Sabres, Amerks to separate after this season

[GG8407]

The financial uncertainty surrounding the Rochester Americans was too much for the Buffalo Sabres, who will end their 29-year relationship with the AHL franchise at the end of the 2007-08 season, according to published reports. Buffalo grew unhappy with the fact that it had to share the Amerks with the Florida Panthers and now look to gain sole affiliation with another AHL team.

http://www.sabresinsider.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146&Itemid=1

[tmcgeefan]

what happens to our players from the amerks when we loose them from beeing our farm system? do they stay with florida or do we move them to a different team that we choose as our next affiliate?

[pigpen65]

they move with the Sabres. Their contracts are signed with the Sabres, not the Amerks.

[skoorah720]

Do we lose Cunneyworth?

[itsMILLERTIME30]

well, that sucks. i was hopefully they'd work something out.

[Southside]

Cunneyworth is a Sabres employee.

Paul Hamilton just spoke (0857am) on WBEN. According to Hamilton, Portland remains a viable option as they have a clause that would allow them to terminate their relationship with Anaheim at the end of this season.

Hamilton also stated that the Sabres offered $2million to outright purchase the Amerks but that Donner refused, as he believes that the value is closer to $4 million (!).

Hamilton emphasized that "according to his conversations" the Sabres want "outright ownership" of their affiliate.

Interesting stuff--
IMHO
Southside

[jlpubarch]

^ $4 million isn't that much...hell, if I was an investor, I'd buy the club...why the hell wasn't Tommy willing to spend that?

Imagine how much they'll have to spend on flights back and forth to Portland, ME...

At least now, we can have our entire prospect core in one location...instead of having guys in AHL, OHL, College, German League...

[sabres4cup]

http://www.healthnowny.com/images/americans02.gif




After 29 years the marriage between the Rochester Americans and Buffalo Sabres is over, the NHL team says, but in some ways it's actually a surprise the partnership has lasted this long.

In the spring of 2001, Amerks president Steve Donner was on the verge of signing a five-year affiliation agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Only last-minute pleas by officials in Buffalo kept the Sabres and Amerks together. Lightning general manager Jay Feaster hasn't forgotten.

"We basically had an agreement reached. We shook hands on it," Feaster said this week. "We were finalizing a document that we felt to be more a formality."

The day the announcement was to be made, Donner phoned Feaster to say he couldn't leave the Sabres.

"It did come as a shock, yes, because we had the deal in place," Feaster recalled. "But I certainly understood all the reasons, why it would make sense Steve would want to stay with Buffalo."

Proximity. Familiarity. Cross-marketing. Solid prospects. They were all cited as reasons the Amerks needed to stay with Buffalo.

Now, six years later, those factors apparently aren't as important. Or, if they are, they have been trumped by irreconcilable differences.

"It should be perfectly clear that our first choice was to stay in Rochester with a single affiliation," Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said. "We just couldn't get a deal done."

For a week now, Quinn has been saying the Sabres ship has sailed. The Florida Panthers, an equal development partner in Rochester, say they are willing to become the sole parent team.

"Who's to blame? It has to be both sides," Donner admits. "But I think I've shown, in some cases, too much loyalty."

In the summer of 2003, Donner was ready to pull the plug on the Sabres. The Rigas family had run the Sabres into bankruptcy.

"The only reason we didn't do a deal (with another team) was because Tom Golisano bought the Sabres and I thought it was only fair to see if we can save this affiliation by going with the local guy," Donner said.

Neither side says the partnership can be saved this time. The major stumbling block: veterans and who pays for them.

It's been a source of great consternation for both teams for three years.

The Sabres say if veterans are important to the identity of the Amerks, then it should be Rochester's responsibility to pay part or all of the salary. Buffalo's contention: it's not the Sabres job to sell Amerks tickets.

But Donner doesn't understand why Buffalo won't pay for veterans. He says they are critical to prospect development, and the older on-the-bubble players also are NHL-ready in case there are injuries in Buffalo.

"I've been puzzled why the Sabres don't have any depth guys here," Donner said. "Do you think they can make a serious run for the Stanley Cup with the depth guys they have here now? No way."

The Amerks' slow-pay practices have irked the Sabres for years. That was clear in a letter sent to the Rochester ownership group by managing partner Larry Quinn in January.

In requesting the start of talks regarding an extension of the affiliation, Quinn wrote that any new deal would require "some form of security to assure payment" (of affiliation fees).

When this dual affiliation first took shape, the Sabres wanted only about 13 roster spots in Rochester. They were leaving seven slots open to the Amerks to fill.

The Amerks, however, didn't have the money to pay for seven of their own players. Since the Sabres had no desire to pay for players with no NHL future, they brought the Panthers in as a limited partner in Rochester.

"That wasn't meant to be standard practice, it was more an aberration," Quinn said.

The following season, the Sabres and Panthers stocked the roster on an equal-share basis, as they also do this season.

