It could be one and done for the new hockey team in Glens Falls. The future of the Adirondack Flames is in question, as a pending deal with the American Hockey League could move the club to the West Coast after only one season at the Civic Center.
Glens Falls is used to saying goodbye to hockey teams by now, but it was only eight months ago that officials announced the Adirondack Flames would bring American League Hockey back to the Civic Center…
“Welcome to the three-peat AHL city, Glens Falls, New York!”
But now it looks like the Flames are preparing for a move to the other side of the country, closer to their parent NHL organization, the Calgary Flames.
The Glens Falls team is not alone in part of the pending deal. AHL teams in Manchester, New Hampshire and Worcester, Massachusetts are also among the teams that could see a cross-country transplant to a new Pacific Division.
Home to American League Hockey for 26 seasons, with a two-decade run by the Adirondack Red Wings that ended in 1999 and the temporary home of the Adirondack Phantoms, the Civic Center, as part of the deal, could see yet another new team next season.
Ed Bartholomew, Economic Development Director for Glens Falls and the man who introduced the Flames to the city last spring, said Calgary intends to locate a team from the double-A East Coast Hockey League in the city.
“Calgary has a great history of hockey and they’re going to put a good product out on the ice, and it’s another chapter for our fans to experience,” said Bartholomew.
If it’s finalized, this would be the first time an ECHL team would play at the Civic Center. The venue also hosted a United Hockey League team, with the Adirondack IceHawks, renamed the Frostbite in 2004, until 2006.
Bartholomew said if Calgary relocates an ECHL team to Glens Falls, although not a triple-A team, there will still be quality games downtown.
“This team, it’s anticipated, will be owned and operated by the Calgary Flames, and brings a great hockey tradition like they have this current year with the Calgary Flames and Adirondack Flames. So the hockey, for the average fan, you’re not going to really notice a difference of play.”
Dan Burke, Executive Director the Civic Center Coalition, the organization that is assuming ownership of the building, said he is excited to continue a working relationship with the Calgary Flames.
“I think it’s important to understand that the building to the region, that hockey has been an anchor tenant in that building for a long, long time, and we are committed to everything we can to have a good quality product in there, working with an organization to do that. And, I’ll tell ya, the Flames have done that very well with that AHL team.”
Ken Tingley, editor of the Glens Falls Post Star, wrote this week that Calgary will “miss out” by moving its AHL team to Stockton, California. Tingley praised Glens Falls’ low crime rate and said, “Players can live downtown and walk to games and practices. And the community looks out for them. It adopts them as brothers and second sons.”
Glens Falls mayor Jack Diamond was not available for comment Wednesday. Team president Brian Petrovek would not provide comment for this story but told WAMC that an announcement is expected on the team’s future Friday morning.
