Carolina Seeking New AHL Affiliation Agreement With Chicago Wolves

After 10 years and in semi-bizarre fashion, the Carolina Hurricanes will likely have a new American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for the 2020-21 season and beyond - with comments from Hurricanes general Don Waddell in a report from The Raleigh News & Observer and a subsequent statement Wednesday afternoon from their current AHL affiliate - the Charlotte Checkers - all but confirming the two will go their separate ways.

"Nothing is done yet, but certainly we are looking at all of our options," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell told the News & Observer Wednesday. "Chicago is certainly one of them. We are going to keep all of our options open. Take each year at a time and see how things play out."

Waddell also told the News & Observer that Checkers' first-year head coach Ryan Warsofsky would be the Hurricanes' AHL head coach next season regardless of where the AHL affiliate plays.

I say semi-bizarre because we actually reported on this development nearly two months ago after the news of St. Louis Blues five-year affiliation agreement with the Springfield Thunderbirds back in early March. If you remembered that (and I say bravo if you did given everything that has transpired since March 6th) then this news isn't nearly as surprising to those who were caught off-guard by today's statement from the Charlotte Checkers.

From March 6th: "Sources have told InsideAHLHockey.com there would be a bit of affiliation shuffling as a result of VGK relocating an AHL team to Nevada. I'm hearing Canes might be moving their AHL operation to Chicago, which would leave Charlotte open for Florida." (LINK -> https://twitter.com/TonyAndrock/status/1236008427572334595)

The current AHL affiliate didn't hold back either.

"While we are aware that the Carolina Hurricanes are nearing an affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes have had little dialogue with us regarding this matter," began the opening portion of the Charlotte Checkers' statement on the status of their NHL affiliation. "In an era when NHL teams are placing great value on affiliations with closer proximity between the two clubs, we understand the confusion that such a move would cause."

On the surface, this can be an extremely puzzling move.

When the Charlotte Checkers and Carolina Hurricanes initially formed their AHL-NHL partnership back in 2010 it came on the foot of the movement that brought AHL franchises closer to their NHL counterparts - which at its height saw five AHL teams relocated out west to California to begin the 2015-16 season.

Geography and the ability for NHL management/staff to have first-hand knowledge and be able to see their prospects with their own eyes has become the norm for affiliations between NHL and AHL clubs (outside of a continued Vancouver-Utica affiliation), so the decision to move from Charlotte (roughly 165 miles away from Raleigh, NC) to Chicago (roughly 810 miles from Raleigh, NC) doesn't make sense along this line of thinking.

Outside of the obvious benefits geographically - and locally as far as pro hockey in the state of North Carolina - however the decision for the Hurricanes to move their AHL operations to Chicago is a good fit for both Hurricanes ownership/management and for the Chicago Wolves for quite a few reasons when truly looking into the matter.

Wadell is no stranger to the Chicago Wolves or how they run their operation. While GM of the Atlanta Thrashers, his NHL team shared an affiliation with the Chicago Wolves in the 2000's - winning Calder Cup Championships in 2002 and 2008.

"Wherever Don Waddell was, I'd love to be affiliated with him," Chicago Wolves chairman Don Levin told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He knows the game. He knows the players, and he likes to see his players win. Winning two championships with him in the past was fun adn we'd like to keep doing it. Hopefully we'll get something done."

Of course, the Chicago Wolves ownership group shouldn't be all to unaware of the Charlotte Checkers either given they met in the 2019 Calder Cup Finals last June with the Checkers claiming their first Calder Cup Championship.

The other component in play is the Hurricanes' desire to cutting costs at the minor league level. It's always about the money right?

As reported by the News & Observer, the Chicago Wolves would pay a larger affiliation fee to Carolina than Charlotte would. But there are several other factors in play.

Moving the AHL operations to, essentially, a third party would remove a lot of the costs that come along with managing an AHL team (the veteran players signed to AHL-only contracts, the employees hired at all levels to run an AHL team, facilities, etc.) The Hurricanes can have their top pro prospects developing in the AHL, with the Chicago Wolves filling out the roster with high-end veterans to form a competitive team.

It's no secret that the Chicago Wolves, owned not by an NHL team but locally by Don Levin and Buddy Meyers, are in the American Hockey League (AHL) to promote a strong, competitive product capable of competing for the Calder Cup Championships annually.

It's also no secret that how much involvement they want to have on their AHL club in its day-to-day operations has likely been the cause of their being in need of a new NHL team to partner with regularly since the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-2012 season. Since then, the Chicago Wolves have had agreements with the Vancouver Canucks (2011-13), St. Louis Blues (2013-2016) and most recently the Vegas Golden Knights (2016-20).

With Vegas purchasing the San Antonio Rampage from Spurs Entertainment Group and relocating the AHL franchise to Nevada for the 2020-21 season, leaving the St. Louis Blues temporarily without an AHL affiliate, the Blues opted to start a new affiliation with Springfield Thunderbirds  in Massachusetts rather than return to an affiliation with the Chicago Wolves.

Geography aside, this really looks like a win-win for both the Hurricanes and the AHL's Chicago Wolves ownership group. The Canes want to cut minor league costs, and the Wolves want much more focus (and control) on fielding a deep and competitive AHL roster aimed at providing a winning team and annual championship contender. They should be able to meet somewhere in the middle.

If/when the affiliation agreement between Carolina and AHL Chicago is finalized, it will leave Charlotte without an NHL affiliation for the 2020-21 season - though the Florida Panthers are currently without an AHL partner for next season. Their current agreement with the Springfield Thunderbirds will end at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, with the St. Louis Blues' announcement of a five-year affiliation agreement in Springfield back in March set to kick in beginning next season.

"We will explore other options for our affiliation and look forward to continuing in the American Hockey League when play resumes," Wednesday's statement from the Charlotte Checkers concluded.

Unless there is more movement among NHL-AHL affiliation agreements, it seems that Charlotte is a likely landing point for the Florida Panthers for at least the 2020-21 season - uncertainties about the resumption of play aside.

For Checkers fans in the Charlotte area, it's more unsettling news coming while the Checkers' current AHL season - and the sports world as a whole - are on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's been quite a last 365 days for that fanbase, coming off the championship season last year.

"This whole season has been an emotional ride for us Checkers fans," said Lexi Vasaturo, a Charlotte Checkers season ticketholder of four years since moving to the area. "Losing half our team before the season started, losing big players a couple months ago, for not much, [and] now this? And we didn’t get to properly say goodbye thanks to COVID-19. I’m upset."