Hockey has been played in the capital city of the State of New York for 20 straight seasons, but with the move of the Albany River Rats to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2010-2011 season, that reign is in jeopardy.
Could Portland’s AHL Franchise Be Albany Bound?
Sources have told the Albany Times Union that the Portland (Maine) Pirates are negotiating with the Times Union Center, the ironically named building that the River Rats currently call home, and that a move to Albany could be announced within a few weeks.
Times Union Center general manager Bob Belber said today a deal for a new AHL tenant could be in place by the first week in March, adding whether that team would be called the River Rats remained undetermined.
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The Pirates managing owner, Brian Petrovek, attended a game at Times Union Center Friday. In an interview with staff writer Pete Dougherty, Petrovek would not directly discuss moving the team to Albany, but said the team is exploring options and addressed how hockey could work in the Capital Region.
The Pirates have been located in Portland since 1993 and they have relatively good attendance numbers compared to most franchises in the league. They’ve averaged 4,145 fans for home games this season, compared to Albany’s 3,545 fans per game.
The team is locally owned and they have a pretty nice set up at the Cumberland County Civic Center, despite public knowledge that they would like to see renovations on the building. The lease between the arena and the team is up at the end of this season.
Nevertheless, they’re kind of baffled about the news of a potential move in Portland.
However, Neal Pratt Chairman of the Cumberland County Civic Center Trustee says not so fast.
Pratt indicated that he was aware the Portland Pirates were looking at Albany as potential place to relocate should a new lease with the CCCC not come to fruition.
He still, however, it acting under the assumption that both parties are working in good faith in toward a new lease, and the Pirates will stay in Portland.
“This doesn’t catch me by surprise,” he said. “Brian (Petrovek) has been very forth right about this, and it doesn’t surprise me a bit that good business people would be looking everywhere at all times to consider what’s best for their business.”
It’s not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s creating a lot of emotions inside both fan bases. In Albany, it’s hope for a hockey-filled future, while in Portland, they’re getting ready to potentially mourn their team.
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