Roanoke and Greensboro terminated

Both teams had ownership issues and the league decided to shut the lights out.

http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=2618
http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=2617

ouch :/ I know alot of fans of the Greensboro Generals but I had no idea of the instability of the franchise. We lost our previous hockey team in Fayetteville from some similar mess. Funny how this all ties together, because the NY-based owner of the Roanoke Express was trying to put a team in Fayetteville (can't remember if he was going to move the Express or not). He lost out, and another group gave us the Cape Fear Fire Antz. :banana:

Ouch. I'll miss having the Express and the Generals for the Inferno to beat up on. Rather sad to see that they couldn't pull things together. This should have IMMENSE fallout as the market will now be flooded with free agents.

This should have IMMENSE fallout as the market will now be flooded with free agents. Yeah, the silver lining in this is that the level of play might see a small bump up because there are two fewer teams to spread the talent to.

Wow, I read some rumors that the Sabres were interested in making Greensboro their ECHL affiliate.


So the teams in question have been eliminated from the league, not just going dormant, right?

So the teams in question have been eliminated from the league, not just going dormant, right? That is my understanding.

I'm sure the Sabres will find another partner, there are plenty of teams out there who don't have an affiliation.

Wow, I read some rumors that the Sabres were interested in making Greensboro their ECHL affiliate.


So the teams in question have been eliminated from the league, not just going dormant, right?

Correct. The only dorman teams this season are the Cyclones and the Cottonmouths, who are going to be moving to Bradenton/Sarasota.

The only dorman teams this season are the Cyclones and the Cottonmouths, who are going to be moving to Bradenton/Sarasota. Well, actually there are a few more dormant franchises, like the old Lexingon one. I thought they were going to Vermont, but I don't know now.

Wow, Greensboro is really surprising. I knew that Roanoke was having problems there for quite a while, but didn't think that the Generals were that bad off.

Holly, any new ECHL teams for the 04-05 season or maybe 05-06?

Holly, any new ECHL teams for the 04-05 season or maybe 05-06? Victoria is new for 2004-05, and then Bradenton/Sarasota (Columbus relocation) and maybe one or two others in 2005-06.

Well, actually there are a few more dormant franchises, like the old Lexingon one. I thought they were going to Vermont, but I don't know now.

My apologies Holly - I was talking about teams that took the ice this season. The only ones of THOSE going dormant are Columbus and Cincinnatti. As for other new teams the schedule looks like this

04-05 - As Holly mentioned, the Victoria Salmon Kings join the league
05-06 - Bradenton/Sarasota and Bloomington, IL scheduled to join

Additionally Reno, NV is waiting for an arena deal to fall through for the proposed Reno Raiders as is Burlington, VT.

My apologies Holly - I was talking about teams that took the ice this season. The only ones of THOSE going dormant are Columbus and Cincinnatti. As for other new teams the schedule looks like this

04-05 - As Holly mentioned, the Victoria Salmon Kings join the league
05-06 - Bradenton/Sarasota and Bloomington, IL scheduled to join

Additionally Reno, NV is waiting for an arena deal to fall through for the proposed Reno Raiders as is Burlington, VT.

Stupid question #72....when you are saying Victoria, you are meaning Victoria, BC right?

As for Bradenton/Sarasota, will that be a problem for other ECHL teams based in that region, say the Everblades (maybe my Florida geography is off a bit here)? Also, what about the SEHL and the now former(?) WHA2 league?

Stupid question #72....when you are saying Victoria, you are meaning Victoria, BC right? Yep.

As for Bradenton/Sarasota, will that be a problem for other ECHL teams based in that region, say the Everblades (maybe my Florida geography is off a bit here)? Problem? No, the Everblades will be very happy to have a close rival. The trips they do now are insane.

Also, what about the SEHL and the now former(?) WHA2 league? I have no idea, I don't follow it at all.

Yep.

Problem? No, the Everblades will be very happy to have a close rival. The trips they do now are insane.

I have no idea, I don't follow it at all.

Thanks Holly. From what I understand the SEHL and the WHA2 (or whatever that other SE league down there is now called) have been struggling to keep teams afloat, so I was just wondering if those leagues may have some gripes about the ECHL "moving into their turf".

I was just wondering if those leagues may have some gripes about the ECHL "moving into their turf". The turf of the various leagues isn't so much where the teams are located as it is the size of the cities they're in. Bigger cities can support ECHL teams, smaller cities get the A teams. The leagues overlay each other in fact.

Stupid question #72....when you are saying Victoria, you are meaning Victoria, BC right?

As for Bradenton/Sarasota, will that be a problem for other ECHL teams based in that region, say the Everblades (maybe my Florida geography is off a bit here)? Also, what about the SEHL and the now former(?) WHA2 league?

Bradenton/Sarasota is about 107 miles away from Estero where the Everblades play...the Inferno and the Lynx are closer to each other than that, as are the Inferno and the Checkers.

:cry: No more Greensboro Generals hockey? Man am I bummed out.

I am not sure what they are going to do with the 18,000+ seat Greensboro Arena now as the Generals were there main tenant. I knew the Generals were having some financial trouble, but I didn't think it would mean Greensboro losing the team altogether. Crap!! :banghead:

Just for clarification: the SEHL and WHA2 are two seperate leagues. The SEHL contained 4 teams that are now part of the WHA2 (all owned by the same St. Petersburg business man) so the SEHL had to play it's 2nd season with only two original teams (one of them are the Cape Fear Fire Antz) and the other two teams were new. Cape Fear (located in Fayetteville, NC) was asked to joined the WHA2 because of it's attendance record (lead the league in the inagural season) but due to loyalty they decided not to. So, the 4 teams that jumped ship were basically dormant last season but I think the WHA2 (which is the minor leagues for the WHA) was sheduled to start playing this fall but I've not heard anything concrete. Nor was I looking to find out, though :D

Thanks Holly. From what I understand the SEHL and the WHA2 (or whatever that other SE league down there is now called) have been struggling to keep teams afloat, so I was just wondering if those leagues may have some gripes about the ECHL "moving into their turf".
Bradenton/Sarasota is actually much closer to Tampa than it is to Estero. I wish the team going there would be the Tampa ECHL affiliate, I'd like to see our ECHL'ers, but don't really have the time to drive 8 hours one way to do so. :)


WHA2.com now takes you to a page for something called the "Southern Professional Hockey League" with teams in Asheville, Cape Fear, Columbus, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Macon, Orlando and Winston-Salem. A few of these same teams also show up on the SEHL pages, very confusing to say the least. :dunno:

Yeah, basically the old SEHL is back togehter as the SPHL. The 4 teams that were slated to become part of the WHA2 came back, and all the bosses in the league have put aside their differences from the other fall-out.

So, for those keeping record, the 3rd year of SEHL hockey will be the SPHL. The guys didn't have much confidence in the WHA so they decided to jump ship from the plans for the minor league affiliation with it.