Rochester Amerks - Remember them?

[BuffaloFansR_Crazy]

Donner.

 

Okay, but does an owner like Pegula let a major foothold in WNY get away? Tommy G was shortsighted when it came to the Sabres organization. I would have never became a hockey fan, let alone a Sabres fan if it wasn't for the Amreks.

[BuffaloFansR_Crazy]

My brother just moved to Maine for a Forestry job. On his third night's stay him and his company assigned roommate went dumpster diving. They found the lamps they were looking for along with 4 hockey stick. There is no disputing Maine loves hockey.

 

The Pirates have no problem selling tickets. It is a great place for hockey. Player development is great. Problem for the Sabres is most of the ticket buyers are Boston or Habs fans.

[inkman]

I have no problem with the sabres farm team in Portland, I just hate that the amerks arent that team anymore.

[darksabre]

I don't care who the parent team of the Amerks is, as long as they field a competitive team. Nothing worse that not only not caring about the parent club or its prospects, but also having a losing team to boot. That SUCKS.

[PromoTheRobot]

Lowell, MA is vacant after most recently being the Lowell Devils, and could probably draw 4000. Maybe. They were moved to Albany, where the Devils used to have their farm team. The River Rats were moved south closer to North Carolina.

Lowell didn't draw flies in the end. Too many AHL teams close by. I could see a move to the west coast, honestly. NHL teams there are going to want their farm hands closer.

 

PTR

[Knightrider]

Lowell didn't draw flies in the end. Too many AHL teams close by. I could see a move to the west coast, honestly. NHL teams there are going to want their farm hands closer.

 

PTR

 

Yup, you're right on that. I got a Pirates game for a family of four at $9 a ticket, there, and it was still pretty empty. I think that might be somewhat due to the product, though. We were sitting right next to the goal judge, and he said at one point of the game, "If you want to see good hockey, come see UMass Lowell.":lol:

[Taro T]

Okay, but does an owner like Pegula let a major foothold in WNY get away? Tommy G was shortsighted when it came to the Sabres organization. I would have never became a hockey fan, let alone a Sabres fan if it wasn't for the Amreks.

I expect the Sabres - Amerks marriage to resume at some point in the future. But the Sabres aren't going to break their deal w/ the :pirate: s to make it happen. I actually could see the Sabres reupping 1 more time w/ Portland and then working something out w/ Ra-cha-cha when that deal comes due.

 

I'm not sold on Styres as a hockey owner, but he's still on the very early portion of the learning curve so I'll cut him some slack. It still looks to me like he bought the Amerks to get the Kin-ig-it Hawks. (Kind of the inverse of Pegula buying the Bandits because they came w/ the Sabres. TG was running a special buy 1 franchise get a 2nd for free deal.)

 

And, you can do a search of the archives, the Sabre-Amerk divorce was not instigated by TG. He actually made an offer on the Amerks, which was promptly rebuffed by Donner the Hutt. (Should have thrown in some donuts.)

[shrader]

Two words: steve Donner or as taro would like say under capitalized. Donner never had enough cash to run a pro sports franchise. He was a semi successful front office guy with the lightnn(?) I believe, but never had the cash to run a minor league team. Anywho, he made too many cheapo demands of the sabers and they finally said f u.

 

You guys keep getting his name wrong. It's Amerks6, not Steve Donner.

 

Yup, you're right on that. I got a Pirates game for a family of four at $9 a ticket, there, and it was still pretty empty. I think that might be somewhat due to the product, though. We were sitting right next to the goal judge, and he said at one point of the game, "If you want to see good hockey, come see UMass Lowell.":lol:

 

I take it he hadn't been to a UMass owell game in years. :lol:

[Taro T]

You guys keep getting his name wrong. It's Amerks6, not Steve Donner.

 

 

 

I take it he hadn't been to a UMass owell game in years. :lol:

If he wasn't bumblebutt, he was definitely on his payroll.

 

It's too bad the board had the crash, because lesser minion of Jabba the Donner's most vitriolic posts disappeared. (The one's where he was doing his ToddKaz w/ a Ra-cha-cha slant schtickt.) It would be entertaining to check out some of the gems that remain some time.

[shrader]

If he wasn't bumblebutt, he was definitely on his payroll.

 

It's too bad the board had the crash, because lesser minion of Jabba the Donner's most vitriolic posts disappeared. (The one's where he was doing his ToddKaz w/ a Ra-cha-cha slant schtickt.) It would be entertaining to check out some of the gems that remain some time.

 

Didn't he make guarantees that Rochester/Florida would fair much better than Portland/Buffalo? I really hope those posts survived the crash. If nothing else, he was a funny read.

[Taro T]

Didn't he make guarantees that Rochester/Florida would fair much better than Portland/Buffalo? I really hope those posts survived the crash. If nothing else, he was a funny read.

