FPHL To Virginia

[Michael Smitley]

Hockey comes to APEX Center

Click to read more...

 

[JMCx4]

21st Century geography creeps into modern media ... "The team will be the FPHL’s first Virginia entry starting with the 2023-24 season joining Winston-Salem’s Carolina Thunderbirds as the two most central teams in the league."

Meanwhile, a photo of the current APEX ice conditions, courtesy of the facility's Google profile ...

ETA: Proximity to the Flying J Travel Center must've been what attracted The Soskin-ator to this can't-miss business opportunity.

 

[NEPA Ice]

Gotta get some sort of team the Elmira Mammoth can defeat.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

The entire county has a population of 28,000. I drive through this part of Virginia a couple times a year as my parents live in North Carolina. There's nothing there. There's no one there. There's no chance this works. But that's never stopped Barry Soskin or the FPHL. All that gun shop money has to go somewhere, I guess...

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

The best part about this league? The team makes money and is financially healthy if the team averages more than 1,000 butts in seats every home game and can put a team anywhere that is possible.

The worst part about this league? take a guess

 

[CrazyEddie20]

The best part about this league? The team makes money and is financially healthy if the team averages more than 1,000 butts in seats every home game and can put a team anywhere that is possible.

The worst part about this league? take a guess

Well, it's easier to make money when you make the players pay for their own workman's comp insurance, which I'm told the Fed does. I'm also told that's illegal, but hey, what's it matter if, say, Kyler Moje loses an eye?

 

[Checkers Hockey]

Still better than the outdoor rink experiment they did in Williamsport.

 

[HockeyBob2022]

I hate that Binghamton is in the Fed. Just miss my city being in the AHL and being apart of that community.

The team is announcing sell outs when it's like 3,800 fans, I feel like they count fans like Albany used to.

 

[Checkers Hockey]

I hate that Binghamton is in the Fed. Just miss my city being in the AHL and being apart of that community.

Hockey is better than no hockey, even if the Fed is a joke.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Hockey is better than no hockey, even if the Fed is a joke.

Ask Kyler Moje if playing in the Fed and losing an eye is better than not playing hockey at all.

 

[Checkers Hockey]

Ask Kyler Moje if playing in the Fed and losing an eye is better than not playing hockey at all.

Although I'm not a fan of the Fed and certainly won't defend their shenanigans, hockey is certainly better than none at all. The incident involving Moje, however tragic, occurred a decade ago.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Although I'm not a fan of the Fed and certainly won't defend their shenanigans, hockey is certainly better than none at all. The incident involving Moje, however tragic, occurred a decade ago.

A decade ago, yet the same clowns are still in charge.

The whole "hockey is better than no hockey" is a pie-in-the-sky fanboi line of thought. Think about it a little more critically: this league is a fly-by-night operation that screws its employees (players especially) and poisons the well in the markets it enters.

Hockey is better than no hockey? A lot of markets end up with no hockey for a long, long time when clownshows like the Fed, SPHL, UHL, and CHL leave town.

 

[Checkers Hockey]

A decade ago, yet the same clowns are still in charge.

The whole "hockey is better than no hockey" is a pie-in-the-sky fanboi line of thought. Think about it a little more critically: this league is a fly-by-night operation that screws its employees (players especially) and poisons the well in the markets it enters.

Hockey is better than no hockey? A lot of markets end up with no hockey for a long, long time when clownshows like the Fed, SPHL, UHL, and CHL leave town.

Okay, I get it now. You are one of those guys who have no respect for anything lower than the AHL. If the thought of Binghamton going without hockey is what makes you sleep better at night, then good for you. As I said before, I don't support the Fed but they're at least giving fans a reason to get out and watch some kind of hockey.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Okay, I get it now. You are one of those guys who have no respect for anything lower than the AHL. If the thought of Binghamton going without hockey is what makes you sleep better at night, then good for you. As I said before, I don't support the Fed but they're at least giving fans a reason to get out and watch some kind of hockey.

No, I respect the ECHL. The leagues that stiff players and team employees, those I have no respect for.

The thought of Binghamton having a team or not doesn't enter my mind. I really don't care. I've been to Binghamton twice. It seemed nice enough to me.

You can't grow the game by standing outside a rink firing a shotgun into the air, while yelling, "HOCKEY! GET YOUR HOCKEY! WHO WANTS HOCKEY?" Build an organization that does right by the players, staff and fans in a league that does right by its member teams, and you'll have something that'll grow the game. The reality is that the FPHL is a league run by a bunch of frauds with a number of teams owned by frauds. Sorry if you can't understand that.

But hey, let's go watch Jon Mirasty suffer more brain trauma. It's entertainment, right?

 

[Ratitude]

I hate that Binghamton is in the Fed. Just miss my city being in the AHL and being apart of that community.

