S.O.S. AHL Schedule: Support

I have four think pieces lined up for basically the things that need to happen for the AHL to save its scheduling issues and help. The first I'm going to tackle is the Support the NHL offers the AHL teams. Admittedly, I am not an insider, I am working on a lot of assumptions here so I will gladly be wrong about these opinions, but its just thoughts I'm throwing out in the little free time I have.

The biggest of my assumptions is how controlled the AHL teams are by big brother. I feel like there are aspects of control, but its clear, to a point, they are left to their own. They deal with their schedule, have to figure out how to make the money, and have to work within the restrictions of the NHL to do so. So that's fine.

Where I am more hazy is the financial support the NHL provides, particularly in regards to supplemental  budget. Do the AHL teams have their own budget? Certain players are signed to 1-way contracts that only leave them attached to an AHL team, I think? The relationship as a whole is an easy one to understand, but as a business strategy, the video I talked about in this blog makes it seem more complicated than, maybe a pool of funds.

So, there are two scenarios to consider. The first is that its all one pool, in which case, the NHL affiliate can offer more to help alleviate costs related to travel. This is ideal in the sense that then, the restrictions that the affiliate team can better mimic the professional hockey season, and also send teams further with the expectation that greater competition at one level will increase revenue at that level, and then increase revenue at the other levels.

However, the AHL is considered a separate entity. They have their own league offices and restrictions. That makes me think, part of the AHL teams success might be driven by the teams themselves. If that's the case then the AHL would be all by itself and that might make it more difficult.

I don't get that is entirely the sense, but if it were, than the NHL should be providing a level of financial assistance that would help offset travel costs. Whatever the case can be, it could be more. While the AHL may not be as bankable (and certainly could sell itself better), further financial assistance, and saturation of hockey beyond the national TV level, could go a long, long way in Hockey's success for the future, not just because of the monetary value.

The final point that I think needs to be made, and I've already have half-way made it is that the NHL should be taking a greater hand helping to plan and and organize this schedule. It should be balanced, it should be driving competition, and should be driving rivalries. That is something the NHL in particular has excelled at. I laugh when I look at rivalries in other sports. I may hate another team, but those teams are limited to those I hate in the NHL as a Bruins fan, and also to the extent of how much I hate them. Granted, that has a lot to do with how the teams play each other, but the fervor can only carry so far, and balancing that can help sustain a rivalry.

To a certain extent, the AHL should be free to dictate how it runs its business, but at a certain point the NHL should want to help guide the AHL through financial support and direction to help make its products better.

Schedule Dissection Part 2: The Traveling.

As I am trying to dig deeper into the AHL, I'm finally getting into the media aspect, This is more along the lines of the things I would like to get into, especially once the heavy lifting get out of the way, but more or less, about a week ago, Falcons TV posted this video:






This relates back to my schedule blog way back when, The video is pretty dry, and goes over a lot of the technicalities of how the schedule comes together. It sounds like a logistical nightmare. I mean, did you see this board?

Look at that thing. Its all yellow squares and black stars and orange circles, maroon hexagons, green hexagons, blue trapezoids scattershot over magnets and squares. John Nash himself would walk up to that thing and go, "Oh, screw this." I mean, don't they have an app for this yet?

But aside from that, there are a few key issues I think its worth touching upon really quick.

1. Scheduling is important for competition and marketing of the team. I think there are ways the AHL could market itself better, and hey, different blog for a different day, but this goes right back to what I said before: The schedule needs more balance. The limitations for travel expenses put a huge hit on this but if the schedule is more balanced, it gives those divisional rivals more meaning and make the games more important. Yes, more people will want to see the Providence Bruins if they live in Springfield because they are probably Boston Bruins fans, and so forth, but too many games against one opponent and there's less urgency to go to it. For thirteen bucks, you can catch them the next time they're in town.

2. Dove tailing off of that, AHL might be spreading itself too thin. With less teams local, that means travel expenses go up, and that makes it hard to fit in the rest time, get greater opponent diversity, and build that culture of rivalries that get people to the games.

