Iowa Stars

icebatfan · Two for roughing Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 197

My prediction from last Jan is beginning to come true. The Iowa Stars will not be coming to Cedar Park, but don't be surprised if the Houston Aeros do as the new Dallas affiliation, while Iowa ends up with Minnesota.

Des Moines, IA - The Iowa Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL), announced today that the organization has reached a mutual agreement with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) to end their current affiliation agreement effective immediately.

The team will have a new name, new logo and new colors to coincide with a new NHL partner beginning next season. The end result of these announcements is that professional hockey at the triple "AAA" level is in Des Moines to stay and that the team will have a new NHL player supply arrangement in place for the 2008-2009 season.

Out of respect to NHL and AHL teams that are currently competing in post-season play, no further announcements or comments will be made pertaining to a new NHL affiliation or name change until after the completion of the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup Finals.

"I think this announcement is a very positive step in securing the long-term future of the American Hockey League in Des Moines," Iowa Stars President John Olver said. "This development will provide the perfect opportunity for our fans and community to take ownership of our team's new name and logo."
_________________
Retired!

I was tired yesterday and I'm tired again today.

Pro Hockey News Editor - CHL

www.prohockeynews.com

bk · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1055

Iowa Wild is kind of a tongue-twister.
_________________
“I’m so frustrated with the business. If you look at my junior stats, there’s a lot of guys that come out of juniors with those kind of stats that sign pretty big contracts.” --James Hiebert

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

It was never going to be the case that the "Iowa Stars" came to Cedar Park. Only that the Stars were going to put an AHL team in Cedar Park, and affiliate with them when their agreement in Des Moines ran out (instead, it was ended early, also not a surprise once its lame duck status became clear). The business entity that is the team and the business entity that is the affilliation agreement are always two different things.

Except in Houston's case, that is. The Wild own the Aeros. So it's not necessarily a straightforward assumption that they would want to sell their team and transfer their players to Iowa's team. I also don't think the AHL and the Stars are joining the league only to see its signature Texas franchise disappear..

If all of this happened tomorrow, the Aeros would stay exactly as they are, Iowa would affiliate with Florida and the Stars would buy a dormant AHL franchise (I believe Edmonton's is out there and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks as well). And I would think the Stars might want to put players in Houston next year regardless.

But a lot can happen in a year. The Aeros could fold like you suggest. So could Iowa (but whatever happens you can be sure that team won't adopt an NHL parent's name). The Wild could sell the Aeros to local ownership and the Aeros would simply need a new parent. But just as anyone who wants to start a CHL team this year has more than one to choose from, it's not going to be hard for the Stars to purchase the right to play in the AHL when they are ready.

mcostanza · Fresh meat Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 6

This could be a good think considering that the Iowa Stars had a horrible season. The last think you want to do is bring in a last place team to launch your AAA hockey efforts in a new market.

Regards,
--
MC

SirRisky · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

Iowa 3,789 attendance per game.

Packin'em in up there, they would have finished 9th in the CHL; between Laredo and Corpus! I can see why they would want to stay put. It is going to take an ownership (like the Stars) that has deep pockets to keep the team operating in Cedar Park after the initial attendance rush falls off (2-3 seasons, tops).
_________________
"We know that hockey is where we live, where we can best meet and overcome pain and wrong and death. Life is just a place where we spend time between games"

Fred Shero, Legendary Flyers Coach

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

It's not necessarily that they want to stay put, the people who own the team itself have a lease they can't get out of. Of course all leases can be gotten out of somehow.

Still, we don't know what their deal is up there. If they have cheap rent and a cut of concessions and parking you can do better with 3000 fans than if you have none of that stuff and have 5000 fans. That has always been the whole point of the Cedar Park deal, for the Bats especially. Give Corpus Rio's arena deal and they wouldn't have any issues.

But yeah, for the Stars it hardly matters. They have to pay the players regardless. They (unlike Iowa, but like Houston and Philly) don't have to to pay a huge affiliation fee. And the payoff can be measured in TV ratings and jersey sales and the growth of the Stars brand, not just how the AHL team itself does. Plus they're doing it for the real estate development as well (which Norm Green *must* be involved in too, IMO).

MC, if the Stars did start playing here next year, it would still be the same bad team in theory, the roster of Stars' prospects wouldn't change. But the only success that matters for the Iowa Stars is what we're seeing on the ice in Dallas now. Most of their best players made the move this year, some ahead of schedule (and one of their former goalies is the Predators starter, while the other fetched Brad Richards). That aspect of AHL hockey is not for everyone of course, but there are obviously a bunch of Stars fans on this very board, so it would at least be easier to deal with losing a player to them than it is for Houston losing players to a team they don't really care about (ditto the Rampage).

Come to think of it Risky, the Phantoms look like they are going to be one of the AHL teams in play over the next few years if they wrecking-ball the Spectrum. I'm sure, however, that the Flyers will keep them close (and in a Comcast Spectacor building).

SirRisky · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 7:53 pm Post subject:

Yeah, it doesn't look good for the Phantoms to stay IN Philly - save the fact that they make money. Snyder has said they have to look long and hard at keeping them in town simply beacuse it is good business. A hotel and entertainment complex on the swamp in south Philly is not a sure thing.

