who are locked out by living in an NHL market will get to see the future of their franchise without having to incur the travel costs of seeing it in their AHL town.
There is a positive side to this, let's write a story as you should...by representing both sides.
Posted by: Mike on November 18, 2004 09:51 PMMike,
I never wondered why you don't come here any more, I wasn't sure you'd ever been here, so if you leave and don't come back I can't imagine missing you :-)
This site is where I get to voice my opinion, if you don't like it, that's fine.
I wrote "I'm sure some of you will not agree with me on this and that's OK"
Look, in any other year having an AHL game at an NHL rink is fine, but don't be so blinded by your both sides to the story issue. The one story here is that the NHL owners are screwing the fans.
Plain and simple.....THEY locked out the players. THEY are the ones who are trying to get fan support by staging these games (even though it screws the fans of the AHL team).
It's my opinion that they would serve us and themselves a lot better by trying to settle this work stoppage, not by gimmicks like this.
----}- Bird
Posted by: bird on November 18, 2004 10:09 PMI think Bird's point here revolves around the principle of the matter. Giving complimentary club seats to AHL season ticket holders for home games held in NHL arenas isn't the point. Sure, it's reciprocal, and that's fine. But I think the point is NHL fans are being used as patsies, and they're sucking it all up.
It's funny how people that normally don't give a flying damn about the AHL are now dying to have a game or two in their building so they can see "the stars of the future." It's a ploy on the part of the owners. They're trying to sell the fans on this mythical notion that they care about the fans.
If they cared, wouldn't the NHL be in business right now?
Posted by: Joe T. on November 19, 2004 10:39 AMI still think there's something to be said for representing both sides of the story, though, and I really don't see that going on. I understand how the statement was made in context, but still...
Posted by: Mike on November 21, 2004 04:01 AMBravo Bird for seeing though the nonsense that the NHL owners are trying to pass off upon NHL fans.
I have to wonder if the NHL owners are using moving these AHL games as a kind of test to see how NHL fans would react to games played by replacement players in 2005.
Are they trying to gauge whether or not NHL fans are that desperate for hockey that they would accept a lower quality type of game while still being charged NHL level prices?
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