Vegas Golden Knights: Possible AHL Franchise Locations
By Kyle Silagyi
Many people don’t realize the amount of work that goes into owning and operating an NHL franchise.
Owners must hire team personnel that will build a winning club. They must negotiate sponsorship deals and television contracts that are beneficial for all parties involved. Perhaps most importantly, they must spend hundreds of millions of dollars of their own money to keep their franchise afloat.
Bill Foley is already well aware of these responsibilities. The Golden Knights’ majority owner hired former Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee as the first GM in team history this past summer. Foley and company are already well under way in negotiating a television deal for the new team. Although Foley won’t officially become an NHL owner until his final payment is finalized, his current workload would suggest that he is already ready for the responsibilities that come with the title.
One of the items that’s likely near the top of Foley’s to-do list is finding an AHL affiliate. Although the team expected to have a deal in place by the end of January, the Golden Knights still remain without an AHL affiliate today. The team has a number of options when it comes to AHL affiliations. However, the decision they make in the coming weeks will likely be a short-term solution.
Located in the western portion of the United States, the Golden Knights are a prime candidate to place their AHL affiliate in the American Hockey League’s new “Pacific Division,” often dubbed “AHL West.”
Throughout the past number of years, NHL teams located in the western half of North America have purchased and moved their AHL affiliates to a city closer to their own. While it likely won’t happen this year, the Golden Knights could look to place their AHL affiliate in a city near Las Vegas in the near future. We’ve compiled a list of cities that could house the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate sooner rather than later.
West Valley City, Utah
Located less than 30 minutes away from Salt Lake City, West Valley City is perhaps the best location for Vegas’ AHL affiliate.
West Valley City currently serves as the home for the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. The Grizzlies’ arena, the Maverik Center, can seat up to 12,000 people, making it capable of housing an AHL franchise. The Salt Lake City-region is also hockey crazy, as the Grizzlies currently rank fifth in ECHL attendance with over 5,000 attendees per game.
Perhaps the most important detail about an AHL franchise is its proximity to its parent club. If a team needs to call a player up from the AHL shortly before a game, they will be unable to do so if their affiliate is located on the other side of the country (cough, Vancouver and Utica, cough). Salt Lake City is less than one hour away from Vegas by air, making the city a suitable home for the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate.
An ECHL market becoming an AHL market isn’t without precedent. January of 2015 saw three cities that had ECHL franchises gain AHL teams – every one of which has been relatively successful in the AHL.
The city’s proven love for hockey and proximity to Las Vegas make West Valley City a likely destination for the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, should they choose to eventually purchase and move a team.
Boise, Idaho
Like West Valley City, Boise is currently the home to an ECHL franchise – the Idaho Steelheads. Currently averaging around 4,000 patrons per game, the city of Boise appears to have enough hockey fans to support an AHL club.
By plane, Boise is less than one hour and thirty minutes away from Las Vegas. With enough of a warning, call ups could easily make the trip on game day.
Boise also has an arena capable of housing an AHL team. The CenturyLink Arena, the current home of the Steelheads, can hold over 5,000 people. While the arena may be small by AHL standards, this isn’t a cause for concern. Over 1/3rd of the teams in the American Hockey League are averaging less than 5,000 attendees per game this season.
Although West Valley City may be more attractive to the Golden Knights due to its closer proximity and larger arena, placing their AHL team in Boise certainly wouldn’t be a poor decision on behalf of the team.
Fresno, California
A city that many expected to receive a team during the AHL’s initial move into the west, Fresno could become easily become the home of the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate.
With a population of over 500,000, Fresno is the 34th largest city in the United States. While the city doesn’t have a proven track record when it comes to supporting hockey, Fresno certainly has enough residents to support an AHL team. New AHL teams in San Diego and Bakersfield have performed well in regards to attendance, suggesting that Fresno wouldn’t have a problem supporting their new club.
The city’s population and proximity to Las Vegas (one hour by air) certainly makes Fresno an attractive market for the Golden Knights. The team could potentially play at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State, which has a capacity of nearly 14,000 for hockey.
A large population and a capable arena suggest that the city could sustain an AHL team. However, the city is an unproven hockey market, which could harm its chances of landing the Golden Knights’ affiliate.
Conclusion
We likely won’t see the Vegas Golden Knights purchase an AHL team and move them to one of these cities this year. It might not even happen next year. However, if the AHL’s Pacific Division continues to succeed, it’s safe to assume that the Golden Knights would like an affiliate that plays in the division.
West Valley City seems to be the best option for the Golden Knights. Geographically, it’s the closest proven minor league hockey market to Las Vegas. A love for hockey combined with a capable arena makes the Salt Lake City-region a front-runner for landing the team. However, the Vegas Golden Knights really can’t go wrong with any of these options.
Next: How the NHL Entry Draft works for the Golden Knights
At the end of the day, this is all speculation. We’ll have to wait and see if the Vegas Golden Knights eventually do decide to move a team out west. In fact, they have to actually affiliate with an AHL team before they can think about eventually purchasing and moving one.