Tag: Relocation

Toronto Rock of Hamiliton

~ Staff

So the cat is out of the bag.

The Toronto Rock are moving back to Hamilton, and keeping the Toronto Rock name. ( The locals are just going to love that.)

So lets take a walk down memory lane to 1998 shall we.

The Ontario Raiders spent the 1998 season playing out of the Copps Coliseum. The Raiders went 6-6 and just missed the playoffs, but laid the championship foundation for the Toronto Rock.

However, attendance was another story altogether. The “reported” attendance numbers were as follows

  1. 7,536
  2. 4,078
  3. 5,841
  4. 3,446
  5. 3,416
  6. 4,545

 

Will Hamilton embrace it’s second chance at an NLL team?  While the jury is still out, we will have to say NO. Even with lower overhead in Hamilton.

But hey at least the NLL off season is NOT  boring.

 

Rock moving to Hamilton

~ Staff

Well it’s official

5 Year agreement to play in Hamilton. The team will still be called the Toronto Rock.

Although we have to wonder how iron clad that five year agreement really is? We are pretty sure there might be an out clause or two.

Back to Albany

~ Staff

The NLL is returning to Albany, with the sale and relocation of the New England Black Wolves.

Can’t help, but feel this is a step back for the league. Relocating to a small market, a market that failed once before.

The Attack played in Albany NY from 2000-2003. What has changed since? Not much we would guess. Plus it is not a good time to be relocating and launching a team in a new market due to the Wuhan Wiggle.

The Attack struggled to draw and turn a profit during their time in Albany. Average attendance was between 3,000 – 4,000 per game.

We suspect we will see a similar outcome this time as well..

Will Albany 2.0 work? If history is any indication we will have to say NO. 

Black Wolves sold and moving to Albany NY

~ Staff

The NLL is returning to Albany NY. You can read the article HERE

The National Lacrosse League will announce Tuesday it is placing a franchise at the Times Union Center, according to a source familiar with the situation. The team plans to begin play in the fall.

The ownership group is led by Oliver Marti, founder of a health-care-focused hedge fund. He’s also a former All-American college and professional lacrosse player who is an investor in the Premier Lacrosse League, an outdoor league.

The Albany Attack, another NLL franchise, played at the Times Union Center from 2000 to 2003 before moving to San Jose, Calif.

You can check out the owner’s linkedin page HERE

According to article in the Day, which you can find HERE

Team owners Mike French, Brad Brewster and Ted Goldthorpe will retain their minority stake and move with the team to Albany,

 

NLL relocates Rochester to Halifax

~ Staff

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We know what you are thinking. Not another Rochester to Halifax article. Just make it stop already.

“We had been looking for a new home for the Rochester Knighthawks for awhile, but it had to be the right fit. We looked at cities across North America, and none of them compared to Halifax,” Styres told a packed sports bar in Halifax.

Rochester was on borrowed time for years. 

 

“We firmly believe this trend is going to continue. We have more teams coming. I think over the next decade to 12 years, you’re going to see a 30-team league emerge in one of the most dynamics sports in North America.”

Nick has gone all in on expanding the NLL to 30 teams. Looks likes the league is desperate for the expansion money. Currently the 11 team NLL is hard to watch. If we see the day when the NLL reaches 30 teams, the product will be completely unwatchable.  

5 things we know about Terry and Kim Pegula’s version of the Rochester Knighthawks

~ Staff

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1. The team will keep the name, Rochester Knighthawks, and begin play in the 2019-20 season.

2. The Pegulas will pay an expansion fee, believed to be in the neighborhood of $5 million, about what Curt Styres paid when he bought the franchise in June 2008.

3. Styres will move his franchise to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the 2019-20 season. The franchise will announce its name at a later date. Styres can retain any players and coaches he desires who are under contract. An expansion draft will be held to help stock the new Knighthawks.

4. The team will play at an improved Blue Cross Arena. The $20 million in improvements include a new scoreboard, new locker rooms and possibly new restaurant called “585.” The Pegulas operate a sports bar/restaurant at Harborcenter in Buffalo called “716.”

5. The Pegulas will continue to own a second NLL team, the Buffalo Bandits.