Questions remain after CHL summer conference

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Over a week after the Central Hockey League’s 14^th annual summer conference concluded in Chandler, Arizona, questions remain about the upcoming season. The conference, which serves as the primary off-season gathering for all CHL member teams, is usually the venue for discussing and if possible, completing league business related to the coming season. This year, there are issues that have yet to be resolved.
 
The league’s two newest franchises, the Allen Americans and the as-yet unnamed Independence, Missouri team were represented at the event. Both teams will begin their inaugural seasons on the road while construction is completed on their home venues, the Allen Events Center and the Independence Events Center. However, there has been no word on whether or not the league will hold an expansion draft.
 
Last season, the expansion Rapid City Rush were able to choose five players off a list compiled by the 15 other CHL franchises. Each team exposed four players but no team could lose more than one player. There has been talk that the league is negotiating with the players’ union in regards to a possible draft but no official statement has been made by either side.
 
The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, whose owner John Madden has reportedly accepted an offer to purchase the team last week, are awaiting the formality of league approval of the new ownership group. League commissioner Duane Lewis expressed the league’s support of the return of Mudbugs hockey for the coming season at an event last month.
 
“It’s too good of a market in hockey, let alone the CHL, to lose,” Lewis said. “We’ve been there for a long time and we fully anticipate being there, playing again this season.”
 
Monday marked the original deadline that the League gave New Mexico Scorpions Owner Dave Ellet to sell that team. Ellet has said the Scorpions have lost about $1 million since they moved to the Santa Ana Star Center and he’s been trying to sell the team for months now. He has said that if the team didn’t sell quickly, there was a strong possibility that the team would “go dormant” next season.   The league has granted an extension with a new deadline of June 22^nd to find a buyer.
 
There has been little news regarding the disposition of the Rocky Mountain Rage. The Rage is owned by Broomfield Sports and Entertainment, which is bowing out of its management contract of the Broomfield Event Center. Owner Tim Wiens has said he needs to focus on other ventures. The Broomfield City Council will be meeting Tuesday to select a new management company. There has been no statement as to whether or not the team will play at the Center this season.
 
If in fact, one or two teams do not participate in the 2009-10 season, where will changes be made to the divisional make-up? If the Rage and the Scorpions go dark, that will leave the league a team short in each conference.
 
The Rage’s spot in the Northwest Division could be filled by the Independence franchise but Independence is East of Oklahoma City. Would it make more sense to move the Blazers to the Northwest and place the Independence franchise in the Northeast?
 
The Scorpion’s spot in the Southwest Division could be filled by the Allen Americans but Allen is East of North Richland Hills, so would it make more sense to move the Texas Brahmas to the Southwest and place the Americans in the Southeast?
 
Texas Brahmas head coach Dan Wildfong commented on the issue.
 
“It’s tough not knowing what division you’re in or what kind of format they’re going to do,” Wildfong said. “It’s hard to make trades or do anything like that.”
 
There has also been talk of a change to the veteran rule which currently allows four vets (goaltenders exempt) and a threshold set at 281 games. The possibility of the threshold increasing to 300 games and perhaps even another vet allowed have been discussed as possible changes.
 
The league has yet to issue any comments on these issues but more information should be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks. The schedule for the upcoming season is expected to be released by mid-July and by then, all matters should be resolved.
 
Contact the author at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com