We decided to do a little research on the ECHL tonight, since this is the next best league after the AHL.    The ECHL is  double-A minor league, while the AHL (Sharks) is triple-A, was formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, but it has blossomed into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams.

 

At the ECHL’s mid-season Board of Governors meeting last month in Orlando, Florida, the board:1415TeamMap

  • Approved a transfer of controlling interest in the Stockton Thunder Membership from SC Hockey Franchise Corporation to Adirondack Flames Canada Limited, which is controlled by the Calgary Flames Limited Partnership. The AHL took control of the Stockton market on Thursday for one of its teams.
  • Approved the transfer of home territory from Bakersfield, California, which is switching to an AHL city, to Norfolk, Virginia, now an ECHL city.
  • Approved the transfer of home territory from Ontario, California, which is switching to an AHL city, to Manchester, New Hampshire, now an ECHL city.
  • Approved the transfer of Stockton, California, which is switching to an AHL city, to Glens Falls, New York, now an ECHL city.
  • Announced that the Las Vegas Wranglers have voluntarily withdrawn their membership in the ECHL. The Wranglers were under a voluntary suspension for the 2014-15 season but were unable to find a location to play for the 2015-16 season and beyond. Las Vegas is now an open territory, the league says.
  • Approved a cap on the number of ECHL memberships at 30. The league currently has 28 teams in the U.S. and Canada.

In another press release issued Friday, the ECHL said 554 of its players have moved on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 13 who made their NHL debuts during the 2013-14 season.    The ECHL lastly  has affiliations with 29 of the 30 NHL teams in 2014-15.

 

 

There is room for two new teams, although it looks like Reno will take over the Las Vegas team since it is listed on the ECHL website as a future market.   This give the City of Worcester three possibilities to land a ECHL team:

  1. convince one of the 29 teams (assuming Reno gets Las Vegas) to come to Worcester
  2. put together a group to buy one of the 29 teams and move them to Worcester
  3. put together a group to buy the last team number 30

 

 

We already know that next year is pretty much out so best case scenario is 2016-2017.

 

ECHL attendance 2014-2015

AHL attendance 2014-2015