Carolina Hurricanes' GM Don Waddell has spoken to the media a handful of times since the end of the Hurricanes' playoff run this summer. The overarching themes of each interview have changed. However, one question has followed Carolina's front office for months. What are the Hurricanes going to do about their AHL affiliate?
Since the Chicago Wolves announced their plan to go independent in an email to agents this summer fans and media alike in Raleigh have been hungry for new information on the matter.
Where are prospects going to go in the meantime? Waddell has admitted to an unconventional strategy of sprinkling them around the hockey world. European players have been loaned to teams in their home countries. North American prospects with nowhere else to go will be loaned to different AHL teams in need at certain positions. It's going to be a ton of extra work for Carolina's development staff but it can be done in the short term.
Waddell has yet to give a real answer to a long-term question: What's the plan for next season? Surely, Carolina doesn't want to go through this again. Waddell's answers alluded to a plan that until today was unknown to the general public.
In last night's 32 Thoughts: the blog, Elliott Freidman shed some light on what Carolina's front office is hoping for. "In August, Carolina offered to purchase/add a 33rd franchise. The AHL’s Executive Committee met a couple times to consider it, and recommended the Hurricanes be allowed to address the full Board of Governors in October."
-- Opinion
To be clear this is still a proposed expansion. Nothing is locked in or guaranteed to happen in some way. There are also those who believe the AHL should not have more teams than the NHL. Although, there have been more and more rumors about a possible 33rd, and 34th NHL franchise in recent weeks. Who's to say the AHL doesn't expand first?
I also have to admit that this plan makes a lot of sense for the Hurricanes organization. Two-thirds of the NHL own their American Hockey League affiliate. Now that Carolina is no longer swimming in debt it's time for them to act like a modern NHL franchise in this area.
There is also the small fact that the Hurricanes purchased the trademark for the Raleigh IceCaps last season. A defunct ECHL team that called Raleigh home from 1991 until the Canes came to town in 1997. The IceCaps left the market shortly thereafter under the belief that Raleigh couldn't support two pro hockey teams. If the Hurricanes were to purchase an expansion team fans in Raleigh would love to see the full-time return of the IceCaps classic jerseys.
*Expect more on potential options for a new AHL franchise for Carolina in the coming days.
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