According to Komets president Michael Franke, last week's Central Hockey League meetings in Gilbert, Ariz., ``went very, very well,'' but there's nothing he can announce from them.
"I think this is probably going to take a coupel of weeks to get everything finalized," Franke said. "This is not something you can announce in pieces. There's nothing to report except the process is moving along nicely."
The meetings are continuing by conference call today and will resume at the IHL meetings in Las Vegas from June 21-23.
"I would assume that sometime between now and then there will be some kind of announcement made, and finalization of everything would come at that meeting,'' Franke said. "There's a lot of stuff that needs to be done."
Comments
Mr Franke is the only one at this point painting a rosy picture of those meetings.... Reports out of Colorado in an interview with the President of the Eagles says there are still many major obstacles that still need to be hammered out... The 2 articles I read besides this one does not sound good. Hopefully they dont screw this one up!!!
The natives have gone past restless and are 1/2 a step from looting and rioting.. This is going to be a fun summer.
No need JR, we've heard from the man w/ the golden scepter........in other news, season ticket sales just increased 110% over last season due to these reassuring words.
Blake--My point has been made I rest my case.
Am keeping my mouth shut until all details are worked out. Why b other to fret about rumors? Saving my blood pressure!
TIME HAS COME=TO DRINK THE "ORANGE KOOL-AID" & FOLLOW US :)
Here is my questions:
Is this a merger of the two leagues?
What does the CHL gain by not having a total merger and the IHL folds as a league?
What does the IHL gain from this "agreement".
On the outside I don't understand what any organization gains from all of this. I could understand why the IHL needs the CHL if they only have 4 teams, but it appears they will have more than 4 teams.
mightbite-I drank it many years ago. I am a happy individual by nature and I like my life the way it is. Worry and concern over things I absolutely have no control is just not worth it. I know there will be Komet Hockey this fall. I am willing to wait and see just what rolls out. I did just that when we went to the UHL and than back to the IHL. I have not been disapointed yet. I really don't think I will be this time around either. It sure is fun reading all the great minds and their ideas of how or what this new adventure should look like.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100608/SPORTS/6080332/CHL-merger-not-a-done-deal
Enjoy the article....
This is for you MB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wanoXM90yHE&feature=related
Here's a question. Blake, you said that since the CHL pays a couple of players during the summer, the total salaries are that different between the IHL and CHL currently. I'm assuming by a couple that you mean 2. I'm doing the math on this. Officially, the CHL pays out about $3000 less to players a week, yeah? Assuming 4 weeks in a month (sometimes there are 5, but let's overlook that), that's $12,000 less a month for the CHL. Not sure how the playoffs work, but if a team doesn't make them, hockey season is 6 months long, the same as the off-season. That means to be about the same, they'd have to be paying close to $6000 to a couple of players each month during the summer. That's some pretty sweet coin!
er... meant to type "AREN'T that different"
Tim is right. Patience is the key.
Sgriffith makes some real good points. If nothing else, maybe the Franke's could answer some of those questions. Unless this is a full merger with the same rules for both, I'm not sure what the gain is for either league. I think the Frankes could explain some of this without betraying the trust of the other owners.
My belief is if this is done right, with a lot of compromising on the rules, and a dedication to expanding to cities that are between the present geographical areas the leagues are in, then this could be great.
My biggest concern is the vet limit ( I hope it will be six ), the salary cap ( I hope they will split the difference ), and no less than a 70 game schedule.
I choose to have an open mind and be an informed purchaser...
I will not follow the Pied Piper of Ft Wayne and dance off blindly into yet another hockey venture without knowing all the details. So go ahead and enjoy what others tell you to enjoy and I will enjoy what I choose to enjoy....
Yeah because the Frankes have been terrible owners so far. The crowds are down and the town just really hates them. It's been a terrible venture since the Frankes took over. The are awful business people and certainly are a blemish on this community.
Now maybe the 5 posters that always complain on this site have something to blog about since 99 percent of sth's have renewed their tickets!
NICE ONE WENDY=that is what I get for getting on BLB about hossa/23 yr. season ticket holder :)
Apparently I'm blocked for some reason. Nothing I write posts.
Or maybe I just need to send from my phone. LOL! Maybe my computer is telling me to shut up haha
LOL....see, mightbite....ya pick on me, the universe gets you back! LOL....
And I have a really idiotic question....who or what are the "Eagles" that you refer to, JR? Jungle Monkey referred to them as well, and I"m sorry, but all that came to mind was a row of Icy D Eagles....surely not what is the case here, but I, too, must have drank the orange KoolAid, and it was surely spiked with vodka.
The Colorado Eagles are the gold standard of CHL franchises... Approx 140 consectutive sellouts... (around 5400)... Always put a tough and high scoring team on the ice. "The Komets of the CHL" if you will... Colorado has a waiting list for season tickets...
