The Sears Centre arena in Hoffman Estates will host a team from the ECHL, formerly the East Coast Hockey League, starting in the 2011-12 season, village officials announced Monday.
The 20-team, Double-A league that started in 1988 approved the application of Craig Drecktrah to join the league during meetings June 16 and 17 in Las Vegas, according to Trustee Gary Pilafas.
Drecktrah is former owner of the Chicago Hounds of the United Hockey League that played in the Sears Centre during the 2006-07 season.
No word what NHL team it will affiliate with, but it says that it WILL be affiliated with one.
The ECHL has really pushed for franchises to affiliate with one (or more) NHL franchise(s).
The reason is multi-fold.
First, there are a number of resources (scouts, "excess" roster players) available to the ECHL team. (I don't know for sure, but there may also be financial benefits from the NHL team.)
Second, it provides call up players to AHL and/or NHL franchises (not necessarily signed to NHL contracts), for injury replacement, etc.
Third, it gives fans of the ECHL franchise a chance to see some players that might eventually make "the show".
I never got why minor league affiliates weren't closer to the parent club, regardless of league. It wouldn't make sense of this team if this team isn't affiliated with the Hawks.
Seems like a good move, Esp if the team is the affiliate of the Blackhawks, currently they share the Toledo Walleye with the Red Wings.
^^ This, from the Hawks' perspective...
They'd have their entire pro development system strung out along I-90, within 85 miles of the United Center. Rockford-AHL, Hoffman Estates-ECHL.
Shoot, put up the money to build a rink in the Elgin-Hampshire corridor (between the IL 31 and US 20 exits somewhere), and put a CHL team in there to feed the ECHL team... buy up that old Shireland property, or build something out by the Huntley Outlet Mall, or even in downtown Elgin by the Grand Victoria and on the Metra line. I'd consider moving back up there for that.
I never got why minor league affiliates weren't closer to the parent club, regardless of league. It wouldn't make sense of this team if this team isn't affiliated with the Hawks.
the reason is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!
It's transportation is cheaper and it's faster to call up and send down players.
But it also reinforces the fanbase if the minor league affiliates are within the general region of the NHL team. Hockey fans in Rockford, NW IL, SO WI can't commute into Chicago everytime they want to see the Blackhawks. Having minor league affiliates allow them to see the stars of tomorrow and still feel connected to the NHL team.
In some cases it can even take away a market from another NHL team. Examples can be seen with: 1) Peoria and Central IL has a large amount of St. Louis Blues fan b/c of the Peoria Rivermen. or 2) Central Pennsylvania having a large amount of Washington Capitals fans in what would be a Flyers market b/c of the Hershey Bears.
In some cases it can even take away a market from another NHL team. Examples can be seen with: 1) Peoria and Central IL has a large amount of St. Louis Blues fan b/c of the Peoria Rivermen. or 2) Central Pennsylvania having a large amount of Washington Capitals fans in what would be a Flyers market b/c of the Hershey Bears.
There is always talk about why the Chicago Wolves never affiliated with the Blackhawks, and I've always felt that by keeping your "friends close, and enemies closer" (ie: Rockford Icehogs as the affiliate and the Wolves as a rival), the Blackhawks are able to tap into quite the extensive market.
Suburban fans can either travel out to Rockford for a game at night (I'm really surprised they're not marketed more in the western suburbs), or see the baby 'Hawks play against the Wolves. The Blackhawks are able to expand their market by doing this; they offer a much larger blanket by covering all the way out to Rockford.
If it did happen where the Wolves did affiliate with the 'Hawks, the Blackhawks instantly lose any far-west/Rockford/Beloit/Madison market they may have had thanks to the 'Hogs.
Suburban fans can either travel out to Rockford for a game at night (I'm really surprised they're not marketed more in the western suburbs), or see the baby 'Hawks play against the Wolves. The Blackhawks are able to expand their market by doing this; they offer a much larger blanket by covering all the way out to Rockford.
Part of the reaspon why the 'Hogs aren't marketed better in the western suburbs, is because the city of Rockford has made it's downtown area (where the Metro Centre is located) about as inaccessible by highway as it can be.
Getting from Elgin to Rockford via I-90 is no sweat, about a half-hour drive on I-90... but once you get there, you have to either go down State Street about ten miles (with a stop light every couple of blocks) to get the the Metro Centre, or else you take US 20 around to the south of the city, get off at the airport exit, and drive about five miles north through the crappiest part of Rockford in order to get to the arena.
