As TJHN has been reporting for months, the Central Hockey League is on very thin ice.
TJHN has confirmed with employees, players and vendors in Fort Worth that they have not been paid, and that the team has essentially been folded. Phone calls to ownership have not been returned to those players and office employees wondering when they will be paid the wages they are owed.
TJHN also confirmed with arena employees that the NYTEX Sports Center has been talking with the NAHL. The 2400 seat arena has been considered small for minor professional standards, but would be well suited for the NAHL product. Fort Worth averaged attendance around 1,700 per night in 2012-2013. This number would appear to be sufficient to sustain a Tier II junior team with a more limited travel budget.
With announcements concerning more CHL teams moving to the ECHL expected shortly, the CHL would now appear to be down to an eight team league. The Quad City Mallards franchise is owned and operated by the CHL.
Of those eight teams though, the Brampton Beast and St. Charles Chill expansion teams are being said to not be models of stability at this point. Many are questioning the wisdom of adding a Canadian based team when nearly all minor professional franchises have failed in Canada in the past. Many are also questioning the viability of St. Charles as well when there is no affiliation with the St. Louis Blues organization.
Rumors have ticket sales in Brampton at a minimum, and many in the St. Charles are saying that they are not aware of any business development taking place.
Questions still surround the Arizona Sundogs as they, along with Brampton Ontario would have excessive travel costs under the design of the league as it is today.
What will the future hold for the CHL? Has it simply just become a test marketing solution for the NAHL? If so, the NAHL will certainly reap the rewards of those that have gone before them.
