Knights Leaving Omaha?

[dakeyras]

The thing I find hardest to believe here is that I'd think the Flames organization would've put in a ton of research to ensure the viability of the Omaha market before putting the Knights there.

If they didn't, that's inexcusable. Still, if they're losing money, I wouldn't blame them for uprooting the team. I do find it a little ironic that after all the years when there was talk that if the Flames didn't get enough support, we might lose the franchise, that the Flames themselves are apparently just going to move their minor league team. Maybe they've been trying unsuccessfully to improve things? I don't know.

Hmm....maybe my Knights jerseys will become collectors editions? haha.

[Hoody]

Both newspapers in the Quad Cities are stating that the Knights are moving here to replace the Mallards of the UHL.

American Hockey League Omaha team coming to Q-C (QC Online)

Report: AHL hockey team moving from Omaha to the Quad-Cities

From the talk around town, it's just a matter of crossing the t's and dotting the i's. Oh, and increase our ice sheet to 200x85. It's currently 185x85. I'm sorry to see any team lose their hockey, but I am happy to see the AHL coming to Moline, IL.

[Yeller11]

Why? Poor attendence?

[blazer052]

Why? Poor attendence?

That's part of it. I think the Flames assumed everyone would abandon the local college and USHL teams immediately for the Knights. Both teams have been here for some time and have a solid fan base. The Knights were starting to make some headway and with some more time they would have been the top team in town.

AT THE BOX OFFICE:

The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights saw an increase in attendance during their second season of play in the AHL. The Knights drew 141,730 fans to the Omaha Civic Auditorium for 40 regular season home games, an increase of more than eight percent from their inaugural season total. They welcomed an additional 13,863 fans for three home playoff games. In fact, their playoff attendance average ranked fourth best in the AHL through the first round

What is most unfortunate about this, if this is true, is that the Flames organization repeatedly lied to the Knights fans and assured us they weren

[Ruddman23]

This is just a very very very VERY bad dream. The Knights will not leave Omaha

[Anie8706]

This is just a very very very VERY bad dream. The Knights will not leave Omaha

Awww I just thought of how you must feel right now Now what will you do?

[cflames7]

I am very saddend that calgary would do this to omaha after comitting for three years and reafirming that comitment recently. Also i am saddened by the fact that calgary has not fully informed the knights staff, and they were still selling season tickets yesterday, tuesday.

[blazer052]

Awww I just thought of how you must feel right now Now what will you do?

Probably get Center Ice and go back to rooting from my Red Wings. I think I can say most Knights fans feel absolutely betrayed by the Flames organization. What makes this sad story even worse is they are going to pull the same thing in the Quad cities a year or two from now. As it was Omaha was averaging ~ 3400 per game and attendance was on the up. The Quad cities, with their team, was only drawing ~3200 with $10 ticket prices. I have been through the Quad cities several times while driving to Michigan and I can tell you this much, the economy is nowhere near as robust as Omaha

[cflames7]

I think I can say most Knights fans feel absolutely betrayed by the Flames organization. What makes this sad story even worse is they are going to pull the same thing in the Quad cities a year or two from now. As it was Omaha was averaging ~ 3400 per game and attendance was on the up. The Quad cities, with their team, was only drawing ~3200 with $10 ticket prices.

ABSOLUTELY

[jkstuart12]

Quad -Cities has (what looks to be) a pretty nice arena

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MARK_of_the_Quad_Cities

[Redslinger]

It seems to me that the Aksarben Knights wrote a cheque that they couldn't cash: they sold the Flames on the city, their organization and the market but couldn't deliver. It looks like the Flames bought into it without doing their due dilligence.

Omaha is a saturated hockey market. Quad cities isn't. Plus there's a rumour that the UHL is shutting down which would make the baby Flames the only show in town.

I feel bad for the Knights fans. Plus I like the name "Knights" (but not the Aksarben part) and I love the jersey and logo. Hopefully the new team isn't called the "Mallards".

