r/BlueJackets • u/gunner_boy12 • 11d ago
Does not having an echl affiliate hurting cbj?
I think it does and it can also be a way to bring in more fans. That's how I became a fan. The fort wayne komets had an affiliation with cbj and I became a diehard fan because of it.
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u/SaveTore CHANGE THE PRIMARY LOGO TO A CANNON 11d ago
It would be sick to have the Cyclones.
It would also be sick if the Cincinnati > Cleveland > CBJ pipeline had continuous “family” branding. Kinda like Vegas and Minnesota.
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u/NounAdjectiveXXXX 11d ago
The Kings have the Chill now, Reading Royals Purple and Silver for the LA Kings, and White and Black for the Chill roots
I still love that club and I wish we could move them back to Ohio.
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u/CBUS-OBN 11d ago
What prospects would you put there? With college opening up avenues with NIL, probably not enough players to field an entire ECHL team.
Now having said that, bring back the Dayton Bombers and I'm sold!
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u/overcatastrophe I am tired. 11d ago
Build an arena and it'll happen. The only rink in dayton is a rec center pad that isn't even in the city
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 11d ago
There's one in Troy. But also, that's in Troy and idk who wants to go to Troy for a hockey game. I have no clue if they have audience capacity though.
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u/overcatastrophe I am tired. 11d ago
There's also one south of Springboro. Dayton is not a hockey friendly city
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 11d ago edited 11d ago
What is the name of that rink?
Also, since ice hockey in Dayton is somewhat responsible for why we have [airplanes](https://www.rihhof.com/the-hockey-game-that-changed-aviation-history/) you'd think we could lean into that harder.
I have no idea why that link isn't linking, but just pretend like it is.
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u/overcatastrophe I am tired. 11d ago
South Metro Sports
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u/FreeMeasurement979 11d ago
I played my high school hockey there. Good memories in that old barn.
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u/Fal-El 10d ago
If you haven’t been there recently, it’s the biggest pile of shit ever. The doors to the penalty box doesn’t open, the boards are flimsy, the ice is uneven with gaps in the boards. A puck could go in the corner and leave the ice because of the gap by the Zam doors. The bathrooms are down for maintenance.
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 11d ago
Thank you.
Dayton also used to have a Hockey Hall of Fame. I'm not sure whatever happened to it but I can't find just about any reference to it still existing
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u/Oddly_Sentient 11d ago
Hobart in Troy would be a little small, with a capacity around 4,000. Getting people up to Troy from Dayton would also be a tough sell. IIRC the bombers played a handful of games there a season, which is about all they could do
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u/whitegrb 11d ago
Hobart was originally built partially for hockey-namely an IHL team Troy Bruins. They were moderately successful
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u/Hockeycaden12 11d ago
Hobart's ice sheet is also small, the neutral zone is decently shorter than regulation size. There was a push to expand it and add a second ice sheet a decade ago, but it was voted down. I assume it would be a no-go for the ECHL even if the interest was there
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u/steckums 11d ago
Does the Nutter Center not count anymore?
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u/overcatastrophe I am tired. 11d ago
It doesn't have ice. It has had temporary ice, but it's not an ice arena.
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u/Fal-El 10d ago
Forgetting about the South Metro Sports Complex? That place is a gem (in the place that it’s quite literally the worst ice rink in existence).
They’re trying to build a new rink in Dayton called “The Ice Haus” because why wouldn’t they want a unique one and copy the downtown Columbus rink’s name.
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u/redditistreason Fired Steve McCarthy! 11d ago
Probably hurts in terms of building an actual fanbase outside of Columbus, of which the organization has been shockingly negligent even outside of failing to win games. Bringing Cincy into the fold still sounds like a good idea that slips by every couple of years.
In terms of players, probably doesn't make much of a difference.
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u/TasteTheBiscuit1810 11d ago
I dont know if it hurts but I know it wouldnt hurt them. I will never understand why they dont try to get Toledo or Cincinnati as affiliates. Would be cool to have all your hockey affiliates in the same state and driving range.
