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Post by bigfan on Mar 21, 2017 16:13:24 GMT -5
Has there been any word if we have had any discussions with the DCU Center about available dates for us to join HE?
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 21, 2017 18:25:17 GMT -5
Wouldn't you think, knowing what we know about ADNP and his aspirations, that of course these discussions are going on? But wouldn't you also think, given the sensitivity of the situation, that he is doing it quietly and methodically? Playing this out for public consumption would be stupid and a bad look for HC and HE.
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Post by joe on Mar 22, 2017 7:25:26 GMT -5
I don't think anything is happening. That ship has sailed I bet.
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 22, 2017 8:09:41 GMT -5
I don't think anything is happening. That ship has sailed I bet. What do you base this opinion on? Is it because you are just tired of having the football pulled away and feel like this is same old Holy Cross going back to the late seventies BE decision, or is there really something upon which you base this? Do you really think that ADNP has folded up his tent and gone home just because some ragtag minor league team that won't exist in three years came to town and is acting like a petulant little baby?
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Post by ncaam on Mar 22, 2017 12:26:18 GMT -5
Based on $$$$ he a non starter
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Mar 22, 2017 13:53:42 GMT -5
dead wrong per usual
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Post by joe on Mar 22, 2017 14:46:01 GMT -5
Just a gut feeling as time passes in silence. Hope I'm wrong.
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 22, 2017 14:59:48 GMT -5
Just a gut feeling as time passes in silence. Hope I'm wrong. I would be far more concerned if this was all playing out in public.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Mar 22, 2017 19:20:50 GMT -5
Despite the condescending tone from some with a crystal clear agenda, the Railers appear to be doing a pretty damn good job with their community engagement efforts, despite being months away from even playing their first game.
Expecting them to just roll over and die after a couple years may be a mistake.
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Post by ncaam on Mar 22, 2017 19:36:43 GMT -5
Now that BBC has spoken I'm convinced no HE.
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Post by joe on Mar 22, 2017 19:57:48 GMT -5
Railers are motivated by profit. HC not exactly. Therefore we're likely to lose this one.
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 22, 2017 20:12:06 GMT -5
Despite the condescending tone from some with a crystal clear agenda, the Railers appear to be doing a pretty damn good job with their community engagement efforts, despite being months away from even playing their first game. Expecting them to just roll over and die after a couple years may be a mistake. Yep. Bombardiers, Counts, Marauders, Blazers, Ice Cats, Tornadoes, Sharks...
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 22, 2017 20:36:43 GMT -5
Despite the condescending tone from some with a crystal clear agenda, the Railers appear to be doing a pretty damn good job with their community engagement efforts, despite being months away from even playing their first game. Expecting them to just roll over and die after a couple years may be a mistake. Go out on a limb: will the Railers still be in Worcester in, say, five years?
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Post by bringbackcaro on Mar 22, 2017 21:12:15 GMT -5
Despite the condescending tone from some with a crystal clear agenda, the Railers appear to be doing a pretty damn good job with their community engagement efforts, despite being months away from even playing their first game. Expecting them to just roll over and die after a couple years may be a mistake. Yep. Bombardiers, Counts, Marauders, Blazers, Ice Cats, Tornadoes, Sharks... Did any of those teams have an owner who was as engaged in the team and community as much as Rucker is? The Ice Cats and Sharks had a pretty darn good run over 20+ years. I know nothing about the current climate in the AHL, but it seems just as likely (if not more likely) that the Railers put together a couple very good years with a pretty good fan following and get an AHL team back to Worcester than HC (a team that can't get out of the first round of the freakin Atlantic Hockey League) being successful in the Hockey East.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Mar 22, 2017 21:13:49 GMT -5
"0.0% chance" they are playing in Worcester in 5 years.
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Post by bfoley82 on Mar 22, 2017 21:36:19 GMT -5
Yep. Bombardiers, Counts, Marauders, Blazers, Ice Cats, Tornadoes, Sharks... Did any of those teams have an owner who was as engaged in the team and community as much as Rucker is? The Ice Cats and Sharks had a pretty darn good run over 20+ years. I know nothing about the current climate in the AHL, but it seems just as likely (if not more likely) that the Railers put together a couple very good years with a pretty good fan following and get an AHL team back to Worcester than HC (a team that can't get out of the first round of the freakin Atlantic Hockey League) being successful in the Hockey East. Teams in the AHL are moving their AHL teams closer to their pro level team. Basically, the Worcester market doesn't bring in enough money for them to ship their players all over the country. The Rangers affiliate is in Hartford, Islanders in Bridgeport, Providence and the Bruins, etc...
