2019-20 Utica Comets Thread

[VegasCanuck]

8 minutes ago, GoldenAlien said:

The A team/ B team idea isn't viable league wide because not every team owns their AHL affiliate.  NHL teams don't have enough prospects to fill an entire roster, you need AHL players on AHL contracts to play.  Considering you have to pay AHL to relocate or add a team, it's doubtful the league will just let NHL teams with no rights in the AHL to sign AHL contracts.  But NHL teams don't have enough contract spots to sign two full rosters, including replacement players for the AHL team, to NHL contracts.

 

However, if the current travel restrictions hold up, an all Canadian division, which Bill Foley spoke about, may become reality, and all the Canadian teams own their AHL affiliates.  In this case, if the AHL agrees to mold its schedule to NHL's, then the Canadian teams can temporarily move their affiliates and have two teams traveling together to each location.  This is pretty necessary as the farm teams will be playing across Canada the whole season, and usually farm teams only have access to commercial flights.

 

On the American side, some divisions have a lot of teams clustered together.  So teams in northeastern US, where most NHL clubs have their affiliates within driving distance of the big team and of other AHL teams, may opt to stay the course.  Their farm teams can bus to other teams on the AHL side, and drive up to the NHL teams for call ups. 

 

The Dub has already announced a schedule that will be divisional-play only, including an all American division.  Whatever the solution is, it's likely that the NHL/ AHL will have to take a local approach and find the most workable way forward for each division. 

I don't see this as relevant. Teams still need somewhere to send their players who would normally be playing in the AHL. You are correct that teams wouldn't likely have enough extra players to form a whole team, so I think it would be likely that B teams would be much smaller in size and that games would likely be something along the lines of 3 x 10 minute periods or 2 x 20. 

 

The travel restriction part, is something that's going to need to be resolved in general (as it was with the bubbles), for the league to start the next season.

 

Unless the NHL agrees to financially prop up the AHL, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to play their season as they rely too heavily on fans in seats.

 

I'm not really disagreeing with you on any of your points as this is all really in flux, no one really knows what shape the next season will take. We may wind up back in bubbles where we have 4 or 6 of them and rotate teams. Teams spend 2 weeks in and 1 week out and full testing before entering.

 

[GoldenAlien]

4 hours ago, VegasCanuck said:

I don't see this as relevant. Teams still need somewhere to send their players who would normally be playing in the AHL. You are correct that teams wouldn't likely have enough extra players to form a whole team, so I think it would be likely that B teams would be much smaller in size and that games would likely be something along the lines of 3 x 10 minute periods or 2 x 20. 

 

The travel restriction part, is something that's going to need to be resolved in general (as it was with the bubbles), for the league to start the next season.

 

Unless the NHL agrees to financially prop up the AHL, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to play their season as they rely too heavily on fans in seats.

 

I'm not really disagreeing with you on any of your points as this is all really in flux, no one really knows what shape the next season will take. We may wind up back in bubbles where we have 4 or 6 of them and rotate teams. Teams spend 2 weeks in and 1 week out and full testing before entering.

 

Hmm interesting on just playing shortened games... though without AHL players even that may be difficult.  For example, if DiPietro gets called up because one of Holtby/ Demko gets injured, then Kielly pulls a muscle in practice, then the B team will have no goalie.  I suppose they could sign a local beer leaguer to fill in, but what's the point of playing a game, when you know which team will lose?  There were times when the Comets iced an all AHL/ ECHL defense lineup because injuries/ call ups to the Canucks coincided with injuries on the Comets. If that were to happen here, the team will have no defense.  We have six forwards on the farm currently (Lind, Jasek, Lockwood, Gadjovich, Michaelis, Bailey). If three Canucks forwards were out at the same time -- pretty common even during the best of times, let alone a condensed season -- then the B team could end up with say, 3 RWs.  The opposing team may have the same issues, so when the Canucks B team is healthy, it may run into a depleted B team that can't play.   

 

AHL teams aren't terribly expensive to run, their estimated budgets are something like $4-5 million per season.  When the Canucks first got the Comets I think it was reported the total salaries of the whole organizations -- including prospects, AHL only players, coaching, management etc were somewhere north of $2 million.  Then you have arena lease and travel, insurance and whatnot.  NHL teams will have to pay its prospects, coaches etc anyway, plus some travel costs if it's going to bring its prospects from city to city.  The question will be whether NHL teams would be willing to lose an extra couple million in order to have real games for their prospects this year.  Some deep pocketed teams likely would, while other cashed strapped ones will probably balk.  NHL teams used to share affiliates -- some could do that to cut costs, and the AHL will just play with fewer than 31 teams this year.  