3. The NHL puts on tough restrictions. Here is what I don't get about that, they have to regulate the rest and the games per week, which is good for a player but what about player development? Wouldn't a schedule more similar to the NHL, though perhaps less intense, be infinitely more beneficial  in the long run?

4. The AHL probably needs a little more oversight. I may be reading into this too much, but the impression I got was the teams draft their opponents and then the pieces get tied together. What could probably help with this is some better regulation. I get budget constraints but if the product is suffering because of the schedule, those budget constraints will only get tighter.

But, this is all leading to the four things that need to go better to fix the scheduling problem:

1. NHL needs to better support their affiliate.
2. AHL needs to do a better job at selling itself.
3. AHL fans, NHL fans, hockey fans and general public need to do a better job of buying in.
4. AHL has to take some risks to get a better product so #3 is more sustainable and successful.

There will be more on those points soon. Trust me on that one. 

Hartford Wolfpack: Games to Gun For

Games to gun for will go over specific games and opponents fans might want to see. Criteria are based upon AHL rivalries, fun teams to watch in the AHL and regional rivalries between the local NHL teams. Consider it a guide for casual fans to know how to get the biggest bang for their buck.

The second team I'm looking at is the Hartford Wolfpack. It's not that I don't like the Wolfpack, or I'm a Falcons fan per-say. I just really hate the state of Connecticut. Plus that whole name change to the Whale was kinda dumb. As if anyone could ever truly replace the Whalers...

But anyway, digressions aside.

Home opener: Oct. 10 against the St. Johns IceCaps.

After a trip to the Calder cup Semi-finals the Wolfpack no longer has Manchester Monarchs to stand in their way for another good competitive run. Their affilliate team, the Rangers have also made the playoffs as of late and recently had a cup run. The opponent? Last place in their division. But they have a new Captain, a new logo, and a new affiliate: the Montreal Canadiens. So they are looking like they might be a bit better this year.

Opponents:

1. Springfield Falcons

Falcons don't like Hartford, Hartford doesn't like the Falcons. Just the way it always has been and always will be. The two cities can barely share an airport. They play each other eight times this season and if you're close enough to go to one, you are probably close enough to go to another. Perfect opportunity to do some taunting.

2. Bridgeport Soundtigers

Again, close enough to taunt and hit up all eight games. If you want to actually go to Bridgeport that is. The other thing about the Sound Tigers is they haven't been historically good, but neither have their affiliate franchise, the New York Islanders. But they're both New York teams so the inherent subway rivalry can carry over into Connecticut and then fun fun.

3.Wilkes Barton-Scranton Penguins

Affiliate rivals, and divisional rivals. Penguins and Rangers hate each other, so it boils down. These teams face each other six times, three of which are at home. This is where those rivalries get born. Plus, if you're local to Connecticut, you have a rare chance to be a fan of both the NHL team and affiliate, meaning you probably dislike the Penguins too, and watch the players learn to hate each other at one level and bring that hate to the national level. Aren't hockey rivalries beautiful?

4. Providence Bruins

 But even if you aren't, then you'll still see plenty of the Bruins. This is one that could divide the crowd a bit with the mix of New York and Boston fans and both are original six affiliates, so the rivalry could be there. The problem is you're not in New York or Boston, but in Connecticut which is a mixing pool with no real loyalties so that rivalry might not be as intense but you can still enjoy seeing the prospects as of both teams take on each other. They play eight matchups, four at home

5. Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Its another divisional rival, and let's be honest, is there any team in the Eastern Conference the Flyers don't get irritate? Most teams have a pest who tries to get under the skins of the opponents, well the Flyers are the pest in the entirety of the NHL. As a Rangers fan or a Bruins fan who is cheering for Hartford, Phantoms are a good choice to watch on the basis of how much their affiliate boils your blood.

Honerable Mention: Albany Devils

They're an affiliate rival of sorts. They play in Hartford twice, and a total of four matchups and they're non divisional so its nice to see some teams outside of the division too, and as far as divisional opponents go, they play the same amount of times as the Hershey Bears, so they can be kinda like a divisional rival... but not. 

