Minor League Hockey: AHL and ECHL Maps

Note some big league brand claims:
Texas Stars (Dallas) of Austin
Iowa Wild (Minnesota)
Albany Devils (New Jersey)
Worcester Sharks (San Jose) of Massachusettes
Providence Bruins (Boston)

Rochester (AHL) and Allen, TX (ECHL) Americans

Some bids I've talked about and have been heard about in NHL media cycles (AND ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE MAPS, which essentially demonstrate Triple A and Double A hockey) is Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle.  The northwest cities have good junior hockey presence, which is essentially Canada's minor league hockey.

Milwaukee and Cleveland are in the next level to the Bigs.  And for a Great Lakes brand, Indy and Cinci are a level below that.

Wide geographic names in the leagues:
Idaho, Utah, Missouri, South Carolina, Iowa, Missouri and Alaska as well as (Double-time:)  Colorado, Florida (represented in the NHL also).  There is the Chicago Wolves alternative to the Blackhawks. Oklahoma City is a name that encapsulates the state enough probably like Kansas City for baseball's Royals.

AHL

ECHL

theahl.com/
wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHL

What do you see for the next NHL expansion?  The locks seem to be Toronto2 and Quebec City.  The American side of the ice?
Seattle and Las Vegas to balance the west?  Why not Portland?  Is it because the Coyote toting floating league wants to the first major league stationed in Vegas?


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Some related posts: 

Too snobby for the Minor Leagues? 

West Coast Whales NHL Team in Seattle, Portland and Las Vegas

 Seattle Clippers?

"Northern Lights" NHL Team a New Expansion Team for Seattle and Portland. Try that on for Size.

A Fast Pitch for Expansion in the Big Five Sports Leagues. Westward Hockey and Soccer.

At Least Two New American NHL Teams in Addition to the Two New Canadian Ones. 

More Canadian NHL teams

NHL Team in Austin and Las Vegas called the West Coast Cattle Drive

Yankees Hockey: The Great Lakes/North Coast Hockey Team. A New NHL Franchise and Concept 

MLS Expansion. A team called "Upstate". More Upstate New York NHL also? 

Dakota NHL Team 

The NHL in Lincoln-Omaha. A Big League Team for Nebraska 

NHL Regional Coverage. For Now. West__ South __ Great Lakes 

East Coast Feds. Imagine this NHL Franchise 

NHL - If each franchise had to camp in two cities... . 

WMLB, WNBA, WNHL, WMLS, ... and wha whuuut, WNFL?!

http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/

prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/