The Komets announced Thursday that an affiliation has been formed between the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and the Fort Wayne CHL team for 2010-11.
The Komets will be entering their 59th season of minor league play in Fort Wayne and first season as an affiliate with the Blue Jackets who are celebrating their 10th anniversary as a member of the NHL. Columbus also carries an affiliation with the AHL's Springfield Falcons.
"Since Columbus started in the NHL 10 years ago, we have entertained the thoughts of being affiliated with them because of their geographic location and solid reputation in the NHL and the Columbus area," Komets general manager David Franke said. "We anticipate Columbus/Springfield players coming to Fort Wayne before our opening night and there will be call-ups to Springfield from Fort Wayne which should be of special interest to our younger developing players. Komet fans will have a closer link to the NHL through this affiliation with the Blue Jackets."
Comments
Unexpected.... I wonder who may be coming the Komets way...
That is a definite Curveball. Wow.
What we thought were cut and dry roster situations, well, this complicates things alot.
Some questions:
A) If Columbus sends Fort Wayne a player or two, how do they affect the salary cap??? Meaning, if the Komets have "X" number of players at the limit of the cap, and we get sent 2-3 players, what essentially will happen? Will we have to cut players? Will those players count against the cap?
B) Does Columbus have an ECHL affiliate?
C) Does Columbus automatically have first rights of our roster, or are our players essentially free agents for any higher league? This was a similar question I and many others asked last season with the affiliation with Evansville. Is this affiliation a true affiliation in meaning, Columbus has alot of say in what goes on here, they can say "Curadeau and O'Connor up, and you get Jones and Smith?"
D) What is the impact in AA hockey with the Komets gaining this affiliation, and what does this mean for the future of NHL affiliations whether they are directly in line with the ECHL or the CHL for instance.
E) Is this just a marketing ploy, much like what Quad City did last year with their NHL affiliaion that gave them no players and no real advantage.....not a real affiliation in the overall meaning of what a real affiliate is or should be. If that makes sense.
I won't be at the game tonight, major bummed out about it, so please, someone keep me updated during the game of how things are going, who looks good, who looks bad, etc. I will get all of my info camped out here.
Thanks.
Go Komets!!!
I could say yes or no on these, but it's been my experience with affiliations you never really know until something happens. What you think is in black and white is sometimes gray. We just have to kind of let it play out and then judge, but I'd also say we're kind of used to that around here.
As former IHL Commissioner Bill Beagan once said, ``Sleeping with the NHL is a little like sleeping with a porcupine. They aren't very cuddly. They are cuddly only when they have to be, when it benefits them.''
Hopefully this will be different.
Ought to be interesting.
No ECHL affiliate with the Blue Jackets.
We are it.
This is huge news in my book.
Blake, can you get any explanation on how this affects the Salary Cap? Just curious. I would think that it is a major part of all of this in the long run. If Columbus is paying the player's salary, does that go against the Cap?
And if we take on lets just say....A Pair of players from Columbus/Springfield......must we cut a Pair of players that are on our roster?
That makes this thing real tricky.
Our roster is all ready loaded.
Really, it is.
Players have not signed with Columbus so they would be free agents. Agreement is between Komets and Columbus, not Columbus and players.
Salary cap counts as $500 per player so it's feasible and attractive for the CHL teams to do it.
I would guess if we get any players (after the season starts, not counting preseason or early picks) they're more likely to come from Springfield and obviously that's where any call ups would go.
So I'm thinking we need to watch Springfield more then Columbus and I wonder if Springfield has an ECHL affiliation which might be a stupid questions since Columbus doesn't.
If this works at all then watch the rumors and discussions next off season about the possibility or demand by some that we become Columbus's AHL affiliate... :-)
By agreeing to this affiliation, the Frankes have contradicted the reason that they said that they preferred the CHL to the ECHL. However, I won't hold my breath waiting for them to admit that joining the CHL was a mistake.
Having said that, reaching this agreement may bring players to FW that have a chance to play in the NHL and should bring a higher skilled player to the Coliseum. That is good for Komet hockey.
What are you basing your ECHL is better than the CHL argument on?
Just curious.
The Frankes gave more then one reason but if one suffers from selective memory and attitude then I suppose your conclusions and synopsis might make sense as in error as it is.
No matter what some will always find fault with Komets ownership.