More, from the Muskegon Chronicle:
Current IHL, junior hockey not that far apart (Feb 5)
It's official: Lumberjacks hockey team to fold (Feb 8)
Reaction of fans, players mixed (Feb 9)
Muskegon leaders see economic boost in Lumberjacks' switch (Feb 9)

Interesting to note that Josh Mervis, the new majority owner of the USHL Lumberjacks, considered 6 other markets before choosing Muskegon - including Battle Creek and Louisville.


I think this is really something to consider as we approach a very important time in the budding story of hockey in Evansville. It's a question that was briefly discussed in the "Maniac Call to Action" thread...

What's more viable long-term - a low-minor league like the IHL, or a high-junior league like the USHL?

I mean, seriously, if an IHL team in a hockey-mad city with 50 years of pro hockey history can't make it...can an IHL team really succeed in Evansville? Muskegon averaged a respectable 2900 fans per game - 57% capacity of the 5100-seat LC Walker Arena. It's a smaller building that's also quite old (built in 1960), so it stands to reason that the cost of using it is lower than what a hockey franchise will have to pay in Evansville for using a new building that's twice as big.

Throw in the fact that junior players aren't paid, and it all adds up to a much more reasonable budget in the USHL - some have said it's about half of that in the IHL. Muskegon's current owners made it quite clear that the IHL just doesn't make financial sense right now. "There are issues in the minor pro system today," they said. "The minor pro business model is not sustainable for the long term," they added. And they also claim their losses in the last two years (since they purchased the franchise) are "significant."

Their claims would seem to be supported by the incredible instability in the low minors over the past few years. Minor league hockey has never been the most static industry, but the number of teams that have moved or folded in the past few years is rather alarming. We've seen it right here in the AAHL, and the IHL hasn't really been much more stable. Muskegon city leaders said the direction of minor league hockey made it possible that the IHL's Lumberjacks "could fold at the end of any season." But moving to the USHL "brings about stability and new possibilities."


For all intents and purposes, the level of play in the USHL is at least comparable to that of the IHL, if not slightly better. The game is fast and physical, fighting is common, and the skill level is high. It's quality hockey, any way you slice it. Both the USHL and IHL are developmental leagues, aiming to help players move up to the next level; it's just that one league pays its players while the other does not.

Yes, there are certainly drawbacks to the USHL. There's usually rather quick roster turnover, as most players will only play 1-2 years for a team before moving on. Some people simply won't want to pay to watch 16-20 year old "kids" play hockey, no matter how bright their futures may be. And the fact that the team isn't "pro" could be a marketing hinderance, as it has been in Indy since the Ice moved from the CHL to the USHL - and may also be in Muskegon come next season. But a switch from pro to junior probably wouldn't be met with such an attitude in Evansville, which doesn't have nearly the history of pro hockey that Indy and Muskegon have.

But there are also some major advantages to the USHL, in addition to the financial side of things. While the players are younger, many of them are truly on their way up. (The league has numerous players taken in the NHL Draft every season, and 112 current NHL players - essentially equivalent to 5 full teams - started in the USHL.) The USHL is also far more stable - it will have 16 teams next season, 11 of its 14 current teams average 2000+ fans per game, and it's only had 1 team fold since 2005. By comparison, the IHL currently only has 6 teams slated for next season (half of which are averaging fewer than 2000 fans per game), and it's had nearly a dozen teams go kerplunk since '05.


I know the IceMen organization already has an IHL agreement in hand. That's cool. But I really do think the USHL is worth exploring as well. If the rumors are accurate and an outside group is bidding to bring a USHL team to Evansville as the new arena's hockey tenant, I think the IceMen organization also needs to be open to the idea of the USHL. If you commit 100% to the IHL and the city feels that the USHL is a better long-term option, then you're pretty much screwed.

Bottom line: We'll probably only get one chance to make hockey work at the new arena. The people of this city generally aren't big on adopting new things, and they surely aren't going to roll out the red carpet a second time if the original attempt doesn't work. (People haven't exactly been clamoring for another go-round at indoor football, have they?) So city leaders will do whatever it takes to give this venture the best shot at long-term success the first time. If that means playing in the USHL instead of the IHL, then that's the path they'll pursue. I just don't want to see the IceMen organization get left out in the cold because it's already married to the IHL.


Last Edited By: Shocker 02/15/10 4:41 PM. Edited 1 times.