PS. Hartford needs to change their white on grey text. Amateur hour up in there.

Comptetitive Disadvantage

I figured I would try to get in depth to a point I made earlier in regards to why the AHL is important, or should be worth your consideration and I figured it merited a longer think piece. But the point was something along the lines of everyone is on the level so the games in a way aren't that different from an NHL game.

So, what this blog is, is me emphasizing that in a bunch of different ways. It will probably be redundant. It will probably be boring. Just stay with me on this though as I try to ramble my way to what will probably amount to an insanely idiotic conclusion.

The only difference between the NHL and the AHL is the stage the games are set at. And the skills of the players, yeah, but it isn't like high school or college where some teams are really, really good, and other teams kinda suck and the good teams pick on the bad teams. They're professionals all the same, waiting to get called up. you won't encounter Olympians competing against the Bad News Bears Go to Japan. Even compared to the NHL, a greater parity can be achieved because if a player was skilled enough to be NHL ready, they would be playing there.

I'm digging a hole here, but here is where the game gets comparable. Scoring occurs due to capitalizing on weaknesses and the mistakes of the other players. It is just as hard for an AHL player to score a goal on an AHL goalie as it is for an NHL player to score a goal on an NHL goalie because their ability to assess and target weaknesses and capitalize mistakes is the same as the players on the other team. So, at each level competitive advantages and disadvantages are assessed the same. 

While NHL has the tv contract, it makes more sense to go to an AHL game because its cheaper for the ticket, cheaper for the beers, cheaper for the snacks. Unless you're a hockey scout or pro, you probably won't have the eye to discern the differences in the play because of how hockey is. Most people think they're trained to  recognize a superior product but that's because TV tells you whats going on to make you think that. At speed, it gets harder and while you can tell at times, it isn't a game like football  where there is less passing and more running at the lower levels. In an AHL game you get maybe a little bit less puck control, so its a little bit more like a national game with bad ice.

In either situation, the threat of scoring is always just as real, just as the threats of fights and hits, breakaways and saves. Is it the same as an NHL game? No, but it can be pretty close and you might not always be able tell.

I know its a hard argument to sell, and I don't know if I made it well. I probably lost some people out there. Hell, I lost myself I think. But the easier sell is, just stop thinking the results can be terribly different. They game can play out similarly and either can be just as fun if you put the same amount of heart and emotion into it.

AHL divisions and NHL expansion

Lately in the NHL there has been a lot of talk about expansion. Adding potentially two teams to fill out 32 teams, making it closer to the NHL format and there's a question on if its necessary, where they would go, so forth.

If the AHL is any indication, it seems like not only do we know where the AHL, and potentially NHL stand on the topic of expansion, but we might have a general idea of where the expansion affilliate teams might be located. 

So, that image can be found here on the AHL website. What is notable right off the bat is the divisions are uneven... Atlantic and Central each have eight teams, North and Pacific have seven. This is part of the reason why the schedule is so flawed in my opinion, though this doesn't explain some of the inconsistencies. It feels more like the division system is just aesthetic right now and they are using the old scheduling system in the mean time.

I'll do a blog on the playoff setup with the new division system when I can look more in depth to it, but right now I'm going to focus on those missing two spots. I think the AHL has tipped its hand as to what it wants and where it thinks expansion teams might go. North, so Canada or upstate New York might get a new AHL team, which will probably mean that one expansion team might be in Canada as well. This might be good since Canada's interest in hockey has been on the decline in recent years so the more hockey thrown there is a good way to help Canada's chief export of hockey players. Though part of me wants to shout "Bring back the whalers!" If to be nothing but obnoxious. 

The other spot is in the pacific division, where there has been a lot of talk about Vegas being an expansion spot. I was never really a fan of having Vegas as an expansion spot, but it would appear as though the AHL thinks a team might go there, whether it be an AHL team, or an NHL team in Vegas, and maybe an AHL team in Reno. Or maybe California, but if we're being honest, there is no better spot for little affiliate brother to go to than Vegas's little brother.