PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ – Nearly two months after the Central Hockey League assumed control of the Arizona Sundogs franchise, the question remains: will the Sundogs play in 2010-11?
On April 2nd, news broke that the league had terminated its license with the Prescott Valley Hockey Club (PVHC), the Sundogs’ ownership group. In a press release, CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis stated that the league was “unable to comment as to all the details of the termination…” adding that “…it has become clear that PVHC has not been operating at a level consistent within the parameters set forth in their license agreement.”
Bob Hoffman, director of operations for the CHL, said that the league had been working with PVHC to try and resolve the issues at hand, many of which were financial.
“We’ve been working with the ownership group, trying to get them to operate at a level that is in (line) with the licensing agreement,” Hoffman told the Prescott Daily Courier. “They have monetary responsibilities that have gone unmet. Responsibilities as far as league protocol, things that they need to operate and are minimums for a CHL ownership group.”
A deadline was set for compliance and when that deadline was not met, the league asserted its right to assume control of the franchise. The CHL has since been overseeing the operation of the team and has assumed the lease at Tim’s Toyota Center until the transfer to a new ownership group can be completed.
Consolidated Sports Holdings (USA) Inc., the parent company of PVHC, issued a press release denying the claims made by the CHL, and said it was in the process of resolving issues with the league. Since then, there has been no further word on Consolidated Sports’ efforts or interest in trying to regain control of the Sundogs franchise.
In the meantime, the company has focused on its involvement in the North American Hockey League, a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior A developmental league. T hey completed the acquisition of the NAHL’s Texas Tornado on May 21st. The day before, they were granted an NAHL expansion club in Amarillo.
Hoffman said that the league is actively seeking new ownership for the Sundogs and more specifically, a local group that is dedicated to keeping the team in the Prescott Valley area.
“I think this a very attractive situation,” Hoffman said. “If you look at the building, the community and the love that they have for this team and the success they have, there’s good people that work here. I think this is an attractive situation and I don’t see this as too huge of a challenge to find someone that’ll take this on…this is the market that we want to be in. Hockey can work here. Hockey can be successful here…we have no desire to find an ownership group that has any intention of moving this franchise.”
Meanwhile, the Sundogs’ off-season is moving forward “business as usual” in preparation for the team’s fifth season.
Marco Pietroniro
Defensemen Matt Hanson and Andrew Winnik were sent to the Missouri Mavericks, and Evan Shaw to the Mississippi RiverKings to finalize deals that brought Chad Hinz, Adam Smyth and Kevin Jarman to Arizona.
Last week’s revelation that neither the Amarillo Gorillas nor the Corpus Christi IceRays would be back next season left the focus on the Sundogs and whether or not the league will be able to find a new ownership group in time to put a team on the ice for the coming season. Talks between the league and prospective buyers are said to be ongoing.
“We’re not in the business of running hockey teams on the league level,” Hoffman said. “That’s certainly something we don’t want to endeavor to for too long, but we want to make sure we put the right ownership group in place here.”
Will a sale be completed in time for the 2010-11 season? Only time will tell. But given the emphasis the league is putting into the effort, it’s a pretty good bet that the Sundogs will take the ice in October.
Contact the author/photographer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com
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