Quine/The Constant Question(s): Wednesday notes

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7 Responses

  1. NYIFC says:
    July 15, 2016 at 12:51 pm

    You are absolutely correct. Sound Tigers must stay unless equal or superior to the AHL. Was not in previous discussions at all or on 2/16/11. Makes it kind of odd Wang/people wanted the language change at all given he could not own 2 AHL teams, provide an equal or superior league team to AHL or what Wang promised in 2013 to Mangano and Ratner.

    Either way if Malkin-Ledecky now own HYSE lease to operate WBA to 2021 they are tied to the same agreement.

    Happy Gibson deadline day unless he gets more time to decide.
    Thank You.

  2. Michael Fornabaio says:
    July 15, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Centerplate is an entirely separate company. (It still runs the concessions in Bridgeport.)

    See page 145 of the full 2/22/11 minutes. And the “‘AHL’ going away” issue isn’t exactly fully examined in the committee minutes, but it does make clear that the Islanders did not expect not to have a top farm team. (See also page 511 of the NHL CBA, the “Establishment of a New Minor Professional Hockey League” letter, which by then was more a concern about what’s now the AHL Pacific Division.)

  3. NYIFC says:
    July 15, 2016 at 9:37 am

    So Malkin-Ledecky now operate WBA to 2021 per Boe’s lease from 2000, book the arena, and Wang-Picker are out of the facilities daily operations?

    I posted the 2011 meeting documents related to this back in June 2015 and the history back to Boe from day one. His agreement with Volume Services Of America which became Centerplate, which Wang bought and changed to HYSE called for the arena operator to supply an AHL team.

    There has never been a lease between the Sound Tigers and Bridgeport.

    Wang wanted that AHL wording changed before buying from Centerplate with parking changes.

    Never saw a word in the 2/16/11 contracts committee documents where there was one word about AHL/better (passed unanimously) http://www.bridgeportct.gov/filestorage/87203/97753/98792/98797/2011-02-16SP_%281%29.pdf

    2/22/16 page 11 (*28-10) Was an approval sentence in the documents, no debate/discussion.
    http://www.bridgeportct.gov/filestorage/87203/97366/97370/99235/2011-02-22_(2).pdf

    The very brief debate on 2/16/11 was Bridgeport was worried about AHL going away and wanted ANY hockey, Centerplate wanted out of losing money, and council had no problem with them going. Wang wanted parking changes and AHL clause removed.

    Given you went to Manhattan to meet Mr Ledecky, this likely can be clarified easily now.
    Prokhorov will have to call Dolan, or someone else with an AHL team who wants a move (Ratner REIT=no sports teams) to supply Coliseum an AHL team under their management unless they want to stay in Hartford.

    Interesting. Given Bridgeport Sunday afternoon games and Islanders Barclay’s games on Sundays at 6pm, why would they want to draw attention from NHL gate?

  4. Michael Fornabaio says:
    July 14, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    While anything can change, particularly if you throw enough resources at it, the resolution the Contracts Committee sent the City Council on 2/22/11 agreed to the league-clause change “provided that the Sound Tigers remain in Bridgeport and provided further that such professional hockey league is equal to or superior to the American Hockey League.” As far as I know, that’s still in effect. Was told that the new Islanders ownership structure is now in charge both for the Sound Tigers and HYSE. Not sure about the rinks on the Island. (FWIW, the USHL is an amateur league.)

  5. NYIFC says:
    July 14, 2016 at 11:02 am

    The 2011 lease agreement is very clear on this subject despite former President Howard Saffan’s comments. Wang took over through 2021 under the specific condition of supplying a pro hockey league team, AHL had to be removed from language.

    Ratner’s Coliseum lease specifies he was to announce an AHL before ground breaking.

    Pro hockey league can mean USHL, ECHL. many pro leagues. Saffan’s gone and so is Bill Finch.

    What was needed is a definitive answer on who owns the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and did Wang include WBA operating agreement as part of the sale.

    It also can’t hurt to ask did Wang include his newly purchased Northwell Health & Iceworks as part of the sale?

  6. Michael Fornabaio says:
    July 13, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    Pretty much any fourth-year pro is going to have to clear waivers.

    And I guess it could help to have guys under contract… as long as they play enough NHL games this year.

  7. Hank says:
    July 13, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    So does Quine need to clear waivers ?
    Are these moves to prep for expansion draft in 2017?