ECHL's Augusta Lynx "ceases operations"

[maumann]

RIP, original Raleigh IceCaps: Lyle Wildgoose, Jimmy Powers, Smokey Reddick, Bruno Villenueve, Barry Nieckar, Rick Barkovich, Wayne Cowley.

There's nothing like a hockey game in a converted horse show arena. Dorton Arena had the worst acoustics and a tendency to create its own fog bank, and yet was the hottest ticket in town those first two seasons. There were times when the game had to be stopped because of visibility. Nothing like an old-fashioned "all skate" in the middle of the second period.

Thanks for the memories, guys.

 

[Boom_70]

RIP, original Raleigh IceCaps: Lyle Wildgoose, Jimmy Powers, Smokey Reddick, Bruno Villenueve, Barry Nieckar, Rick Barkovich, Wayne Cowley.

There's nothing like a hockey game in a converted horse show arena. Dorton Arena had the worst acoustics and a tendency to create its own fog bank, and yet was the hottest ticket in town those first two seasons. There were times when the game had to be stopped because of visibility. Nothing like an old-fashioned "all skate" in the middle of the second period.

Thanks for the memories, guys.

I would have thought that The Masters would be "hottest ticket in town" - go figure.

 

[king cranium maximus IV]

RIP, original Raleigh IceCaps: Lyle Wildgoose, Jimmy Powers, Smokey Reddick, Bruno Villenueve, Barry Nieckar, Rick Barkovich, Wayne Cowley.

There's nothing like a hockey game in a converted horse show arena. Dorton Arena had the worst acoustics and a tendency to create its own fog bank, and yet was the hottest ticket in town those first two seasons. There were times when the game had to be stopped because of visibility. Nothing like an old-fashioned "all skate" in the middle of the second period.

Thanks for the memories, guys.

Ahh, Dorton Arena. The Saddledome before the Saddledome.

I miss the NC State Fair.

 

[suburbia]

I think the ECHL expanded too much when it went nationwide. It's a lot to ask the teams to pay to travel all over the country, rather than just regionally.

ECHL teams play the vast majority of their games against division opponents for that very reason. The teams in the eastern part of the country bus to the vast majority of their games and make one, maybe two road trips outside of their division a season.

The western teams have it much rougher because of the distances between the teams. The Alaska franchise would seem to have it the worst, but I guess they're used to travelling long distances at great coast to get anywhere.

 

[TwoGloves]

Having been to several Lynx games I'm not surprised. The stadium committe was an absolute joke. Lots of good players are now looking for new homes and teams. Thankfully most are used to this back and forth shirt.

Having partied with some of those guys that were still on that team I feel for them though. Caught up in a bad situation in a city that has been done in by shirtty management.

Actually, I'm not sure they have very many good players at all. Their leading scorer had something like 11 points in 16 games. In the minors, that's horrible.

 

[Batman]

heck, I think the entire Continental Basketball Association may crater tomorrow. Stay tuned...

The CBA exists still? I thought the NBDL ate it?

It's still around, but it's certainly nowhere at the level it used to be. It's got franchises in small towns in Montana now.

Didn't it always?

It's pretty much only in small Montana towns now.

EDIT: Holy crap, I didn't know it was down to five teams now. Albany, Minot, East Kentucky, Lawton and Pittsburgh.

They should try the ABA's business model -- expand to 200 teams, pocket the expansion fee, then move on to the next suckers town

 

[GB-Hack]

Having been to several Lynx games I'm not surprised. The stadium committe was an absolute joke. Lots of good players are now looking for new homes and teams. Thankfully most are used to this back and forth shirt.

Having partied with some of those guys that were still on that team I feel for them though. Caught up in a bad situation in a city that has been done in by shirtty management.

Actually, I'm not sure they have very many good players at all. Their leading scorer had something like 11 points in 16 games. In the minors, that's horrible.

Like the story mentioned, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning's affiliate. And anyone who's been following the Lightning of late knows the club's minor league teams, Norfolk included, have precious little talent right now.

It's part of why the team is so awful as a whole, and has fallen so far, so fast from a Cup in 2004.

 

[dieditor]

That sucks -- the ECHL is a fun league to watch. I started going to ECHL games in Bakersfield during the NHL lockout and they are a blast. In some markets especially out west (Bakersfield, Stockton), I'm amazed to see crowds of 7,000-8,000 a night in places you wouldn't think of as traditional hockey hotbeds.

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

Having been to several Lynx games I'm not surprised. The stadium committe was an absolute joke. Lots of good players are now looking for new homes and teams. Thankfully most are used to this back and forth shirt.

Having partied with some of those guys that were still on that team I feel for them though. Caught up in a bad situation in a city that has been done in by shirtty management.

Actually, I'm not sure they have very many good players at all. Their leading scorer had something like 11 points in 16 games. In the minors, that's horrible.

I moved from Augusta last year and before that the team had some good talent. Of course they were a Ducks affiliate then.