Yep, and anyone who doubted was an idiot or a shill. (Talk about a pot/kettle dynamic.) I mean, how could anybody doubt that the Cats w/ their excellent track record of putting winning teams on the ice at ALL levels of the organization wouldn't ice better squads than what has hit the ice in Buffalo & Portland. They'd've had to have been idjits. :doh: :doh: :doh:

[korab rules]

According to this article, the Sabres could be back with Rochester sooner than we thought.

 

Thy will be done in Rochester, as it is in Buffalo.

[shrader]

According to this article, the Sabres could be back with Rochester sooner than we thought.

 

Thy will be done in Rochester, as it is in Buffalo.

 

The article seems like a bit of wishful thinking to me. It doesn't make much sense to me to have Buffalo extend the deal with Portland and make constant ridiculously positive comments about Portland, only to back out on the deal. I get the feeling that Rochester is trying to create a story here.

[korab rules]

The article seems like a bit of wishful thinking to me. It doesn't make much sense to me to have Buffalo extend the deal with Portland and make constant ridiculously positive comments about Portland, only to back out on the deal. I get the feeling that Rochester is trying to create a story here.

 

Maybe, but with Mrs. Pegs being from Rochester, its just a matter of time. Nobody is denying anything. I see Pegs buying the team sooner rather than later. Hopefully he doesn't stop there. Would love to have him buy an ECHL team, too. Preferably the Elmira Jackals. Their ownership group sucks, and if he bought them Pegs would corner the market on NY hockey west of I-81

[X. Benedict]

Maybe, but with Mrs. Pegs being from Rochester, its just a matter of time. Nobody is denying anything. I see Pegs buying the team sooner rather than later. Hopefully he doesn't stop there. Would love to have him buy an ECHL team, too. Preferably the Elmira Jackals. Their ownership group sucks, and if he bought them Pegs would corner the market on NY hockey west of I-81

:thumbsup:

[Taro T]

Maybe, but with Mrs. Pegs being from Rochester, its just a matter of time. Nobody is denying anything. I see Pegs buying the team sooner rather than later. Hopefully he doesn't stop there. Would love to have him buy an ECHL team, too. Preferably the Elmira Jackals. Their ownership group sucks, and if he bought them Pegs would corner the market on NY hockey west of I-81

I don't see Styres selling the Amerks until he decides to pull the trigger on moving the Kin-ig-hit Hawks to Hamilton, at which point he gets out of the Amerks as quick as he can. (I don't see Pegula desperately wanting the Amerks and see him waiting until Styres figures out what he's doing w/ the Amerks long term before making a play. Of course if KP wants them, I could see TP's interest increasing immensely.) Kevin O. is a very good hockey writer, but he seemed to get Dickie Dunn'd an awful lot when Donner was looking for a buyer / investor; I'll wait until I hear rumblings out of Buffalo before I put too much credence to this rumor.

 

I could absolutely see the Sabres owning the Amerks eventually and if the Sabres are truly planning on maxing out their player development pipeline, Elmira would make sense. Nice facility there (my younger one played a scrimmage there a million years ago).

[korab rules]

I don't see Styres selling the Amerks until he decides to pull the trigger on moving the Kin-ig-hit Hawks to Hamilton, at which point he gets out of the Amerks as quick as he can. (I don't see Pegula desperately wanting the Amerks and see him waiting until Styres figures out what he's doing w/ the Amerks long term before making a play. Of course if KP wants them, I could see TP's interest increasing immensely.) Kevin O. is a very good hockey writer, but he seemed to get Dickie Dunn'd an awful lot when Donner was looking for a buyer / investor; I'll wait until I hear rumblings out of Buffalo before I put too much credence to this rumor.

 

I could absolutely see the Sabres owning the Amerks eventually and if the Sabres are truly planning on maxing out their player development pipeline, Elmira would make sense. Nice facility there (my younger one played a scrimmage there a million years ago).

 

I will defer to your sense of things in Rochester, as all I know is what I read, but the Buffalo - Rochester connection needs to be restored - the sooner the better.

 

Elmira has a great facility, but money is the over riding concern in every decision they make. The place needs a serious infusion of cash. I want Pegs to be our sugar daddy! The thought of Sabres prospects (no matter how unlikely they are to ever wear Blue and Gold) in Elmira makes me feel kinda funny down there.

 

How great would it be to have HALF THE STATE be Sabres Country?

[Taro T]

I will defer to your sense of things in Rochester, as all I know is what I read, but the Buffalo - Rochester connection needs to be restored - the sooner the better.

 

Elmira has a great facility, but money is the over riding concern in every decision they make. The place needs a serious infusion of cash. I want Pegs to be our sugar daddy! The thought of Sabres prospects (no matter how unlikely they are to ever where Blue and Gold) in Elmira makes me feel kinda funny down there.