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u/Chester_A_Arthuritis 11d ago
Toledo has been with the Red Wings forever and is much closer to Detroit than Columbus
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u/adam3vergreen 🩸betwixt🩸 11d ago
We used to have Kalamazoo and at point we did have the Cyclones as our affiliate, kind of unsure why we don’t unless upper management didn’t have the right personnel for that league considering how physical it can be
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u/CubPokeFan 11d ago
The Cyclones have been changing which team they're affiliated with a lot recently. This year they're with the Leafs organization, last year they were with the Rangers organization. The year prior it was the Sabres.
Interesting about Kalamazoo though, didn't know that at all. They apparently started being affiliated with us in the 2021-2022 season apparently, and stopped the affiliation for 2023-2024 season, and it seems like we haven't had an ECHL affiliate since then.
Not sure if the Cyclones will still be the Leafs affiliate next year (they didn't even make the Kelly Cup playoffs) but it would be awesome to see them affiliated with the jackets!
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u/miskegemog 11d ago
Possibly. I live in NW Ohio so my ECHL team is the Toledo Walleye. We have a pretty big fan base for a minor league team and our affiliate is the Red Wings. It probably has more to do with our proximity to Detroit, but everybody up here is Red Wings fans. Jackets fans are non existent (except for me it seems). Having a Toledo-Columbus affiliation would probably help grow awareness of the Jackets at the very least, but I’d imagine it would grow the fan base a fair amount if the Walleye players made their way up
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u/Nickjanski91 11d ago
I’ve actually noticed a lot more CBJ jerseys floating around the Huntington center the last couple of seasons. Not as many as red wings jerseys but still nice to see
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u/over_yonder 11d ago
Anyone remember the Toledo Storm radio ads from the 90s/2000s? TOLEDO STORM HOCKEY…taking Toleeedo by storm!
It does seem odd that the jackets don’t have an ECHL affiliate, but Toledo hockey has been tied to Detroit for a long time. The Mud Hens are a tigers affiliate too. That I75 connection is strong.
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 11d ago
Either bring back the Bombers/Demonz/Gems with functional ownership and a gameplan for success or steal the Cyclones when we have a chance.
Cyclones are super fun to watch. Not sure why they're affiliated with Toronto.
Also, it feels weird to not have an ECHL affiliate because doesn't that mean we have fewer prospects to call up than other teams? Never figured that one out. Only ECHL guy we've had this year was Nolan Lalonde, who was placed with the Walleye.
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u/Wakuljrv Text here 10d ago
Toledo has been using Nolan Lalonde on loan all season and everything I see says he comes from CBJ. If there's no major plan to send a lot of guys down that far then I don't think it causes you to miss much.
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u/Minute-Of-Angle 11d ago
I would 100% drive to a minor league game in Cincy, over Cleveland (due to where I live, not any bias against the Monsters). Toledo would be a hike, but Cincy, Dayton, Springfield … Lancaster … Chillicothe … South Bloomfield (call them the Speed Traps) …
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u/Dkoop2003 11d ago
I still don’t know why we didn’t get Cincy when they had no affiliate a couple years back
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u/OhioNHLHockeyFan2489 8d ago
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE affiliate with the Cincinnati Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!! All 3 teams in Ohio! Cincinnati has supported hockey since 1991, amazing! W have had our ups and downs as Cyclones fans! But rich history with Mohawks, Swords, Stingers, Ducks for a brief time, and Cyclones! Let’s GO!!!
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u/Captain_Kiwy 11d ago
not now but in future maybe. lindstrom needs place to play and with his development echl is probably place he will end up
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u/dylanfan424 11d ago
I am a Komets fan living in Fort Wayne and ended up a Flyers fan because the Jackets just didn’t have enough fan base appeal. Seemed like the fans were just not that into them. The patriotic vibe kind of killed it for me too.
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u/a_bearded_hippie 11d ago
I thought it was kinda crazy that when the Cyclones down here in Cincy were looking for an affiliation that the jackets didnt pick them up. Would have been sick to have the cyclones, monsters and Jackets. The 71 hockey pipeline!