Plus, the city -- and it's population of NIMBY conservatives -- will do nothing whatsoever to facilitiate having the Metra run out there from Elgin... which could pretty easily be done on the little-used Union Pacific tracks that run through Huntley, Marengo and Belvidere to Rockford, and run parallel to the Metra tracks at the Big Timber Station in Elgin.
C & S Sports, the ownership behind Chicago’s expansion ECHL Hockey team, announced in a press conference today that it will be the ‘Chicago Express’ that will make its home at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, IL beginning with the 2011-12 season. Former NHL and AHL player, and most recently head coach of the Elmira Jackals, Steve Martinson, brings championship experience along with an unblemished playoff qualification record to the team.
Good choice for head coach... IIRC, Martinson was the head coach of the IceHogs when they won the UHL championship in their last season before jumping up to the AHL.
Good choice for head coach... IIRC, Martinson was the head coach of the IceHogs when they won the UHL championship in their last season before jumping up to the AHL.
That's a nice connection! Congrats Good luck to the Express next season!!
Richmond: Last I heard the owners of SportsQuest, are working on bringing an ECHL team to town. That was before Charlotte moved up to the AHL and if they joined now, it'd likely be in the Atlantic Division to give it 4 teams. I don't think they'll get a lease in the Coliseum just to use it as a stop gap until they complete their arena.
Greensboro: IMO, they arena is simply too large. It would be a poor atmosphere and a lack of good atmosphere will be damper on keeping causal fans coming back.
San Diego: As Lady Stanley said, no suitable venue.
Fresno: Selland is out as the Fresno Monsters have a stranglehold on the ice time with a NAHL and a WSHL team.
Greensboro: IMO, they arena is simply too large. It would be a poor atmosphere and a lack of good atmosphere will be damper on keeping causal fans coming back.
Greensboro has just been through the wringer in the past decade with ECHL, AHL, NHL, ECHL, then nothing. Unfortunately the market has really been hurt by leagues using them as a pawn.
Maybe it's time to start thinking about reaching back into Greensboro, but it's going to require quality ownership to get off the ground.
Richmond: Last I heard the owners of SportsQuest, are working on bringing an ECHL team to town. That was before Charlotte moved up to the AHL and if they joined now, it'd likely be in the Atlantic Division to give it 4 teams. I don't think they'll get a lease in the Coliseum just to use it as a stop gap until they complete their arena.
Greensboro: IMO, they arena is simply too large. It would be a poor atmosphere and a lack of good atmosphere will be damper on keeping causal fans coming back.
San Diego: As Lady Stanley said, no suitable venue.
Fresno: Selland is out as the Fresno Monsters have a stranglehold on the ice time with a NAHL and a WSHL team.
I thought that the SD Sports Arena was renovated around 1996. Is it obsolete again?
I thought that the SD Sports Arena was renovated around 1996. Is it obsolete again?
Lightning is terrible. Seats (lower) are rickety. And maybe 3-4000 size. (And it feels old/cold/uninviting, falling apart. I can't even imagine the state of the HVAC, much less the ice plant.)
It cannot compete with "modern" arenas for big touring concert shows (15k+); folks have to drive 90-150 minutes to shows.
I know this is off-topic, but I have to HEARTILY disagree that San Diego "needs" a new arena before it can get an ECHL team. In fact, the SDSA would be home to the 2010-2011 ECHL San Diego (insertnamehere)s right now if the arena weren't managed by the son of the owner of the previous team -- and both Hahns (elder and younger) appear to have some kind of lingering grudge or beef against the ECHL. Either that or they're sucking up to AEG and waiting for the Kings to bring an AHL team to San Diego (once the Monarchs' lease runs out in Manchester?). Either way, it was a bad call for the younger Hahn to just not even offer lease terms to the prospective owner.
Now, I agree that it's a 44+ year old arena and has a lot of shortcomings. And the "renovation" in 1996 was really just a minor facelift on what was then a 30-year old arena - nothing approaching what happened to the Key Arena in Seattle or other more comprehensive renovations. Yes, it would be NICE to get a new arena, but it's just not happening in 1) this economy and 2) this city (especially given the fact that the city is STILL mired in the pension corruption mess from more than a decade ago).
That said, the arena is not the only, nor even the biggest hurdle in re-establishing pro hockey in San Diego. It's the MANAGEMENT of that arena that's the issue, and must be pushed out of the way - the building is just as able to support hockey as it was in 2006 -- and remember, it wasn't lack of attendance that killed the Gulls -- it was whatever beef happened between the ECHL and the Hahns.
