[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Friday, Oct. 15, 2004
With the AHL's 69th season ready to get underway, league President and CEO Dave Andrews recently took some time to answer your questions about the league.
Chat transcript: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
Q: Instant replay is a tool which should be used if available in any arena. Both teams equally benefit from its use, regardless of the camera angles, which was the reason it was rejected last season. The AHL will never move forward as long as there is one rink without the equipment. -- Christopher from Milwaukee
DA: Instant replay is simply not useful (or accurate) without multiple camera angles. Our buildings are not equipped for instant replay, and to do so is not financially feasible for our teams.
Q: How are the players adjusting in terms of their equipment needs to your exclusivity agreement with The Hockey Company? I personally am an equipment stickler, and I'd find it hard to switch to a specific brand. Is THC doing a good job of accommodating the players' needs? -- George from Ann Arbor, Mich.
DA: Our agreement with The Hockey Company is going extremely well. The teams which have chosen to participate are very happy with the quality of the equipment and the service which The Hockey Company has provided. THC is a world class company and the leader in their industry, and we are thrilled with this new relationship.
Q: During last year's Calder Cup Playoffs, several players from NHL teams who did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and who had played few or no games for their AHL affiliate) showed up on AHL playoff rosters and had a major impact on their AHL team's success. Since the AHL is supposed to be a development league, I think this policy is outrageously wrong. How do you propose to prevent this unfair situation in the future? -- Dean from Wenonah, N.J.
DA: The Calder Cup Playoff eligibility requirements have been unchanged for decades. The movement of players to AHL clubs from NHL clubs can only take place if a player has been assigned to the AHL club at the NHL trade deadline. The players assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season were developing players, and while a couple of them had played a significant portion of the season in the NHL, the Penguins wanted them to have the further development experience provided by the Calder Cup Playoffs. (As an aside, the WBS Penguins probably had less career NHL experience in their lineup than any of the teams which they faced in the playoffs.)
Q: Mr. Andrews, I was curious to see when the Hartford Wolf Pack would host an AHL All-Star Game? - Derek from Newington, Conn.
DA: This year's All-Star Classic will be held in Manchester, and the 2006 event has been awarded to the Manitoba Moose and the city of Winnipeg. The site of each year's AHL All-Star Classic is determined based on bid proposals from interested teams. The event is a tremendous yet rewarding challenge for the league and the host team, and I would think that Hartford could be an excellent candidate for a future All-Star Classic.
Q: Last season, half of the American Hockey League's 28 teams averaged less than 5,000 fans per home contest. This is a number that I think should be seen as unacceptable for a league that is widely recognized as the "AAA" level of professional hockey. What steps, if any, is the AHL taking to improve attendance? -- Matt from Barkhamsted, Conn.
DA: Our attendance has doubled on a per game basis over the last decade. I think that our teams do a terrific job of marketing the game in their cities and our players are to be commended for the commitment which they make to community endeavors. We can always improve, and certainly all of our clubs are striving to maximize attendance, but we are certainly not disappointed that our attendance is where it is.
Q: There has been some talk about the Milwaukee Admirals being sold to a guy from Denver. Do you have any new information about when this will happen? - Mark from Milwaukee
DA: I do not have any information which I can share publicly at this time, but I do expect the Admirals to remain in Milwaukee regardless of any potential transfer of ownership. The Admirals are a storied franchise and are continuing to develop a strong fan base in the Milwaukee area.
Q: This is a minor issue, but is the league returning to the home teams wearing white this season? I prefer it. When the home team wears the colored jersey there's no variety. Every night it's red vs white (in the Pirates' case), whereas traditionally you saw a different color when each team came in, which in a way gave each game a distinctive character. -- Tim from Portland
DA: Home teams will be wearing their colored jerseys at home this season, but we may very well return to white jerseys at home for the 2005-06 season.
Once again, I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to send your questions and comments to us. The AHL's 69th season gets underway in earnest this weekend, and we're all excited about what the coming year has in store for us. It will be a great time to be an AHL fan, and the road to the Calder Cup 2005 championship should be a terrific one. I wish all of you the best, and thank you for your continuing support of the your AHL club.