 

How great would it be to have HALF THE STATE be Sabres Country?

Very. :thumbsup:

 

(And if they get on TV on the NP, that can be "Sabres Country" again as well.)

[Samson's Flow]

I will defer to your sense of things in Rochester, as all I know is what I read, but the Buffalo - Rochester connection needs to be restored - the sooner the better.

 

Elmira has a great facility, but money is the over riding concern in every decision they make. The place needs a serious infusion of cash. I want Pegs to be our sugar daddy! The thought of Sabres prospects (no matter how unlikely they are to ever wear Blue and Gold) in Elmira makes me feel kinda funny down there.

 

How great would it be to have HALF THE STATE be Sabres Country?

That would only further strengthen our market so that we werent just Buffalo/suburbs but half the state from Rochester west and into southern ontario.

 

Plus being able to watch the whole development could bring an added interest

[dEnnis the Menace]

I will defer to your sense of things in Rochester, as all I know is what I read, but the Buffalo - Rochester connection needs to be restored - the sooner the better.

 

Elmira has a great facility, but money is the over riding concern in every decision they make. The place needs a serious infusion of cash. I want Pegs to be our sugar daddy! The thought of Sabres prospects (no matter how unlikely they are to ever wear Blue and Gold) in Elmira makes me feel kinda funny down there.

 

How great would it be to have HALF THE STATE be Sabres Country?

 

Bein someone who works down here in Elmira (lives in Dryden/Ithaca area)...That would be AWESOME... :beer:

[Guest]

I bet the Amerks will be back w the Sabres before next season or no later than the 2012/2013 season.

[darksabre]

I bet the Amerks will be back w the Sabres before next season or no later than the 2012/2013 season.

 

Doubtful, considering we re-signed with Portland. Probably be at least 3-5 seasons before that might happen.

[donteatyellowsnow]

I don't see Styres selling the Amerks until he decides to pull the trigger on moving the Kin-ig-hit Hawks to Hamilton, at which point he gets out of the Amerks as quick as he can. (I don't see Pegula desperately wanting the Amerks and see him waiting until Styres figures out what he's doing w/ the Amerks long term before making a play. Of course if KP wants them, I could see TP's interest increasing immensely.) Kevin O. is a very good hockey writer, but he seemed to get Dickie Dunn'd an awful lot when Donner was looking for a buyer / investor; I'll wait until I hear rumblings out of Buffalo before I put too much credence to this rumor.

 

I could absolutely see the Sabres owning the Amerks eventually and if the Sabres are truly planning on maxing out their player development pipeline, Elmira would make sense. Nice facility there (my younger one played a scrimmage there a million years ago).

 

 

Or T Pegs offers him something he can't refuse for both the Amerks and Knighthawks. Then Styres could start a new lacross franchise in Hamilton, and everyone is happy.

[Mox]

Seriously, I could see the AHL send more franchises west of the Mississippi to place them closer to west coast NHL teams. How about a Sharks AHL team in Sacramento, in a soon-to-be-vacant arena? Cities like San Diego, Las Vegas, or Salt Lake City already have ECHL AA teams and draw reasonable well. Why not bump them up?

 

PTR

 

I would see an AHL team going to Fresno before Sacramento. Fresno has a brand new arena, Save Mart Center, that was built with College Basketball and Minor league hockey in mind. The Fresno Falcons had a very good fan base before they folded. I was a season ticket holder of the Falcons during their WCHL days, Selland Arena was a dump but it was still a fun atmosphere and a fun crowd. Fresno can support a minor league team, as long as the ownership group is smart and doesn't run things into the ground like the Falcons ownership. Save Mart Center is a very nice arena, it actually reminds me alot of Time Warner Arena in Charlotte, NC where the Checkers play their home games. San Jose has even used it for a Preseason game in the past. I don't think PowerBalance Pavilion (Arco Arena) in Sacramento even has Ice facilities and that would be an expensive retrofit.

 

The Fresno Grizzlies (baseball) do pretty well, and they are supported by the San Francisco Giants. I don't see why San Jose wouldn't want to use Fresno for their AHL team, other than increased travel costs playing the other AHL franchises on the East Coast.

[Taro T]

Or T Pegs offers him something he can't refuse for both the Amerks and Knighthawks. Then Styres could start a new lacross franchise in Hamilton, and everyone is happy.

That is assuming that NLL wants to expand immediately and have 4 teams all surrounding Lake Ontario (w/ only 11 teams total), the league would allow TP to own 2 franchises, and Styres works out a deal to bring Jamieson with him to Hamilton. (There's no way Cody EVER plays for a different owner.) Oh, yeah, it also assumes that TP wants to own an AHL team while he's learning the ropes of owning an NHL team.