The Jacksonville Icemen are the Sabres New ECHL Affiliate?

[pastajoe]

With the Rangers moving from Jacksonville to Cincinnati, it looks like the Sabres will just be swapping teams.

[HoosierDaddy]

ECHL games are a riot. I go to a few Cyclones games a year. The tickets are really cheap, all the seats are close to the ice and there are a lot of fights. I have to go to a game in Indianapolis this year because it's the Fuel's final year at the State Fair Grounds. You know how Canadians call rinks "barns?" That place is an actual barn. Because they hold the livestock shows there during the state fair, there is a faint smell of cow turds that hangs over the place like the odor of stale beer and popcorn used to linger at The Aud. It's a unique experience.

[SwampD]

2 hours ago, HoosierDaddy said:

ECHL games are a riot. I go to a few Cyclones games a year. The tickets are really cheap, all the seats are close to the ice and there are a lot of fights. I have to go to a game in Indianapolis this year because it's the Fuel's final year at the State Fair Grounds. You know how Canadians call rinks "barns?" That place is an actual barn. Because they hold the livestock shows there during the state fair, there is a faint smell of cow turds that hangs over the place like the odor of stale beer and popcorn used to linger at The Aud. It's a unique experience.

I have a friend that played four games in the ECHL and had four assists. He said the only stats they keep are fights and goals. They cut him.

[PromoTheRobot]

You never hear much from the Sabres, or any NHL team, about their ECHL affiliates. You'd think they'd want to be involved with player development at every level.

[LabattBlue]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

You never hear much from the Sabres, or any NHL team, about their ECHL affiliates. You'd think they'd want to be involved with player development at every level.

How many players in the past with Cincinnati were under contract to either the Sabres or Amerks?  I don’t pay close attention, but I would guess maybe 1/3…6-7 players. 

[sabresparaavida]

7 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You never hear much from the Sabres, or any NHL team, about their ECHL affiliates. You'd think they'd want to be involved with player development at every level.

How many prospects with real NHL aspirations go to the ECHL though? Other than goalies in emergency situations, how many players in the NHL can you name that player in the ECHL?

[shrader]

2 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

How many prospects with real NHL aspirations go to the ECHL though? Other than goalies in emergency situations, how many players in the NHL can you name that player in the ECHL?

I found this link that goes through opening day rosters from last season. It’s very goalie heavy, but there are some decent names in there. 
 

But anyway, we have a good number of Amerk fans here and the ECHL is a source of players for them. 

[PromoTheRobot]

22 hours ago, shrader said:

I found this link that goes through opening day rosters from last season. It’s very goalie heavy, but there are some decent names in there. 
 

But anyway, we have a good number of Amerk fans here and the ECHL is a source of players for them. 

There are 32 NHL teams, 32 AHL Teams, but only 28 ECHL teams. Suggests there might be room for 4 more new teams. Maybe one closer to WNY?

Complete hypothetical: If the Sabres operated their own ECHL team out of Harborcenter, would anyone go?

Edited July 9, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[pastajoe]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

There are 32 NHL teams, 32 AHL Teams, but only 28 ECHL teams. Suggests there might be room for 4 more new teams. Maybe one closer to WNY?

Complete hypothetical: If the Sabres operated their own ECHL team out of Harborcenter, would anyone go?

Not enough seating at 1,800. Average ECHL attendance is over 4,600. 

[PromoTheRobot]

26 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

Not enough seating at 1,800. Average ECHL attendance is over 4,600. 

That number for real? Go to Portland ME or Worcester MA and count the actual fans. 1,000 if they're lucky.

[Doohicksie]

28 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

Not enough seating at 1,800. Average ECHL attendance is over 4,600. 

Really?  Wow.

They should put a team in Batavia.  Draw from the locals, plus Ra cha cha and Bflo.

[pastajoe]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

That number for real? Go to Portland ME or Worcester MA and count the actual fans. 1,000 if they're lucky.

Maine averaged 3700+ and Worcester 3900+.  Jacksonville was highest with 7700+. Cincinnati was 6000.

https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=ECHL2004&sid=2023

[PromoTheRobot]

13 hours ago, pastajoe said:

Maine averaged 3700+ and Worcester 3900+.  Jacksonville was highest with 7700+. Cincinnati was 6000.

https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=ECHL2004&sid=2023

Tickets sold. Actual attendence is usually lower.

[Weave]

14 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Really?  Wow.

They should put a team in Batavia.  Draw from the locals, plus Ra cha cha and Bflo.

Single A baseball in Batavia typically drew less than 1500 fans.  I can’t imagine single A hockey besting that.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Single A baseball in Batavia typically drew less than 1500 fans.  I can’t imagine single A hockey besting that.

Yeah, prolly so.

[Doohicksie]

They only way it might draw is if they offered the corpse of Pat Kane a contract and he accepted it.

[shrader]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Single A baseball in Batavia typically drew less than 1500 fans.  I can’t imagine single A hockey besting that.

People have less to do during the winter. I doubt it would account for the gap in attendance we’re talking here, but I do think hockey would have the potential to draw more if it’s a decent level. 

[LTS]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Tickets sold. Actual attendence is usually lower.

Yes, but in order to sell that many tickets you have to have that many seats. No matter what you do, HarborCenter can't sell that many.

Harborcenter is not a good place to watch a hockey game.

[IKnowPhysics]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:06 PM, HoosierDaddy said:

ECHL games are a riot. I go to a few Cyclones games a year. The tickets are really cheap, all the seats are close to the ice and there are a lot of fights. I

Dollar beer and chili dog night at the Cyclones game was a sincerely excellent time.  Bonus: got to watch Sabres training camp MVP Vasily Glotov light it up.

[ndirish1978]

On 6/25/2023 at 8:30 PM, SwampD said:

It was a joke. I have friends who played in it.

Then thanks for the joke, because I'm a neophyte and I appreciated the explanation =)

[Porous Five Hole]

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37990565/echl-approves-tim-tebow-owned-minor-league-team-lake-tahoe
 

“Tahoe Blue Event Center, a 4,200-plus seat arena in Stateline, Nevada, is expected to begin operations later this month.”

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Porous Five Hole said:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37990565/echl-approves-tim-tebow-owned-minor-league-team-lake-tahoe
 

“Tahoe Blue Event Center, a 4,200-plus seat arena in Stateline, Nevada, is expected to begin operations later this month.”

So they are giving out new franchises. They need 3 more to match the 32 in the NHL.

[matter2003]

On 7/8/2023 at 9:03 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

There are 32 NHL teams, 32 AHL Teams, but only 28 ECHL teams. Suggests there might be room for 4 more new teams. Maybe one closer to WNY?

Complete hypothetical: If the Sabres operated their own ECHL team out of Harborcenter, would anyone go?

I believe some teams are shared with 2 NHL teams supplying half of the roster each

 

[Zamboni]

Soooo …. Regarding the title of this thread…. Is the affiliation official or still just a rumor?

[pastajoe]