The International Hockey League (IHL) announced Monday that the Kalamazoo Wings have chosen to withdraw from the IHL. The IHL worked to engage Kalamazoo's management team in discussions about many issues, unfortunately those efforts were unsuccessful. Kalamazoo's decision to part ways with the IHL is both disappointing and perplexing to league officials due to the timing of league expansion possibilities.
“Additional expansion efforts are underway as the IHL's geographical alignment is proven to be successful,” stated Michael Franke, IHL Chairman of the Board. “The League continues to field several calls about expansion possibilities with markets within the Midwest and new markets for the upcoming season. We, as a league, look forward to what is to come in the near future.”
League officials have been working diligently to secure the entry of new teams in new markets for the 2009-2010 season. The IHL fully intends to enter the 2009-2010 season stronger, with or without Kalamazoo as a participating member club.
Comments
Wow....that takes some Beach-Ball sized....well you know.
Kind of a spat we have going in between Mr. Pickard and Mr. Franke.
Any thoughts Blake....or is your head spinning out of control.
leagues have came on gone before, and the komets always survived. they will this time too, hopefully.
Did Franke wave his hand like a Jedi while he was saying this?
It is very obvious the Frankes intend to continue on with the IHL. This is their baby so to speak and they can loose a team or two if they replace them with QC and Dayton. The only way the are forced to do something if Flint and PH make a move. Bloomington is tied with Fort Wayne they do nothing unless we do something. So until the time the league implodes everything is full speed ahead.
As a corporate sponsor I can tell you I'm not dumping $1000's into next season until things shake out!! Bunch of crap and I hope Franke and Sproat read this!!!
This report says the Wings are going to re-locate?
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-06-01-3638880567_x.htm
This is a play by Kzoo to get some of that stimulus money, we will own them just like we do GM (gov't motors) now
I think it is pretty poor of Pickard to be the Commish of the league and he continued to be pretty deep in the Wings Management enough where he was using his power to negotiate with the ECHL on the K-Wings behalf. Welsh said this has been in the works for "a-while" and that means a severe conflict of interest. Pickard is a piece of garbage. I hope the K-Wings fall apart. No offense Primus. I am sure alot of people are ticked at the Frankes, but what Pickard has been doing behind the scenes is crap. Plus the way he handled or maybe mis-handled knowingly of the Flint situation. Is it possible he wanted Flint to fail so it would have been an easier escape for his K-Wings? Makes you wonder. What a joke.
I wonder how much more we might learn about this situation.
Who and where are all of these new expansion teams coming from?
I think the real, behind the scene reason is Icy beat up Slappy one time to many. Kzoo management couldn't stand seeing their wimpy mascot being humiliated any more.
I wonder if the "relocate" part was just a journalistic error? Reporters have been known to confuse their terminology. If they do relocate, surely another owner would emerge and put a team of some sort in there.
So, will Osman get his old number back??
This is a PR nightmare at this point for the Frankes. Newspaper quotes stating the reason for leaving was stability of the league, which is partially true and false at the same time. This will hurt the recruitment of players to other teams in the league not the K's who's tradition will carry them through this, but for the total product of the league it will really hurt. This league still has to wait and see what Muskegon/Flint/PH do because until they make a firm decision on what direction the are going to go the IHL is bascially in a hold pattern. We may have the "best" owners but lets face some facts they are not well liked by many and perception is not helping this league or the K's either.
no reason to panic just cauce kazoo is trying to strut its wings. lets hear where expansion is and go from there. only real trouble will be if musk flint port urne leave and derail all the plans. wont hurt us too much except we will join another league and we will lose lots of veterns. kazoo would have to go down a league cause their attendance wont hold up in the echl . just my opinion
The expansion reports are Dayton, Quad City, Evansville, and South Bend (Purely Rumors so far).
I heard Laporte...not South Bend....laporte is attempting to build a 6000 seat arena with the owner of the Chicago Wolves interested in putting a farm team in Laporte for his Wolves. Interesting, and that guy is a great owner with big big bucks and deep pockets. He almost bought the cubs.