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Post by bigfan on Mar 23, 2017 8:15:57 GMT -5
The Railers will be gone in three years.
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Post by Tom on Mar 23, 2017 8:24:12 GMT -5
Did any of those teams have an owner who was as engaged in the team and community as much as Rucker is? The Ice Cats and Sharks had a pretty darn good run over 20+ years. I know nothing about the current climate in the AHL, but it seems just as likely (if not more likely) that the Railers put together a couple very good years with a pretty good fan following and get an AHL team back to Worcester than HC (a team that can't get out of the first round of the freakin Atlantic Hockey League) being successful in the Hockey East. Teams in the AHL are moving their AHL teams closer to their pro level team. Basically, the Worcester market doesn't bring in enough money for them to ship their players all over the country. The Rangers affiliate is in Hartford, Islanders in Bridgeport, Providence and the Bruins, etc... That is why the Ice Cats and Sharks left. There was reasonable support to keep them afloat. The Tornadoes were a bad idea. They were marketed as AA caliber and they weren't . Guys that couldn't make it or a couple of has-beens. Similar product for comparable money an hour up the road and Lowell and better product for comparable money an hour down the road in Pawtucket. And those guys had a much better shot of playing for the home town Red Sox The Blazers example doesn't really apply. Back then no one knew anything about lacrosse. Can't compare it to a sport where the average sports fan at least knows the basic rules Worcester did not support the Counts, Bombardiers, or Marauders. Of those the Counts and Marauders were gimicky offshoots of established sports. The Bombardiers is most legitimate analogy. That being said, the Railers are ECHL, not AHL. It's going to be hard to market an inferior product when TPTB yanked hockey teams away for no fault of the central MA residents. On the flip side of the coin, joining HE will not magically make HC competitive with the other teams in the league and they will likely struggle
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 23, 2017 8:31:48 GMT -5
What does this tweet from the sports director of Channel 3 mean: " team [Railers owner] has affiliate agreement w/ #NHL club," to be announced at a future date.
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Post by gks on Mar 23, 2017 8:34:12 GMT -5
Railers have an affiliation agreement with an NHL club. It has not been announced which team it is yet.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 23, 2017 9:06:21 GMT -5
Railers have an affiliation agreement with an NHL club. It has not been announced which team it is yet. So unless an existing NFL team swaps franchises, the affiliation would be from of these five HFL teams which have no ECHL affiliate? Columbus NJ Devils Florida St. Louis Las Vegas
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Post by cfrivals on Mar 23, 2017 10:56:37 GMT -5
This is huge for ADNP. It's the only realistic conference upgrade on the hill. Women need a D1 home . It make too much sense. I think it will happen by end of April.
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Post by JRGNYR on Mar 24, 2017 10:07:30 GMT -5
Railers have an affiliation agreement with an NHL club. It has not been announced which team it is yet. So unless an existing NFL team swaps franchises, the affiliation would be from of these five HFL teams which have no ECHL affiliate? Columbus NJ Devils Florida St. Louis Las Vegas AHL affiliates of the teams listed above: Columbus - Cleveland Devils - Albany Florida - Springfield, MA St. Louis - Chicago Las Vegas - TBD to the best of my knowledge Most likely it's with either the Panthers or the Devils.
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Post by crusader12 on Mar 31, 2017 15:11:43 GMT -5
Despite the condescending tone from some with a crystal clear agenda, the Railers appear to be doing a pretty damn good job with their community engagement efforts, despite being months away from even playing their first game. Expecting them to just roll over and die after a couple years may be a mistake. Go out on a limb: will the Railers still be in Worcester in, say, five years? The ECHL may not even be around in 5 years............
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Post by bigfan on Mar 31, 2017 16:06:46 GMT -5
I don't know about the ECHL but the Railers will not last for more than 3 years. The AHL teams had pretty good attendance but their NHL teams were too far away and it was costing them a fortune to have players in Worcester and the travel costs to St. Louis and San Jose was too much. The quality of AHL hockey was very good and was just below the NHL. The ECHL is pretty low and will never last in Worcester.
If we can join HE I do believe that we will have better attendance due to the fans from the other members coming to the DCU to watch the games. I am not sure how many fans would come to Worcester from other ECHL cities.
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