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Professional Hockey is coming back to Utica, NY!!!

Utica is ten minutes from me, and I'm actually reffing youth hockey there in a couple hours. There have been rumors flying around for a few months about an AHL team coming back to Utica. We used to have the Utica Devils from something like 1987 until 1993, I was young so I barely remember. After they relocated to Albany there were a handful of minor pro teams from the UHL, CHL, etc. (Utica Blizzard, Bulldogs, and Mohawk Valley Prowlers).

Welll it was announced this morning that the Calgary Flames are moving their affiliation to Utica beginning next season. Welcome Utica Flames to Central New York!!

There's been a good crowd for the local DIII hockey games so hopefully the community will continue to support professional hockey despite the higher ticket prices. It's apparently a 10-year deal and they are honoring the DIII mens schedule for next season and working around it when scheduling Flames games which is nice.

No more driving an hour to Syracuse to see an AHL game.

Why would the Flames move their affiliate from Abbotsford, a 2 hour flight away, to Utica, NY.

If Abbotsford loses their AHL team, I wonder if the Canucks will move the Chicago Wolves to Abbotsford and have their affiliate basically up the street!

Weird move.

flames still have 6 years left in their 10 year deal with abbotsford? :S

I saw that.... only reason why Flames and Nucks are big rivals... hence why the attendence is pretty low

It makes sense for the AHL to move the team to Utica since Abbotsford is the only team on the western part of the continent. Now all their teams are going to be located east of Texas.

There have been rumors that the Whale were going to move to Utica then Albany. I don't think anyone expected the Heat to be moved. Last week(ish) the domain www.uticaflames.com was purchased, and this morning the article linked below popped up on our local newspaper website. The article starts with...

"No longer rumor, but fact."

http://www.uticaod.com/blogs/x1145972669...014-Season


EDIT: Looks like it's not confirmed yet. The local news TV station posted this article an hour ago stating attempts are being made but there has been no agreement reached. There's a direct quote from the team via Twitter...

"We have been approached by representatives in Utica concerning an opportunity for the AHL. We understand they are building a case for the AHL to return there. We are under contract and committed to Abbotsford, and have made no alternate commitments."

http://www.wktv.com/news/local/Attempt-t...99141.html

Jusr read a story that said the Calgary Flames announced the have been approached by a Utica, NY group, but denied that they are moving or have any plans to move the Abbotsford Heat

Yeah I posted an edit Sunday night about another article that the local news TV station released.

I heard this from a guy kind of in the middle of everything though so make of it what you will.

He told me that the deal is done but nothing is officially signed. They are waiting until March to avoid the negative press/uproar in Calgary/Abbotsford about the team moving. They don't want to cause any kind of distractions in the middle of a season and would rather wait until the end of the year. He also told me that all of the board space (advertisements on the ice) has been pulled from Heenan (Head coach at Utica College) to be given to the new Flames team when they move here for next season.

I'm not 100% sure where he gets his info from are who his sources are so again I'm just telling you what I heard.

The only thing to do is wait I guess. It'll be confirmed or unconfirmed soon enough.

Congrats to u !!!