Central Hockey League is no more...but hockey remains.

[Hoss]

After 23 seasons the Central Hockey League has ceased to exist.  The ECHL (used to be know as the East Coast Hockey League) has 'absorbed' the remaining seven teams into the league for the 2014-2015 season.

http://www.echl.com/echl-accepts-seven-new-members-p194005

http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/news/?article_id=11233

http://www.tulsaoilers.com/news/entry/oilers-accepted-into-echl-for-2014-15-season

[Breadburner]

It's been headed that way for some time.....

[Hoss]

It's been headed that way for some time.....

Yep.  Worst kept secret in hockey over the course of the off-season.  I'd been hearing about this since about June.  The Steven Brothers purchasing the league saved it from itself, but some stupid markets put a strain on it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Do people still watch hockey??



Sorry....just a little bit...I couldn't help myself!  It's almost like soccer...

[Hoss]

Do people still watch hockey??



Sorry....just a little bit...I couldn't help myself!  It's almost like soccer...

Uh yes.  Average attendance last season was right at 5,000.

[DolfanBob]

This looks like a fantastic move for the Oilers. Coast to Coast teams and the League has affiliation with almost all NHL teams. There is even a team in Alaska. This will be exciting and I think a big boost to ticket sales. Without a variety of teams to go watch them play. It became very boring seeing the same teams over and over again.

[Hoss]

This looks like a fantastic move for the Oilers. Coast to Coast teams and the League has affiliation with almost all NHL teams. There is even a team in Alaska. This will be exciting and I think a big boost to ticket sales. Without a variety of teams to go watch them play. It became very boring seeing the same teams over and over again.

The likely scenario for this season though is that each of the acquired teams will use the schedule released by the CHL about a month ago.  However, since the CHL plays a 66 game schedule and the ECHL plays 72 games, a modified schedule that may include 6 extra games for the CHL entrants is likely.  Those 6 games MAY be against any number of the potential new opponents from the ECHL.

The ECHL however tries to keep a self-contained schedule to reduce travel costs.  So it's mainly intra-divisional play for the most part.  If there were teams to be played outside of the CHL acquirees it would likely be teams like Colorado (who are former CHL opponents) and maybe any of the Indiana members.

The schedule should be released either Friday or Monday.

[DolfanBob]

That is true Hoss. I was thinking that maybe a team from an East or West coast division could be scheduled to play a three game stretch when visiting another division. Like the South Carolina team going to Missouri then Tulsa then Wichita. That way we get to have a variety of teams to go root against. I'm just hoping. Still exciting news. But when it comes to playoffs and a Championship. Winning a 28 team League will really mean something.

[swake]

That's kinda sad. The founder of the CHL, Ray Miron, was good friends with my grandfather. He was a good guy.

[Hoss]

That's kinda sad. The founder of the CHL, Ray Miron, was good friends with my grandfather. He was a good guy.

After the merger with the WPHL in 2001, it kinda went downhill.  Stupid expansion ideas in marginal markets just to make their spinoff company (Global Entertainment, which build cookie cutter multipurpose arenas) money.  When an ownership group led by the Oilers current owners (Steven Brothers) bought out the league 2 seasons ago it was writing on the wall.  The CHL post WPHL merger wasn't Ray's CHL anymore.  Once ownership was de-centralized, that ship sailed.

[puckbag]

Finally. Can't wait for the new start of the season!

Unfortunate to see the CHL name go, but it's a good move for hockey and I'm glad it finally happened. I hope my expectation of league competence and stability in the ECHL is realized. Sadly, any hope of any sort of championship just faded quite a bit.

In a league schedule, there needs to be a balance of playing regional teams enough and bringing in some of those far away teams for variety. Especially at this level, the games against regional rivals are what will attract the most interest and build the strongest rivalries. Contrast Tulsa/Wichita and Tulsa/OKCAllen vs Tulsa/Elmira and Tulsa/Bakersfield. The CHL took that to far when it expanded where you would see half the season against 2, maybe 3 teams. That's to much. Not to mention the competitive inequality of such an unbalanced schedule.

A switch in leagues won't help attendance. But there are only two things that can. 1) On-ice performance. 2) Supply and demand. Of course a winning team will draw attendance, everyone likes a winner. But you can't win all the time, and since we're talking about the Oilers, you can win maybe half the time. However, make it dirt cheap to buy tickets and get a lot of people in the doors for a sustained amount of time and the crowd will start drawing itself. "Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd."

[Btlsooner]

what league is OKC's hockey team in? Wish we could go where ever they are playing. Growing up in the early - mid 90's the Blazers / Oilers games were always a blast.

[Hoss]

what league is OKC's hockey team in? Wish we could go where ever they are playing. Growing up in the early - mid 90's the Blazers / Oilers games were always a blast.

AHL.  And maybe not for long if rumblings I hear are correct.

[Breadburner]

I have heard nothing about that team since it went to the AHL......It has to be painful to watch.....

[Hoss]

I have heard nothing about that team since it went to the AHL......It has to be painful to watch.....

They're actually pretty good.  Problem is that they alienated a pretty large fanbase of Blazer faithful so the attendance is down.  Also, Blazer/CHL fans are used to fan access to players for autographs and functions and the like.  The AHL really doesn't do much of that is my understanding.