ShakyWalton Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The Comets are going to Europe..... The Vancouver Canucks and the Utica Comets have announced today that the Comets will join the Syracuse Crunch for training camp and preseason games in Lyon, France prior to the 2015-16. Additional details will be announced at a later date. This mark the second straight season that the Crunch have held their training camp in France. Last season the Binghamton Senators (Ottawa) partnered with them. Hockey possesses a long and rich history in the French city of Lyon. The Sporting Club of Lyon won the first hockey championship in the country’s history in 1907. Many other teams have called Lyon home since and before the LHC Les Lions. The Lyons were founded by team president Sébastien Berthet and made their debut on May 1, 2009 after being approved by the French Federation of Ice Hockey. The LHC Les Lions have called at the Charlemagne Skating Rink home since 1967. The arena, with a capacity of 3,175 seats, is one of the largest in France. The team draws some of the largest crowds in the country each weekend, hosting an average of 3,000 fans per game. The team has seen a quick ascension through the ranks in just the four years since being relegated from the Magnus League. In 2013-14, Lyon beat the Bordeaux Boxers to return to the top division in France, after having been beaten in the finals by the Brest Albatross in the previous season. In 2014-15, the Lions stayed clear of relegation with a record of 8-15-3 and will once again compete in the Magnus League in 2015-16. Excluding their championship in 1907, the Lions’ best Magnus League finish has been third, which the team accomplished in 1998 and 1999. How do you correct a thread title...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wish I could go watch a game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wish I could go watch a game! Thats what I call a road trip...I remember years ago the Canucks went to Japan...I think the Kings or Ducks went with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wow, nice of the Aqualini's to fork over a camp in France to the prospects... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer. Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like when teams from north america do this, because it really helps spread the game of hockey around the world. I wonder if they know what the AHL is over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like when teams from north america do this, because it really helps spread the game of hockey around the world. I wonder if they know what the AHL is over there. The little NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Algur Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The little NHL? Le petite NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Le petite NHL. Actually that would be le petite LNH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monteeun Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The little NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monteeun Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Actually that would be le petite LNH I wonder what the lnh would look like spelled out? Sorry, don't know French Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 I wonder what the lnh would look like spelled out? Sorry, don't know French Ligue nationale de hockey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHL rocks Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like when teams from north america do this, because it really helps spread the game of hockey around the world. I wonder if they know what the AHL is over there. Most people don't even know what the NHL is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Specter Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Nice to see the Comets partnering with the Syracuse Crunch, despite being relatively big Thruway rivals on the ice! Being a long-time fan of the Lightning as well as my hometown Canucks, it's nice to see the two farm organizations collaborating. You can see the idea has been brewing for a while - evident from another article, since team president Robert Esche has close ties with Crunch owner Howard Dolgon. Esche and his AHL running mate, Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon, were the movers behind a new league alignment that puts Albany, Utica, Binghamton, Syracuse and Rochester all in the same division next season (along with Toronto and St. John's). The duo sell tickets by playfully trash-talking and pushing the teams' heated rivalry, but there's a much more important shared goal that makes the Comets and Crunch partners. Esche thinks the grouping of the New York state teams will strengthen the financial foundations all five franchises, especially when they work together. "The whole league operates as a partnership. I think this is a really unique opportunity for all of us to kind of do that,'' Esche said. "This was always something that I've been working on. I think that it just makes a lot of sense. It's something that I think will really help all of us capture maybe some of that revenue that's out there that we didn't think was out there.'' .... For instance, Esche believes that the closer on-ice ties between the New York teams will make them a more attractive marketing tool as a group. That could be especially true for statewide programs, such as the lottery or the "I love New York'' campaign. .... Esche and Dolgon have the advantage of pitching their products in what's something of a golden era among the Thruway teams. Rochester is a rising team surged with optimism by hope from rebuilding parent club Buffalo. Syracuse made the Calder Cup finals two seasons ago and parent club Tampa Bay is two wins away from the Stanley Cup this season. I am all for promoting the league(s) in a foreign country, especially where one of their cities possesses a long and rich history in connection to the sport. I am expecting it to be a blast for the teams but hopefully they don't enjoy it too much... (it's still training camp after all) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossi Vaananen Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Preseason cuts will have to be early, as I doubt they want to ferry people over on that kind of airfare. Good way to attract ahl vets though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovewinona Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thats what I call a road trip...I remember years ago the Canucks went to Japan...I think the Kings or Ducks went with them. Yeah, that was in 97-98 to help promote hockey in Japan prior to the Olympics in Nagano, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boudrias Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Do they have to billet to save money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Surfer Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wonder how they will promote it? In Australia there is a tour of minor league players that come over every year. Usually one pro and one good prospect (Emerson Etem). But its promoted almost like roller hockey with clips of fights and big hits. And cartoon bubbles pop up saying things like; Bang! and oh boy, a lttle bit of Biffo! All set to music from the theme for Batman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Yeah, that was in 97-98 to help promote hockey in Japan prior to the Olympics in Nagano, right? I think you are right..the only thing I didnt like is they had to come back and play relatively quickly..the jet lag must have been intense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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