The team is announcing sell outs when it's like 3,800 fans, I feel like they count fans like Albany used to.

Like Albany used to? Makes zero sense other then sounding bitter. Albany never fudged it's attendance numbers, go look at HockeyDBs attendance numbers for the Albany Devils, especially for their last season before their departure for Binghamton. The lower bowl in Albany seats roughly 6500 so as someone who has attended games in Albany for years there was no fudging already dismal attendance for the A-Devils.

The reality was Albany fans, myself included couldn't stomach the Devils organization no longer. I could equally support a competitive FPHL of guys trying their hardest to win and play a game with longshot hopes of moving up. Truthfully the AHL had become a sterile product where the parent organization was not interested in winning in Albany, they were interested in organizational and "systems" development. They weren't in the business of satisfying me as a ticket buying fan, that is the problem.

The Albany Devils departure was met with a collective yawn here in the Capital District. Now if only we can convince the Adirondack Thunder to end their relationship with this terrible organization. Here in Capitaland we have Union, RPI, ECHL Thunder and even D3 Skidmore. We have plenty of great hockey and losing the AHL Devils "taxi squad" wasn't that big of a deal. Although they are off to a lousy start the Adirondack Thunder is well run locally, and not from that cesspool of Newark. Quite honestly if we didn't locally have the ECHL in Glens Falls then I definitely would support an FPHL team. Be cool to play teams from Elmira, Watertown, Danbury, and beat on Binghamton some more. Bitter Binghamton fans should be mad at the Devils organization and Utica. Binghamton was foolish enough to make a deal with the Devil in the first place. Rather support an FPHL or SPHL club then an AHL organization who could care less about my own local community. Like it or not the FPHL has survived a decade and through the ups and downs it has matured and withstood its challenges.

 

[JMCx4]

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in this thread ...

 

[Checkers Hockey]

The thought of Binghamton having a team or not doesn't enter my mind. I really don't care.

Do you really believe that? As soon as I mentioned hockey in that city was better than none, you got all bent out of shape.

Sorry if you can't understand that.

No, I understand, but I don't get caught up in what goes on behind the scenes as you do. It's unfortunate that you think that cities like Binghamton shouldn't have anything at all if they can only get lower-level leagues like the Fed. I'm starting to have doubts you're even a hockey fan at all. No true hockey fan holds onto petty grudges and objects to hockey being played in a city, no matter what the level is.

But hey, let's go watch Jon Mirasty suffer more brain trauma. It's entertainment, right?

 

[Checkers Hockey]

Like Albany used to? Makes zero sense other then sounding bitter. Albany never fudged it's attendance numbers, go look at HockeyDBs attendance numbers for the Albany Devils, especially for their last season before their departure for Binghamton. The lower bowl in Albany seats roughly 6500 so as someone who has attended games in Albany for years there was no fudging already dismal attendance for the A-Devils.

The reality was Albany fans, myself included couldn't stomach the Devils organization no longer. I could equally support a competitive FPHL of guys trying their hardest to win and play a game with longshot hopes of moving up. Truthfully the AHL had become a sterile product where the parent organization was not interested in winning in Albany, they were interested in organizational and "systems" development. They weren't in the business of satisfying me as a ticket buying fan, that is the problem.

The Albany Devils departure was met with a collective yawn here in the Capital District. Now if only we can convince the Adirondack Thunder to end their relationship with this terrible organization. Here in Capitaland we have Union, RPI, ECHL Thunder and even D3 Skidmore. We have plenty of great hockey and losing the AHL Devils "taxi squad" wasn't that big of a deal. Although they are off to a lousy start the Adirondack Thunder is well run locally, and not from that cesspool of Newark. Quite honestly if we didn't locally have the ECHL in Glens Falls then I definitely would support an FPHL team. Be cool to play teams from Elmira, Watertown, Danbury, and beat on Binghamton some more. Bitter Binghamton fans should be mad at the Devils organization and Utica. Binghamton was foolish enough to make a deal with the Devil in the first place. Rather support an FPHL or SPHL club then an AHL organization who could care less about my own local community. Like it or not the FPHL has survived a decade and through the ups and downs it has matured and withstood its challenges.

So we can safely assume you're not a fan of the Devils? lol

 

[Ratitude]

W

So we can safely assume you're not a fan of the Devils? lol

I did for the first AHL Devils go around with the Albany River Rats of course. When Devils came back to Albany as the A Devils they kinda burned the local market and interest. When they announced the move from Albany for Binghamton they had just signed a brand new agreement with Albany County like a month or two before that. They also reneged on an informal promise to re brand the team the Albany River Rats (they got the nod from Capital District Sports who owned the name logo etc) and become more friendly on a local level here to the fans. The Devils didn't care, they were interested in satisfying the fans from the Smallbany area lol. Sometimes it's better to just let go, and in the case of a lower level league coming in I feel it's better to support. If the fan base is there a higher league will notice, that I have no doubt. If Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Salt Lake, and Indianapolis can support the ECHL then certainly Binghamton isn't too good for the FPHL. Kudos to the fans there that are at least willing to attend a few games, I respect them.

