Expect the AHL West stories to ramp up in the coming days. While our sources indicate a formal announcement is not likely before next week, both the ECHL and AHL have Board of Governors meetings during their respective All Star Game festivities this week. How the plan impacts both leagues will be discussed, thus small bits of information should leak out and begin to gain some clarity.
As we first reported back in December, the Kings appear set to move the current Ontario Reign (although they might not be called that next season, as explained here), to Manchester when they bring their AHL franchise to Southern California. In an article published yesterday by the New Hampshire Union Leader, Matt Welch, executive vice president of the Monarchs, shared the team is “planning to host a press conference after the Super Bowl, the first week in February, to address our fans about the immediate future of hockey in Manchester.”
Meanwhile, a similar trade has been reported elsewhere, with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL being relocated to Norfolk, Va., when the Anaheim Ducks move their AHL team out and relocate to San Diego. Of course, the Oilers are planning on putting their AHL team in Bakersfield.
If you missed our recent in-depth update – with news on all five teams expected to play in the new AHL Pacific Division – see here.
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I hate how the fans know what’s going on yet the organization lies to our faces and say they don’t know and nothing is imminent then they prove they blatantly lied to us in the Union Leader article.
Theres a bunch of legal things that have to be sorted out for all this to happen. They can’t really comment on it yet hence they have to deny it. That’s common in all forms of business. It’s necessary.