[cflames7]

now that i have had time to think about it and reasearched it i know that they are not leaving because i trust them not to make really dumb decisions. I have done some rough math and it sounds like that its not an omaha problem, but a management or mismanagement problem. Omaha metro= more people, somewhat better economy. if they are moving it is like a slap in the face to the knights of aksarben, omaha, and the knights staff. Quad citites=spend MORE money to renovate arena, start back at square one with no following. Plus as of tuesday, the knights were still selling season tickets, and many people have renewed = alot of angry people and a lot of checks to write to those who have paid.

[Hoody]

Quad -Cities has (what looks to be) a pretty nice arena

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MARK_of_the_Quad_Cities''>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MARK_of_the_Quad_Cities' target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MARK_of_the_Quad_Cities[/post]

The MARK of the Quad Cities is a beautiful arena that has won Arena of the Year awards, I believe, 5 times in the 15 year history of the building. It has aged very well, still looking new, inside and out. It is located on the banks of the Mississippi river in Moline, IL, in a rejuvenated historic business area.

[cflames7]

The flames are almost constatnly scouting locations. I think this is a scare blown out of proportion by the media. THE KNIGHTS ARENT GOING ANYWHERE

[Redslinger]

The flames are almost constatnly scouting locations. I think this is a scare blown out of proportion by the media. THE KNIGHTS ARENT GOING ANYWHERE

Well, the fact that Ken King wouldn't confirm or deny this story suggests that there is likely something to it.

[cflames7]

I see ur point but lets have some class and wait. Dont let this get out of hand, like it already has with some people. I, being a hockey fan want the team to do what is best for itself. If they are really losing a lot of money in omaha and trends are going down(WHICH THEY ARE NOT), then why shouldn't they move instead of staying and shutting down. I honestly dont believe they are moving, simply based on some of the figures, such as falling attendance in quad cities and rising attendance here. Also, the knights overshot their season ticket goal by a lot (don't have specific number). Let's not be like the other people and call people in calgary bad people because wouldn't you look like a jerk when it turns out to be false. The civic is okay, great for hockey because you sit so close, but if they wanted a nicer location, there is the Qwest Center like 1.5 blocks away from the civic.

[Ruddman23]

I see ur point but lets have some class and wait. Dont let this get out of hand, like it already has with some people. I, being a hockey fan want the team to do what is best for itself. If they are really losing a lot of money in omaha and trends are going down(WHICH THEY ARE NOT), then why shouldn't they move instead of staying and shutting down. I honestly dont believe they are moving, simply based on some of the figures, such as falling attendance in quad cities and rising attendance here. Also, the knights overshot their season ticket goal by a lot (don't have specific number). Let's not be like the other people and call people in calgary bad people because wouldn't you look like a jerk when it turns out to be false. The civic is okay, great for hockey because you sit so close, but if they wanted a nicer location, there is the Qwest Center like 1.5 blocks away from the civic.

The Qwest Center is nice but not for Hockey at this level. If you do not have 14000 people in there it looks empty. The Roundtable (Civic) is a great down in your face place to see hockey. I talk with the staff again today and they are doing their job just like any other day. The Knights even have my security deposit on my season ticks for next year. I have been working on a project to get them more contacts as well as expanded market. Mr. King told us he was giving us another year. This is a stab in the back as far as I think. I just keep praying it is not true

I have another question. Isn

[ironranger]

I guess Omaha was a one night stand to the flames. Good luck in the Quad cities I'm sure alot of the Mallard fans will just run right over to get tickets. Knowing that they too could be left without any Hockey in town after the Knights leave town two years later.

We should have seen this coming down the road when they did not resign players at the end of the season.

Hey by the way how many fortune 500 companys do the Quad Cities have.

Bad move Flames you may have just put Omaha out of the pro Hockey Game Forever.

Thanks to the Players for Two great years

[Barney_Gumble]

I noticed in the one article it said 'the Oilers were also inquiring' (too bad they left out the part about their AHL team playing in Edmonton again this year Now that the necessary shot at the Oilers is out of the way, I (as usual) will play the part of optimist and suggest while the writing may be on the wall for a move, it doesn't mean it's a sure thing (either way). Maybe Omaha gets one more season to try and establish itself, maybe KK is just starting to plan the exit strategy?

Rally Time for Omaha?