 

[Checkers Hockey]

They also reneged on an informal promise to re brand the team the Albany River Rats (they got the nod from Capital District Sports who owned the name logo etc) and become more friendly on a local level here to the fans.

Knowing the Devils and Lou Lamoriello, there was no way that was going to happen. I'm surprised Utica retained the Comets' name after becoming the new affiliate. Maybe the fact the team isn't owned by the Devils might have something to do with it.

 

[Ratitude]

Knowing the Devils and Lou Lamoriello, there was no way that was going to happen. I'm surprised Utica retained the Comets' name after becoming the new affiliate. Maybe the fact the team isn't owned by the Devils might have something to do with it.

This was after Lou's tenure as GM, although Lou had stated publicly that he didn't care for the River Rats name. The last season of the A-Devils the organization came out saying they were open to discussions regarding use of the River Rats name and logo, heck it was handed to them on a silver platter from Capital District Sports (Robb family and former franchise owners). So when the A-Devils did their River Rats throw back nights oddly enough the attendance would bump up to a respectable 4000 to 5000+ from their dismal average of 2500 to barely 3000. It would have been a good faith gesture on their part but they weren't interested.

Luckily for Utica Eshe is very influential and and although Utica is smaller there is way more less competition for the disposable dollar. In the Capital Region you have 2 NCAA D1 teams, 1 ECHL team, and Albany being a basketball town and not a hockey town you have UAlbany and Siena College D1 basketball. Actually Schenectady is getting ready to build a small arena of just under 3000 seats which is poised to become the new home of Union College's hockey team. That arena is planned for Mohawk Harbor adjacent to the Rivers Casino. That project has officials in Albany concerned because casinos have huge guarantee funding when it comes to concerts and events promoting. Publicly funded arenas don't have the same resources from my understanding.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Do you really believe that? As soon as I mentioned hockey in that city was better than none, you got all bent out of shape.

No, I understand, but I don't get caught up in what goes on behind the scenes as you do. It's unfortunate that you think that cities like Binghamton shouldn't have anything at all if they can only get lower-level leagues like the Fed. I'm starting to have doubts you're even a hockey fan at all. No true hockey fan holds onto petty grudges and objects to hockey being played in a city, no matter what the level is.

View attachment 610386

MOD

I literally do not care if Binghamton does or does not have hockey. Really.

The reason I think these lower level leagues are problematic and detrimental to the growth of hockey is pretty simple: THEY ARE.

While Binghamton's ownership has done a far better job than pretty much every other FPHL management group in terms of ticket and sponsorship, the rest of the league is a mess. Every year it seems there are zombie teams that exist as schedule fillers. For the most part, the guys who are playing in this league have been going nowhere in hockey since midget, and but for the existence of this "professional hockey league," they'd have had to find real jobs. Not to mention that the league is making the players pay for their own worker's comp insurance, which is illegal.

And for the record, I'm not a "hockey fan." I've worked in the hockey industry. I'm critical of the industry because I've seen how the sausage is made and I've lived the life. Personally, I think fans need to look more critically at what they're watching. Use your brain and really think about what's going on in the game and why it's going on. Fans don't do that. Fans just show up and say, "YAY HOCKEY!" Fans are marks, and Barry Soskin, Don Kirnan, and Sarge Richards are con men.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

View attachment 610386

Since you don't seem to understand what I'm saying regarding Mr. Mirasty, let me explain it to you in a way you might understand.

When you work for years in a coal mine, especially without the use of a respirator, you're at a very high risk of developing Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis, also known as Black Lung. If you work around asbestos, you're at a high risk for developing asbestosis. If you work around certain chemicals, you're at significantly elevated risks for certain cancers. These are generally referred to as "industrial diseases," because if you work in certain industries, you're likely to get the disease.

Hockey and football have their own industrial disease: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

How a 40-year-old who's racked up 2,000 penalty minutes alongside an indeterminate number of concussions can be medically cleared to play by any doctor who has any sense of ethics is beyond me. Of course, I wouldn't be shocked if there were no player medical exams or files kept in the FPHL...

When you watch Mirasty play this year, remember that every punch he takes (and every punch he's giving out) is shortening his life or his opponent's life. You're watching him and every other one-trick-pony enforcer slowly die for entertainment.

 

[JMCx4]

... When you watch Mirasty play this year, remember that every punch he takes (and every punch he's giving out) is shortening his life or his opponent's life. You're watching him and every other one-trick-pony enforcer slowly die for entertainment.

Which one was he?

 

[CrazyEddie20]

BUT WE NEED SINGLE-A PRO HOCKEY!