Calgary Flames new AHL Farm Team

[The_Vulk]

Omaha to join AHL in 2005-06
Mon, March 28, 2005

American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the league’s Board of Governors has granted approval of the relocation of the inactive AHL franchise owned by the Calgary Flames to Omaha, Neb., effective next season.

The team will play its home games at the renovated downtown Omaha Civic Auditorium.

“We are thrilled to welcome the city of Omaha to the excitement, energy and skill level of the American Hockey League,” said Andrews. “Omaha has a rich hockey tradition, and this partnership of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben with one of the top NHL organizations in the Calgary Flames will most certainly provide Nebraska sports fans with a team to be proud of in every respect. As we enter our historic 70th season of play, Omaha will provide an immediate competitive rivalry with Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and our other newest teams in Des Moines and Peoria.”

The addition of Omaha brings the AHL to 30 teams as the league prepares to commemorate its 70th anniversary in 2005-06. Also joining the league next season are the Iowa Stars, who will be starting play in Des Moines as the Dallas Stars’ top affiliate; the Peoria Rivermen, as the new affiliate of the St. Louis Blues; and the Toronto Marlies, the new top development club for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League clubs. The 2004-05 season sees 28 teams competing for the coveted Calder Cup championship, and more than 5.7 million fans have already attended AHL games this year alone.

[Kristi]

Wow.....talk about a town with NOTHING to do! Those people BLEED for Nebraska football! They will get NO ATTENDANCE until after football season is over.

A company I worked for has thier corporate headquarters there and I spent a week there and it was horrible!

[ScottyWazz]

I don't know-- the Huskers have been a little short of craptastic the past few season. The Lancers got a good attendance during the football season, and that's just US Juniors. If there's a good enough product on the ice, which I don't doubt, then they should be getting a renew sense of hockey fanatic in Omaha.

[RunTheGoalie]

That is the case with most US towns. Anything you get during football season is a bonus.

The two sides have been working for months at finishing this deal. Very, very interesting that the team would be owned by a non-profit group, but everybody is calling this Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben group a great organization to partner with.

Ken King was on Fan960 stating that they hope to call the team the Omaha Knights (naturally), but there are some logistical issues so it isnt written in stone.