vangvace 12 Report post Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) Latest info: New league promises tough hockey K’s, four Michigan teams form IHL with eye on geographical proximity, quality ownership. By Pete DiPrimio pdiprimio@news-sentinel.com The International Hockey League is back. The United Hockey League is out. The result: an emphasis on bruising, entertaining hockey. What does that mean for the Fort Wayne Komets? For starters, they’ll play in a revamped six-team league that also consists of fellow former UHL franchises Bloomington, Ill., and Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Flint and Port Huron, Mich. No longer around from the start of last season are Chicago, Elmira, Quad City and UHL champion Rockford. The reason for restructuring the UHL into the new IHL, league president and Kalamazoo General Manager Paul Pickard said, is simple: to create a league that emphasizes close geographical proximity and quality ownership, as well as the physical hockey the old IHL was known for, with this caveat: “Physical play without the goonery,â€Â Pickard said Wednesday night via a live Internet broadcast from Las Vegas. “We are bringing back tough, physical hockey,â€Â he said. “We’re bringing our own rules that will create an atmosphere of energy and excitement. We’ll have our own officiating staff, and they will enforce our edicts, not those of the National Hockey League or American Hockey League. Our philosophy is to create a better minor- league hockey model and provide intense rivalries.â€Â And one other thing. “We agreed we need better diligence of our ownership groups,â€Â he said. Consider that the UHL had 14 teams in seven states in 2006. Then Danbury, Conn., owner James Galante was arrested on charges of racketeering, extortion and witness tampering. Plus, he exceeded the UHL salary cap by $750,000. The team eventually folded, as did franchises in Adirondack, N.Y.; Fraser, Mich.; Roanoke, Va.; St. Charles, Mo.; and Richmond, Va. This year Rockford and Moline moved to the American Hockey League. Elmira, N.Y., moved to the ECHL. Hoffman Estates, Ill., folded. Komets General Manager David Franke has talked about the advantages of physical play because that’s what interests fans and sells tickets. That was a big reason last season’s Komets emphasized physical play. The Komets’ Michael Franke, Pickard and Muskegon owner Tony Lisman were the driving forces behind restructuring and renaming the UHL. Michael Franke is the chairman of the board of governors for the new league. It took two years of study and development, Pickard said, to decide to “recapture the glory of the IHL.â€Â The Komets played in the IHL for 47 years before switching to the UHL in 1999. “We recognize the challenges of minor league hockey,â€Â Pickard said, “and we wanted a model that would win. It was time to rethink and bring entertainment back to the game.â€Â Pickard said keeping the teams close geographically will reduce travel expenses, encourage fans and media to travel to road games, and improve the quality of play. It also will give team owners a better opportunity to “run solid business franchisesâ€Â even with the salary cap increased by an undisclosed amount. “This was a long and excruciating process,â€Â Pickard said. “We have taken our time and done our research.â€Â A 76-game schedule will be played between Oct. 19 and April 6, 2008. Rule changes include the elimination of the instigator penalty except for the final five minutes of a game, increasing the game lineup to 17 skaters and two goaltenders, a 10-minute misconduct penalty for secondary altercations and tighter officiating standards in the neutral zone but looser standards in the attacking zone. Also, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, there will be a five-minute, four-on-four sudden death period. If the score remains tied, a three-skater shootout will take place. The new IHL office will be relocated from Missouri to Rochester, Mich. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/...ts/17399401.htm Edited June 28, 2007 by vangvace Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