Respectfully,
David Andrews
Chat transcript: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
Dave Andrews Q&A
With the AHL's 69th season ready to get underway, league President and CEO Dave Andrews recently took some time to answer your questions about the league.Chat transcript: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
Q: Instant replay is a tool which should be used if available in any arena. Both teams equally benefit from its use, regardless of the camera angles, which was the reason it was rejected last season. The AHL will never move forward as long as there is one rink without the equipment. -- Christopher from Milwaukee
DA: Instant replay is simply not useful (or accurate) without multiple camera angles. Our buildings are not equipped for instant replay, and to do so is not financially feasible for our teams.
Q: How are the players adjusting in terms of their equipment needs to your exclusivity agreement with The Hockey Company? I personally am an equipment stickler, and I'd find it hard to switch to a specific brand. Is THC doing a good job of accommodating the players' needs? -- George from Ann Arbor, Mich.
DA: Our agreement with The Hockey Company is going extremely well. The teams which have chosen to participate are very happy with the quality of the equipment and the service which The Hockey Company has provided. THC is a world class company and the leader in their industry, and we are thrilled with this new relationship.
Q: During last year's Calder Cup Playoffs, several players from NHL teams who did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and who had played few or no games for their AHL affiliate) showed up on AHL playoff rosters and had a major impact on their AHL team's success. Since the AHL is supposed to be a development league, I think this policy is outrageously wrong. How do you propose to prevent this unfair situation in the future? -- Dean from Wenonah, N.J.
DA: The Calder Cup Playoff eligibility requirements have been unchanged for decades. The movement of players to AHL clubs from NHL clubs can only take place if a player has been assigned to the AHL club at the NHL trade deadline. The players assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season were developing players, and while a couple of them had played a significant portion of the season in the NHL, the Penguins wanted them to have the further development experience provided by the Calder Cup Playoffs. (As an aside, the WBS Penguins probably had less career NHL experience in their lineup than any of the teams which they faced in the playoffs.)
Q: Mr. Andrews, I was curious to see when the Hartford Wolf Pack would host an AHL All-Star Game? - Derek from Newington, Conn.
DA: This year's All-Star Classic will be held in Manchester, and the 2006 event has been awarded to the Manitoba Moose and the city of Winnipeg. The site of each year's AHL All-Star Classic is determined based on bid proposals from interested teams. The event is a tremendous yet rewarding challenge for the league and the host team, and I would think that Hartford could be an excellent candidate for a future All-Star Classic.
Q: Last season, half of the American Hockey League's 28 teams averaged less than 5,000 fans per home contest. This is a number that I think should be seen as unacceptable for a league that is widely recognized as the "AAA" level of professional hockey. What steps, if any, is the AHL taking to improve attendance? -- Matt from Barkhamsted, Conn.
DA: Our attendance has doubled on a per game basis over the last decade. I think that our teams do a terrific job of marketing the game in their cities and our players are to be commended for the commitment which they make to community endeavors. We can always improve, and certainly all of our clubs are striving to maximize attendance, but we are certainly not disappointed that our attendance is where it is.
Q: There has been some talk about the Milwaukee Admirals being sold to a guy from Denver. Do you have any new information about when this will happen? - Mark from Milwaukee
DA: I do not have any information which I can share publicly at this time, but I do expect the Admirals to remain in Milwaukee regardless of any potential transfer of ownership. The Admirals are a storied franchise and are continuing to develop a strong fan base in the Milwaukee area.
Q: This is a minor issue, but is the league returning to the home teams wearing white this season? I prefer it. When the home team wears the colored jersey there's no variety. Every night it's red vs white (in the Pirates' case), whereas traditionally you saw a different color when each team came in, which in a way gave each game a distinctive character. -- Tim from Portland
DA: Home teams will be wearing their colored jerseys at home this season, but we may very well return to white jerseys at home for the 2005-06 season.
Once again, I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to send your questions and comments to us. The AHL's 69th season gets underway in earnest this weekend, and we're all excited about what the coming year has in store for us. It will be a great time to be an AHL fan, and the road to the Calder Cup 2005 championship should be a terrific one. I wish all of you the best, and thank you for your continuing support of the your AHL club.
Respectfully,
David Andrews
Chat transcript: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV