The Carolina Hurricanes are closing in on signing an affiliation agreement with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, moving their AHL partnership away from the Charlotte Checkers who have served as their primary minor league affiliate since relocating from Albany in 2010. The Checkers, presumably upset with the decision, released a statement on the situation:
While we are aware that the Carolina Hurricanes are nearing an affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes have had little dialogue with us regarding this matter.
In an era when NHL teams are placing great value on affiliations with closer proximity between the two clubs, we understand the confusion that such a move would cause.
We will explore other options for our affiliation and look forward to continuing in the American Hockey League when play resumes.
The Wolves, a long-standing independently-owned AHL franchise, became available when the Vegas Golden Knights recently bought the San Antonio Rampage and subsequently moved them to Henderson to serve as their affiliate. When the St. Louis Blues (previously partnered with San Antonio), took up a partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds, there was already rumors that Carolina would be joining the Wolves and that the Florida Panthers (previously partnered with Springfield) would partner with the Checkers.
Florida remains the only team without an AHL affiliate at the moment, meaning that partnership seems likely at this point. According to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer, the Hurricanes could announce their deal with the Wolves as soon as next week when the rest of the AHL season could be officially canceled.
To call themselves the “Carolina” Hurricanes is a joke. First they killed the professional hockey team in Greensboro and now they are leaving the team in Charlotte high and dry. For hockey fans in the Carolinas, the Hurricanes really make it harder to watch hockey.
Move them back to a true hockey market like Hartford.
Agree’d with both of you somehow.
all morons
Quebec
Hartford hockey is a joke. If people can’t support a cheap minor league team how would they support an NHL team when ticket prices for a single game are the same price as a ticket plan with the wolf pack? Additionally, they’re gonna play in the old Hartford civic center? Hartford can keep on having their wet dreams about that but that’s all they’ll ever be…wet dreams
Possible problem w/Hartford: Is there enough economic room for BOTH the Wolf Pack, and a re-re-located NHL team? This is why I have concerns about the WHL teams in the Seattle area. There’s only so much $$$ to go around and would be a shame for the WHL to suffer at the hands of the NHL in Seattle. The Wolf Pack being an AHL team is very different, of course, but it still boils down to the regional economics.
They cannot support both an AHL and NHL club.
Hartford missed the NHL boat in 1997. They bickered over $47 million. The governor subsequently went to prison. What does that tell you.
@dave frost nhlpa – That means only “one sheriff” in town, then.