I wonder if Reading is a possibility? The Royals do well in the ECHL, attendance-wise and it keeps the instate (Hershey) triangle together. Hershey would have the right of refusal, based on some 50 mile AHL franchise rule - but I can't see them objecting. Baltimore?? Virtue was an ex-Skipjack. . . I think Hughes too.

It will be interesting.
_________________
"We know that hockey is where we live, where we can best meet and overcome pain and wrong and death. Life is just a place where we spend time between games"

Fred Shero, Legendary Flyers Coach

verylowpriority · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject:

The U. of Delaware has had so much success with its skating academy (see, e.g., Kimmie Meissner, World Champion), and so much success with its "small-time" non-varsity hockey club, it's a shame they don't have a rink with more seating capacity.

I haven't been back there in a bunch of years, so I don't know the lay-o-the-land, but if they could find the right piece of property it might be a terrific place for a Flyers' AHL affiliate.

Might even make me not hate the Flyers. :) Well, nossomuch.
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

Greenlaw was a Skipjack. And Terry Murray was his coach.

Dover, DE was supposed to go ECHL someday. Wilmington would be a good fit for the AHL though. Or anywhere south of Philly really. An MLS team is already going into Chester County, I don't think Comcast has a stake in that whole deal though.

The bottom line is this - nobody is in the hockey business anymore. They are in the arena business. The Phantoms would still make a nice anchor for a casino/hotel complex if they could make it work right there or elsewhere. Reading's unlikely because that arena is controlled by the Kings (AEG) and SMG, both of whom are Comcast-Spectacor/Global Spectrum's biggest rivals in arena management.

However, if the Kings were to move their players to Ontario, CA (where Beaumont has gone) and sell or suspend the Reading team, Trenton could go in there and the Flyers could put the Phantoms in Trenton. Some think the Devils want to take Trenton AHL anyway, but at the end of the day that is a Comcast arena and Flyers turf. Atlantic City would also be a possibility, but there would have to be a building (on the outskirts, for locals, not on the Boardwalk. Same goes for Baltimore I think, a new arena in Frederick or Aberdeen yes, a team going back into downtown, no way).

icebatfan · Two for roughing Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 197

icebatfan · Two for roughing Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 197

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

What I'd like to know is, did the Hicks Group cut their check to Cedar Park on Friday?

Meanwhile:

Take the Minnesota Wild off the list of possible new affiliates for the Des Moines American Hockey League franchise.
Advertisement

That was the word today from Wild officials, who confimed that the NHL team has signed a four-year lease extension with the Toyota Center in Houston where the Wild’s AHL Houston Aeros play.

The Aeros had one-year left on the their lease in Houston.

“We have signed a lease extension and intend to remain in Houston for the next five years,” Aaron Sickman, manager of media relations for the Wild, said.

Hit Man · Two for slashing Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 147

It would suck to build a rink and not have a team for it....
This is too much for me to think about now. What ever or who ever we get I guess I will be thankful that there is hockey in central Texas.

verylowpriority · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:53 am Post subject:

ZR or bk, refresh my memory of the terms and timing? I gather from ZR's post that some money (or all of it?) was supposed to change hands the other day?
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)

bk · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1055

I don't know - Mitch might know.
_________________
“I’m so frustrated with the business. If you look at my junior stats, there’s a lot of guys that come out of juniors with those kind of stats that sign pretty big contracts.” --James Hiebert

jlocke · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 2:11 pm Post subject:

I thought I remembered this, but had to go back to February to find it;
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:00 pm by Cowboy...

Here it is- From Hill Country News - just posted:

Cedar Park signs deal for new Event Center; Groundbreaking set for May, opens October 2009
Print this story | Email this story

By Scott McDonald, Hill Country News
Cedar Park Mayor Bob Lemon signed the city into a contract with Hicks Sports Management Group (HSG) Wednesday night for a new event center that is scheduled to open in October 2009.

HSG, which owns the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers, said it will bring its American Hockey League affiliate - the Iowa Stars - to Cedar Park and will name them the Texas Stars.

The city has tried to get an event center for the last six years, but all deals have fallen through until Wednesday as all the pieces finally came together.

"This has been a long, long process," said Lemon, who said he has personally been involved with three projects as part of the council. "This is the kind of thing we want Cedar Park to be known for. For the next 25 years we have something great to look forward to."

Jim Lites, president of HSG and former president of the Dallas Stars, spoke to the council before the final vote of the evening.

"It was a dream of mine when I came here to Texas in 1993 with the Stars to Dallas that we have our minor-league team here in our television market and this is a great market," Lites said. "We are really thrilled it's here and are able to play in this building."

The Cedar Park Event Center will cost approximately $55 million, of which $43 million will come from the city. HSG will foot $12 million of the cost - roughly 22 percent. HSG paid $1 million on Wednesday and will pay $11 million more on May 9, 2008.