(Sorry, don't have Monkey in the Knights jersey)

[Hoody]

I guess Omaha was a one night stand to the flames. Good luck in the Quad cities I'm sure alot of the Mallard fans will just run right over to get tickets. Knowing that they too could be left without any Hockey in town after the Knights leave town two years later.

We should have seen this coming down the road when they did not resign players at the end of the season.

Hey by the way how many fortune 500 companys do the Quad Cities have.

Bad move Flames you may have just put Omaha out of the pro Hockey Game Forever.

Thanks to the Players for Two great years

I'm sorry to see Omaha lose any hockey team. But the fact that they still have UNO, and the Lancers are good things, with long standing traditions. If the Knights do move to the Quad Cities, they will replace the existing UHL Mallards, and yes, people will go buy tickets to see them. We have been trying to get AHL or ECHL hockey here for several years, and a lot of former STH's would not renew until the hockey moved up a level because of the horrible quality the UHL had turned into.

I just looked, and QC area has 2 Fortune 500 companies in the area, Deere and Co. and HON. But we also have Alcoa, and the Rock Island Arsenal / US Army, which employs almost as many people. Is Omaha bigger? Yes. Is it growing? Yes. But it is also a saturated hockey market. The QC Mallards may have averaged a little less than the Knights did, but that was also a 12 year low, mainly because of the caliber of hockey. If the AHL comes here, those number will shoot up dramatically.

Hoody

[Knightstruck]

Thank you to the people of Calgary and to the Flames organization for selecting Omaha, Nebraska as the home of the Knights! As one fan among many, I realize the investment that the Flames have made in this team. I believe that given the current leadership of the team, the enthusiastic sales force, and a growing and committed base of fans, we can turn the tide for the Knights hockey club if given the opportunity.

I have become a fan of the Flames as the result of the partnership the Flames started with Omaha. I have watched televised games where the entire Saddledome was filled with red jerseys. What an incredible thing you have! The love of the game, the loyal support of the fans, and the excitement of the crowd. I can envision that same thing happening here at the Civic Auditorium for our Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights hockey club.

I have heard various reasons for the lagging support of the team. One thing in particular was the original leadership and marketing for the Knights coming into Omaha saying more or less, "We are going to squash the rest of you!" What a huge mistake that was and the organization has had only one year so far to recover from that mess. The momentum was shifting, and support was growing prior to the statements that were released to our news media regarding the possible departure of the club. Depending on how the situation is handled in the next few weeks, I believe that going into the 2007-08 season we can still realize sizable gains in ticket sales and community support.

I sincerely hope that the Flames management and business office will give the people of Omaha a chance to develop this club into a successful extension of the Calgary Flames, as I am sure it has the capability to become.

[blazer052]

The Qwest Center is nice but not for Hockey at this level. If you do not have 14000 people in there it looks empty. The Roundtable (Civic) is a great down in your face place to see hockey. I talk with the staff again today and they are doing their job just like any other day. The Knights even have my security deposit on my season ticks for next year. I have been working on a project to get them more contacts as well as expanded market. Mr. King told us he was giving us another year. This is a stab in the back as far as I think. I just keep praying it is not true

I have another question. Isn

[Knightstruck]

It seems from a business perspective it would pay off to seek some return on the current investment. I believe unless they get some way too good to be true offer from the Quad-Cities folks they will stay in Omaha. I wonder if the Flames management has talked to the players at all? Every one of them I have talked to has said that they cannot believe the incredible support and loyalty of the Omaha fans. The Booster club's grassroots efforts, along with many other fans, and the office staff can make this work! Give the people of Omaha another season to move out of the red.

This was the first year in many that I was actually looking forward to winter because of the start of the next season of Knights hockey! Without the charge of Knights hockey, winter will be cold and dark.

[Ruddman23]

I think the best way to describe the fallout option (go and watch UNO or the Lancers) would be to say if Calgary lost the Flames they all turn into Oilier fans. The UNO fans have been rude and jealous of the Knights. They are rejoicing in this problem. The leader of them is a half-witted news reporter that has never welcomed the Knights.

[conn_smythe]

Isn