Maybe the IHL can run if us Komet fans take in a Flint General in a billet plan like junior hockey. I'll take 45 year old Jim Duhart, JM you get Robin Big Snake, and JR you can have Flint's coach. This way, the IHL can play w/ 5 teams and we can win our 12th championship in a row!! Flint won't have to worry about their players getting kicked out of their apartments.
This is kinda like the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's, except w/o the talent, competition, and common sense.
Thank you, JM!! I was pretty sure Icy had nothing to do with it, and that he did not have his own President. :) And....really? 99% of season ticketholders renewed? Holy Toledo, Batman. In this economy, with all this uncertainty, in this "non-hockey" town? Surely you're kidding, or someone is inflating that number a little.
Also, since I know you read but do not post, Mr. Robinson....can't wait until the game tomorrow night. My little guy has improved so much you won't even believe he's the same kid!! Watch out!! LOL....
I'd like to see them play one year not completely merged, just to see how it goes, especially if we have fewer veterans (read less talent) and a lower salary cap (read less talent) and a shorter season (read more nights have to find something else to do).
Then do the same with the ECHL for a year. Then decide. :-)
It still comes down to nobody knows squat yet so everything at this point is speculation and rumor. From the beginning it was understood there are a lot of issues and it wasn't going to be worked out overnight.
So, it comes down to two choices if you're looking at season tickets. Buy 'em and hope it was a good decision (that's worked in the past) or don't.
If you're not looking at season tickets then it doesn't matter because you get to make the decision before every game (that's worked in the past also).
Good luck to all no matter what your choice is and go Blackhawks.......
Chaulker,
I have a feeling that Snake and I couldn't co-exist.. I'd put up Stan Drulia, My homeboy Matt Gens, or even Robin Bouchard we have "prison-rules" Thursday nights at my house.
Steve-Happy Birthday! Enjoy your dinner with friends. Most of all thank you for your service! It allows all of us to enjoy the things we do.
We could hook up a big baby monitor to him.....and make him be home by 11:30.
Maybe we could get him to play for the E-Ville Icemen in the 1,200 seat arena, or, South Bend, I hear Chicago's going to have a team in the IHL, maybe Toledo could join?
Now that we figured out that Visa's aren't a big deal to house a league, we're fine w/ four. GO K'S!!!!
Ok, call me what you want here....but I am reading stories written outside of our market, outside of the Franke Footprint, that paint this CHL/IHL thing as in trouble at best. Why is Mike F. making it seem that things are hunky-doory?
http://arenadigest.com/201006082997/hockey/minor-league-hockey/hold-your-horses-chlihl-merger-hitting-obstacles
This is one I read a little while ago, and the one from Colorado too, and a few others....they just don't seem to mesh.
Are the Frankes and the IHL asking for too much, and the CHL owners are laughing at them thinking, whatever?
Egos?
How long can this thing be drawn out before it is too late to get plans in place and give this thing a real chance to work for this coming season? I wouldn't think past July 1st. That is just my personal thought...you need at some point to settle on a plan so you can sell it to your fans, prospective players and agents, and to the advertising companies and sposorhips for marketing dollars. I know, I know, Fort Wayne will be fine, but what about Dayton, Flint, Bloomington? Can these teams pull all of this together in 1-2 months?
This things isn't as peachy, as they seem to be making it sound, I mean in this market.
You would think that things would be planned and ready to go, but as it sounds at least in Colorado, this thing isn't close at all.
Anyone nervous?
I'm not nervous.
Happy birthday steve
Hit: As many on here have proven they believe, if it isn't said or writt3n in Fort Wayne, it must not be true. This will all be interesting when it pans out in whatever ddirection it goes. I just hope I didn't make a mistake in renewing my tickets before I knew what I was getting. Oh well, I'm young and prone to mistakes. It wouldn't be the first or last...
Its been a few years since I worked in a publicly traded company, but even at the grunt level (2nd rung of the ladder, bottom rung that is) they told us to keep our mouth shut on news/events/happenings until the official release came out, it really got tight lipped in the late 90's.
So IMHO I think news will come out slowly and methodically.
Is the stock still 20 cents per share, I may want to roll the dice at that price.
From the "Arena Digest": "We're still not sure the IHL will exist as an independent league next season, but we're not entirely sure the CHL/IHL merger will take place, either. The negotiations over the next three weeks should be fascinating, indeed."
Sounds like what everyone else is saying, we know nothing yet so we will speculate and repeat rumors until the meetings are done and the decisions are made.
I'm not concerned about any of this, I have learned from a friend that an alien invasion from outer space will take place in a week or two and they will organize minor league hockey.