But the Sabres know player development is critical in a salary-cap era.

"It's important that we have a system of development that is ours," Quinn said.

Donner said it is equally important for the Amerks to regain their own identity. The team's first season was 1956-57.

"Quite honestly, it's more of a loss to Buffalo than us," Donner said. "It's been really fun to send a core of players to Buffalo. But I'm looking forward to our fans really rooting and focusing on our players again.

more...
http://www.hideu.info/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kZW1vY3JhdGFuZGNocm9uaW NsZS5jb20vYXBwcy9wYmNzLmRsbC9hcnRpY2xlP0FJRD0vMjAw NzEyMDYvU1BPUlRTMDIvNzEyMDYwMzI4






BUFFALO NEWS...

The Buffalo Sabres are ending their affiliation with the Rochester Americans at the end of this season. The 29-year marriage has featured hundreds of players making the one-hour drive on the I-90.

“That’s over,” Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn told The News on Wednesday. “We’re going to go elsewhere.”

The union between the Sabres and their American Hockey League affiliate had become strained in recent years. The Sabres, who partnered with the Amerks in 1979-80, have been sharing them with the Florida Panthers. The Sabres want their own team, and after their reported attempt to purchase Rochester was rebuffed, they decided to go elsewhere.

“We want to have an affiliate where we’re the only team, have control of the players, the coaching staff, the trainers, the whole process,” Quinn said. “We’ve wanted that for three years.”

The Sabres’ business model features young prospects replacing expensive veterans. Because the Sabres share the Amerks, they are limited to nine or 10 AHL players. Quinn said the Sabres would have liked to sign college kids or young Europeans, but space was limited. Having their own minor-league team will allow them to enhance their pipeline.

“We couldn’t get the situation we wanted,” Quinn said. “We have to have a strong affiliate to be successful. It’s not something we can compromise on.”

Quinn said the Sabres tried to leave Rochester this spring, but their options for a different AHL city ran out. The team is negotiating with a city now — two reports said it is Portland, Maine — but Quinn declined to comment until the deal is finalized.

Wherever the Sabres land, it will be farther away than Rochester but Quinn figures the benefits will outweigh that cost. “It’ll be a longer drive, but I’m excited,” Quinn said. “I really am.”




more....http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/222742.html

[aWinAgainov]

sad. methinks Larry Quinn flubbed this one like he did the Drury Briere negotiations

[ricogarion]

Larry Quinn flub something?

[jlpubarch]

haha...I was just about to write how that Donner guy dropped the ball...but, given his track record, it probably was Quinn :roseglasses:

[JLB]

Larry Quinn flub something?

is that even possible. :guy:

[keyron79]

Well that sucks

[itsMILLERTIME30]

haha...I was just about to write how that Donner guy dropped the ball...but, given his track record, it probably was Quinn :roseglasses:

When things get f'ed up, or shit hits the fan, blame Quinn...That's my motto.

[slowpokemcgee]

^ $4 million isn't that much...hell, if I was an investor, I'd buy the club...why the hell wasn't Tommy willing to spend that?

Imagine how much they'll have to spend on flights back and forth to Portland, ME...

At least now, we can have our entire prospect core in one location...instead of having guys in AHL, OHL, College, German League...

Perhaps he didn't find them very profitable. This sucks though, I always enjoyed watching the futures play.

[Iggy72]

Quinn and Donner...quelle surprise.

Pax.
Iggy72

[MauvaisSang]

"Quite honestly, it's more of a loss to Buffalo than us," Donner said. "It's been really fun to send a core of players to Buffalo. But I'm looking forward to our fans really rooting and focusing on our players again.


B.S. Does he really think he's going to get as many Western New Yorkers coming to his games now that it's not future Sabres they're going to watch?

[mark3274]

This was going to happen for some time it appears as Rochester was going to go with Tampa bay a few years ago and only changed there mind when Golisano bought the sabres from what the Rochester paper wrote today.

The relationship was sinking years ago. Now Rochester will be the farm team for the panthers looks like for a few years at least.

[Schtaad]

"Quite honestly, it's more of a loss to Buffalo than us," Donner said. "It's been really fun to send a core of players to Buffalo. But I'm looking forward to our fans really rooting and focusing on our players again.


B.S. Does he really think he's going to get as many Western New Yorkers coming to his games now that it's not future Sabres they're going to watch?

I agree with ya.
I went to see the Amerks for that sole reason- to see Sabres of the future, and sometimes of the past.
I used to go to Orlando Solar Bears games because it was live hockey and really had no rooting interest in who won- just to see a good game.
It looks like thats what my friends in Rochester will have to do now.

As for the search for a new city-I can't see why they would target Portland, Maine for a team.
They already have the Pirates, an affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.
Unless their affiliation with Portland is coming to an end as well, I don't really see why the Sabres would go there to place a team.