HSG will pay rent of $2.5 million over the course of 20 years, with none for the first five years. The city will receive half of all ticket fees. For example, a $7 ticket may have a $2 ticket fee. The city would receive $1 for each of those. The city will also draw sales tax from the $7 ticket, any beverages or food sold inside, any parking or any merchandise sold.

Key Dates in CPEC process:

Feb. 20, 2008 -- Agreement signed by the city and HSG

May 29, 2008 -- Bond proceeds available to 4A Corporation

May 30, 2008 -- Groundbreaking & Begin site and infrastructure work

Sept. 30, 2009 -- Substantial Construction is complete

Oct. 20, 2009 -- Ribbon cutting and Grand Opening

The configurations for the Cedar Park Events Center include:

• Situated on the northwest corner of the New Hope Road-183A intersection, the front of the event center will face due east toward the toll road

• It can seat 6,800 for hockey games

• It can seat up to 8,700 for concerts when retractable seats aren't moved

• It can seat up to 7,200 for concerts when retractable seats are retracted

• It will have 2,500 parking spots on the site

• Facility event floor can accommodate approximately 1,900 folding or stacking chairs for concerts and other special event

• A club level on the south side of the main concourse with easy access to club seats

• Lounges on the suite level

• Six main concessions planned for the concourse with TV monitors oriented towards the lineups at each concession and fixed or portable condiment stands

• Humidity control inside will rival that of NHL arenas in order to provide the same quality of ice as played on in NHL arenas

• It will have bowl seating and a center hung scoreboard

• The fabric of the bowl level seats are a combination of the Stars green and the city's green in its logo

• Event Center is ADA compliant

• Five large female restrooms and four large men's restrooms all evenly distributed throughout the main concourse

• Elevators on the north and south entrances

Events the center can accommodate:

• Professional hockey

• Concerts

• Sports like basketball, arena football, wrestling, tennis, indoor soccer and curling

• Professional bull riding

• Trade shows and consumer shows

• Exhibitions, bazaars, craft fairs and auctions

• Special community events

• Ice shows and figure skating competitions

• Family shows and stage shows

• Religious and political gatherings

• Conventions, meetings, banquets and dances

• Special pageants, celebrations and seminars

(The building will function well for each of the above uses and provide recognized standards of amenities and services appropriate to each event).

Extra amenities:

• First aid room

• Public telephones

• ATM's adjacent to main ticket locations and the lobby

• Drinking fountains evenly distributed

• Trash receptacles evenly distributed

Dressing rooms:

• Home team has 5,000 square-foot dressing room designed for the AHL tenant

• Four additional visitors dressing rooms

• Star or Officials dressing room

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

There's no reason to think it's going to be an issue, I mean, it's basically, "give us $11 million and we'll give you $43 million in two weeks." But you just never know. Mostly I'm curious to see if the project moves on time. They can probably afford to be no more than six weeks late to have a team there in 2009.

But Saturday was election day, the Statesman obviously isn't keeping a close eye and the new Hill Country News isn't out yet so for all we know it happened.

**dfwbat** · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1184

Maybe Hicks is feeling a little tight right now. What with his two pro sports flagship franchises performing so well. Guess we shouldn't be surprised that the Stars can't keep up with the Speed Wings, I mean Red Wings. Texas Rangers are stinking it up. And the Rangers lost any chance of me going to games this year when they designated my boy Ben Broussard for assignment.

ZR, where Hicks has his grubby fingers in a project anything logical and illogical can happen.
_________________
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

I've got no particular affection for Hicks, but I don't see where he's ever really failed as a sports businessman or a sports facility developer. Or an owner for that matter, he's been nothing but good for the Stars and it's hard to see this season as a failure overall. As for the Rangers they were famously bad long before he ever came along (even had a few good years under his watch).

Now, whether all these deals end up being good for the cities or the fans, I dunno, but you can say the same about just about every new arena in the CHL.

As for being "tight," this whole deal is still peanuts to him (compared, for example, to the Liverpool football team). It's not like he really uses his (or his company's) actual money anyway. So it would certainly be interesting (or troubling) if the current credit market or increased construction costs threw something for a loop. But those issues would be equally problematic for anyone.

**dfwbat** · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1184

You should see the reception Hicks gets in the UK. We were over there during one of the UEFA matches. Police advised him, for his own safety to not come to the game.

Hicks is a great owner, when he sits back, provides the money and doesn't try to pull a Jerry Jones and make sports decisions. The Rangers did have some success in the mid-90s. Then Hicks bought em and they've been mediocre at best. Maybe Nolan will be able to straighten them out. Who knows.
_________________
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

verylowpriority · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 8:19 am Post subject:

Thanks for the refresher course, JL. I wonder if the money changed hands on time.
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)

jlocke · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

Don't know about the money, but I see this on the agenda for Cedar Park's May 15th Council Meeting:

1. Discussion And Possible Action
A. On Adoption Of A Prevailing Wage Rate Schedule For Public Work Projects.

B. On The Construction Manager At Risk Agreement With Hunt Construction Group, Inc.

C. On Guaranteed Maximum Price Agreement ("GMP") With Hunt Construction Group, Inc. For Cedar Park Event Center ("CPEC").

Sounds like they're moving ahead with finalizing agreements with the construction company.