Here's ECHL
wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHL#Future
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| Colorado Eagles now set to play. |
Around the turn of the century, Cincinnati housed an ECHL team (as it still does) at the same time as an AHL squad ('97-2005). Look at the northwest. I don't care if Seattle lands the NHL next year, there should be some minor league pro representation there ... and in Portland. Toronto 2 and Quebec City are more deserving. With those 2 in, the amount of NHL franchises is an odd number so maybe that'd bode well for Portland. But if Indianapolis provides more geographical balance in some expansion, Portland should be the high farm field for NHL Seattle.
Sioux Falls could host a Dakota Diesel brand. Perhaps an Omaha-Dakota Diesel (tag) team could be more economically viable. Problem more these days is television market money, and no doubt some bean counters figure better for Houston than Dakota. Maybe the league will be the first to land Austin (if they're smart).
While the AHL is one for one per NHL franchise farm-wise, the ECHL has 27 teams and a handful of NHL teams not claiming whole second-tier minor league affiliation.
Hey, what about some more AHL and ECHL teams in Canada? Or is the major Junior levels enough for them?
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