 

Agree that no one knows how the season will take form, but if we do end up playing, I think the NHL teams will try to cobble together some sort of AHL solution, or just take their prospects as full time black aces. On the upside, some of our best prospects are in Europe, so at least they'll have a real season.

Edited October 16, 2020 by GoldenAlien

[VegasCanuck]

3 hours ago, GoldenAlien said:

Hmm interesting on just playing shortened games... though without AHL players even that may be difficult.  For example, if DiPietro gets called up because one of Holtby/ Demko gets injured, then Kielly pulls a muscle in practice, then the B team will have no goalie.  I suppose they could sign a local beer leaguer to fill in, but what's the point of playing a game, when you know which team will lose?  There were times when the Comets iced an all AHL/ ECHL defense lineup because injuries/ call ups to the Canucks coincided with injuries on the Comets. If that were to happen here, the team will have no defense.  We have six forwards on the farm currently (Lind, Jasek, Lockwood, Gadjovich, Michaelis, Bailey). If three Canucks forwards were out at the same time -- pretty common even during the best of times, let alone a condensed season -- then the B team could end up with say, 3 RWs.  The opposing team may have the same issues, so when the Canucks B team is healthy, it may run into a depleted B team that can't play.   

 

AHL teams aren't terribly expensive to run, their estimated budgets are something like $4-5 million per season.  When the Canucks first got the Comets I think it was reported the total salaries of the whole organizations -- including prospects, AHL only players, coaching, management etc were somewhere north of $2 million.  Then you have arena lease and travel, insurance and whatnot.  NHL teams will have to pay its prospects, coaches etc anyway, plus some travel costs if it's going to bring its prospects from city to city.  The question will be whether NHL teams would be willing to lose an extra couple million in order to have real games for their prospects this year.  Some deep pocketed teams likely would, while other cashed strapped ones will probably balk.  NHL teams used to share affiliates -- some could do that to cut costs, and the AHL will just play with fewer than 31 teams this year.  

 

Agree that no one knows how the season will take form, but if we do end up playing, I think the NHL teams will try to cobble together some sort of AHL solution, or just take their prospects as full time black aces. On the upside, some of our best prospects are in Europe, so at least they'll have a real season.

No matter how they do it, its going to be a challenge!

 

[Googlie]

Full release from the AHL:

 

American Hockey League President and CEO Scott Howson has announced that the league’s Board of Governors has approved moving the anticipated start date of the 2020-21 season to February 5, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.

The AHL continues to work with its member clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities. Further details regarding the 2020-21 American Hockey League season are still to be determined.

 

Heres the link to the full article

 

https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2020/10/28/21538978/ahl-targets-february-5-as-start-date-for-2020-21-season

 

 

[Fred65]

18 hours ago, Googlie said:

Full release from the AHL:

 

American Hockey League President and CEO Scott Howson has announced that the league’s Board of Governors has approved moving the anticipated start date of the 2020-21 season to February 5, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.

The AHL continues to work with its member clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities. Further details regarding the 2020-21 American Hockey League season are still to be determined.

 

Heres the link to the full article

 

https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2020/10/28/21538978/ahl-targets-february-5-as-start-date-for-2020-21-season

 

 

I assume the players on contract are being paid, so why not bring them into Vcr. They would likely get better health supervision and could train with Team coaches ?

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

https://theprovince.com/sports/ben-kuzma-canucks-ponder-expanded-taxi-squads-canadian-ahl-division-due-to-covid-19?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1604009491

 

Quote

Ben Kuzma: Canucks ponder expanded taxi squads, Canadian AHL division due to COVID-19

"We discussed broadening the taxi squad, instead of just your three extra players. Could you have five or six extra players because then the need to shuttle players back and forth across the border isn’t there?" — Chris Gear, Canucks assistant GM, AHL governor

Author of the article:

Ben Kuzma

Publishing date:

Oct 29, 2020  •  Last Updated 10 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

 

Imagine an expanded taxi squad of Canucks’ roster recall targets training, practising and housed in Vancouver next season.

Imagine the AHL affiliate Utica Comets calling Rogers Arena home.

 

They’re not imaginary scenarios. They could play out if the novel coronavirus pandemic escalates and keeps the Canada-U. S. border closed — and especially if rapid tests at airports fail to significantly reduce the self-isolation period from 14 days for those entering Canada.

 

All the uncertainty has forced hockey operations departments to form contingency plans.

 

While the NHL and AHL have targeted dates to start their respective 2020-21 schedules, what the leagues don’t have is autonomy. Health officials in Canada and the U.S. hold that hammer and it’s why a Jan. 1 season launch for the NHL and Feb. 5 for the AHL are considered best-case scenarios.

