Oklahoma City
Blazers general manager Brad Lund, a member of the CHL Board of
Directors, told the San Antonio Express News that the Rampage have
received an extension from the CHL after failing to meet a May 31
deadline for applying to join the league.
The Rampage
finished the 2004-05 AHL season with a disappointing 27-45-3 record,
and the team’s total attendance was down nearly 20,000 people
from the previous two years.
Should the
move materialize, it will mark the Central Hockey League’s
second foray into the San Antonio market.
The San Antonio
Iguanas operated for seven seasons between 1994 and 2002, and actually
ranked second in the CHL for attendance during their final season.
In July 2002,
Spurs Sports and Entertainment (SS&E) Chairman Peter M. Holt
announced an agreement with the NHL’s Florida Panthers to
bring an American Hockey League affiliate to the region for the
2002-03 season.
At the time,
Central Hockey League officials voiced their opposition and somewhat
of a “turf war” ensued.
It eventually
became known that the CHL unsuccessfully negotiated to get the Spurs
to buy the Iguanas back in the spring of 2002.
Instead, SS&E
decided to move a dormant AHL franchise from Louisville to become
the San Antonio Rampage, and shortly after, the Iguanas owner, David
Elmore, ceased operations in San Antonio.
Despite all
the speculation, there has been no official confirmation from any
of the principle parties involved regarding the Rampage’s
reported league switch.
Repeated messages
left by MLN in an attempt to get comments from the American Hockey
League for this story were not returned.
While Rampage
officials are also keeping quiet, it is rumored that SS&E honchos
are planning to make an announcement after the Spurs finish competing
in the NBA finals.
For their part,
the Central Hockey League is refusing to count any goals before
they are scored.
“We respect
the San Antonio Rampage’s position within the American Hockey
League,” stated Steve Cherwonak, Vice President of Communications
for the CHL. “If and when there comes a time where they’re
no longer members of the AHL we would certainly be interested in
revisiting the market.”
Having San
Antonio back in the league would have many benefits, Cherwonak admitted
to MLN.
“There
are outstanding natural geographical rivalries with Austin, Laredo,
Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Valley. (San Antonio’s) a major
city, with a major league ownership group and outstanding facilities,”
Cherwonak stated. “There are numerous positives if and when
that becomes a reality.”
Utah and San
Antonio would represent the fifth and sixth markets to lose AHL
teams for the 2005-06 season.
The Cincinnati
Mighty Ducks were granted a voluntary suspension after they lost
their NHL affiliation with Anaheim. The Edmonton Road Runners also
recently announced that they have ceased operations.
In addition,
the Worcester Ice Cats will be relocated to Peoria IL, and the St.
John’s Maple Leafs will be moving to Toronto.
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