Maybe they can resurrect the Cincinnati Swords for next season.

[ckg68]

Uh....hate to tell you this,but Cinci's back in hockey with the ECHL's Cyclones-which is affiliated with Montreal.

And,as far as Buffalo affiliating with Portland,I have a few words for you: End the talk NOW.
They have a 5 year affiliation deal with Anaheim,signed in 2005.

Milwaukee's out. They're signed with Nashville through 2009-10.

Albany? Nope. Signed with the 'Canes through 2008-09.

[Schtaad]

I did not know that.
Thanks for the info, ckg68.
Too bad the hockey climate in Florida blows, or I would suggest Orlando for a future Sabres farm team destination.
Most "sports fans" I know down here don't even know the state has 2 hockey teams, let alone that Tampa won the cup in '04.

[GG8407]

Merged...please check before you start posts on a topic that's already been started...

[smashingt2312]

So what ahl teams would be available?

[Papaduke]

Perhaps start a new franchise. I want to start the official Alpharetta, Georgia wants an AHL team rumor.

[aWinAgainov]

There are 29 AHL teams and 30 NHL parent clubs .We will probably farm our guys out to other teams until either a team becomes available or we can buy ourselves a new team. And i really don't think it will sink the Amerks to not have a Sabre affiliation. If you can remember like two years ago, the games in Rochester proved that there aren't all that many Sabre fans in the area. They put a good team on the ice and people will keep coming.

[Southside]

And,as far as Buffalo affiliating with Portland,I have a few words for you: End the talk NOW.


Well...I hate to tell you this, but according to both Paul Hamilton and Hall of Fame Sportswriter Jim Kelley, Portland CAN affiliate with the Sabres (or anybody else for that matter) as they have an out clause in their agreement that they can excercise this year (07-08).

Buffalo had a tremendous advantage in a nearby affiliation-but not the best one (See Philadelphia--right across the street!). Makes you wonder if the old Aud wouldnt've made a neat choice once upon a time. Not now, its way too far gone.

If we did affiliate with Portland, it wouldn't be the farthest as Portland is now affiliated with Anaheim. Perhaps a look should be given to the old Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, whom we shared an affiliation with not so long ago.

Fortunately, or unfortunately--it needs to be an AHL team for the quality of competition.
None of the lesser leagues would cut it.

IMHO
Southside

[Southside]

There are 29 AHL teams and 30 NHL parent clubs .We will probably farm our guys out to other teams until either a team becomes available or we can buy ourselves a new team. And i really don't think it will sink the Amerks to not have a Sabre affiliation. If you can remember like two years ago, the games in Rochester proved that there aren't all that many Sabre fans in the area. They put a good team on the ice and people will keep coming.



The problem in the short term is that Rochester is still left with a broke team and a clueless owner. He can't get any more loans, and he certainly isn't paying his affiliation fees. Add on that Florida doesn't want to add any roster slots to Rochester (according to Hamilton and Kelley) and now you an owner that doesn't want to pay veterans (as he already stated that he felt the Sabres should've done) and even more empty seats on the bench now that (apparently) the Sabres will be clearing out.

The NHL clubs have the upper hand in the affiliation agreements (thats why the AHL clubs PAY them) It won't be that difficult for Buffalo to meet its needs. With Golisano's pockets its just a question of which team the Sabres want to buy that meets its needs best.

IMHO
Southside

[SHINEdown30]

Why is everyone acting like this is new news. I think it's been about alittle less than a month when this news first broke out.

[Snarf]

And Steve Donner shows how much class he has with this statement.

"I've been puzzled why the Sabres don't have any depth guys here," Donner said in the story. "Do you think they can make a serious run for the Stanley Cup with the depth guys they have here now? No way."


http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/SPORTS02/712070388

While it sucks we are losing the farm team that close, I have no problems leaving Donner and the Amerks fans which believe him and would follow him off a cliff. They blame the Sabres for everything, and lets be honest, vets or not, the Amerks would still be in this money problem.

It is to bad the Oilers and Sabres have bad blood now. The best thing would be for the Sabres to buy the Oilers dormant AHL franchise and put them in Glen Falls. That way the team would only be across the state and I am sure Golisano would like to keep the farm club in New York state.

[biggbrd27]

is that even possible. :guy:

Nah, just ask him, Larry is totally enamored and impressed with his own brilliance! Unfortunately, he is the only one...

[wagoncircler]

Perhaps start a new franchise. I want to start the official Alpharetta, Georgia wants an AHL team rumor.


Isn't there an ECHL team in Gwinnett?

That's a pretty nice arena. Maybe the AHL would expand.

[McD]

Buy a team and put them in Batavia...we'll call 'em the Batavia Bastards.

Actually, I'd like the South Carolina connection again. The city has some really good hockey fans, I know because I was stationed there for two years and I worked the hockey games as a side job. Nice arena, and nice weather too :)