 

If the border remains closed and the isolation period can only be reduced from 14 to seven days with rapid tests, it’s going to be problematic. For the Canucks, what good is recalling a player from the Comets knowing he has a one- or two-week wait to play? Recalls are usually immediately inserted into the lineup.

 

“We discussed broadening the taxi squad, instead of just your three extra players,” Chris Gear, a Canucks assistant general manager and AHL governor, said Thursday. “Could you have five or six extra players because then the need to shuttle players back and forth across the border isn’t there?

 

“You could still have a team playing in Utica with guys who are longer-term prospects than guys you expect to get in your lineup who are here practising with us. That’s probably our ideal scenario and it’s fair to say that Calgary and Edmonton feel the same way.”

If the border remains closed and the isolation issue isn’t solved, a division comprised of the Comets and two California-based franchises — Stockton Heat (Flames) and Bakersfield Condors (Oilers) — has been broached.

 

The state of New York doesn’t allow fans at pro sporting events, even though virus numbers vary drastically from New York City — 2,029 cases Thursday, 505,000 total cases and 33,107 deaths — to Utica that had 37 cases on the same day, 2,746 total cases and 129 deaths.

The AHL, which averages 5,000 in attendance and relies heavily on ticket revenue, doesn’t have a lucrative television agreement to boost revenues. The Comets have approximately 3,000 season-ticket holders and club president Rob Esche believes he could even salvage a shortened season.

 

“Utica not being the same as New York with COVID cases is Rob’s biggest frustration because he can pull off a season with socially-distanced fans, but the state won’t allow it,” said Gear. “That’s a concern for him.”

 

The Comets would obviously need a Lower Mainland arena in a Canadian division scenario and Rogers Arena would be the financial and logistical choice. But moving the Comets here is not the desired route the franchise wants to travel.

 

“It’s not something that’s at the top of our agenda,” said Gear. “We think it’s the least preferable with the cost of bringing all our Utica staff and housing and working on immigration and then travelling to play in Winnipeg, Belleville (Ont.), Toronto and Laval (Que.). Those costs are going to be prohibitive when you can’t generate any revenue, but if it was mandated and we were compelled to do that, then Rogers Arena makes the most sense.

 

“It’s a venue that we can utilize and it doesn’t cost us any money. But no team wants to lose a year of developing and there might be some financial challenges, but you really want to make sure your young players are getting games and growth. And Utica is close to its opponents and it’s always been a plus for them and us because it’s a good place for development. They’re not spending a lot of time travelling or waiting in airports.

 

“Ideally, we can come up with a solution and that keeps our and Rob’s costs down and allows both organizations to do what they have to do. For us, that’s the taxi-squad idea and allowing Rob to continue with socially distanced fans at some point.”

In the interim, is a Jan. 1 start for the NHL and Feb. 5 for the AHL to create a buffer if COVID-19 intensifies?

 

“The AHL is going to take its cues from the NHL and regardless of putting the (AHL) date out there, it will still be fluid,” said Gear. “Is the NHL going to start playing Jan. 1 or bring guys back to camp then? We really need to see for that (AHL) announcement to have any teeth.

“We’ve at least got a handle on what our roster could look like. We’ve still got a couple of RFAs to sign who could wind up in the AHL (Justin Bailey, Guillaume Brisebois), so we’ll have a roster sketched out and we’ve looked at different scenarios the NHL has talked about.

“It’s still good to have a target date rather than this everlasting unknown.”

 

[Mackcanuck]

Sounds like the Comets are staying in Utica this year.

 

 

[Fred65]

Interesting that Gear would mention Bailey and Briesbois as candidates for Utica ...... before any training camp

[mll]

After the North division last month (6 teams), the Canucks' ECHL affiliate also decides to withdraw from the 2020/21 season.  They were part of the group of teams set to start their season in mid-January.  The first group is starting their season later this month.  

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by mll

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

50 minutes ago, mll said:

After the North division last month (6 teams), the Canucks' ECHL affiliate also decides to withdraw from the 2020/21 season.  They were part of the group of teams set to start their season in mid-January.  The first group is starting their season later this month.  

 

I can see Utica signing a lot of the Kalamazoo Players considering if the Canucks are to take on a taxi squad that contains some of Utica's vets, the Comets will need extra bodies as well.

 

 

[Googlie]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Utica moved to Victoria (or Kelowna or Kamloops) for one season, and Bakersfield and Stockton moved to Red Deer and Medicine Hat (or Saskatoon and Regina), if fans are expected in limited numbers in the spring, but cross-border travel/quarantine remains an issue. Or else, if TV audiences only, to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary to keep costs manageable.