I tweeted about this when it broke, but real life choir/liturgical dance practice got in the way of a blog entry. So, here’s the hopefully-not-too half-assed attempt at not saying too much but still saying something:
- Yes, the deal the Crunch had with the Ducks will be done after this season. The two-year deal had a third year option. The Crunch has no interest in pursuing that third year under the same deal we’ve had with them.
- No, this doesn’t mean we’re definitely getting a new parent club. The Crunch is holding their cards close to the vest on this one. Our options are to get a new deal with the Ducks or to go with a new club. If the Crunch stays with the Ducks, the new deal will be different, although I can’t really say in what ways. Since Howard refuses to do scouting and spend our own money on players, I’m not exactly sure what he’d be looking for here. A say in coaching staff? One can dream, though I’ll admit that’s doubtful. I wish I had more for you guys on this, but I don’t. All I can say is that even with all the changes this season, we’re clearly not in a position we want to be in. Despite paying better respect and attention to our needs this season, Anaheim did not move quickly enough on certain issues, specifically goaltending, coaching, and addressing players who clearly were not working within their system. I realize there’s only certain things they can do with respect to trades, but letting Holick have free reign for so long was inexcusable and probably the biggest issue we faced this season.
- Yes, there will still be hockey in Syracuse next year. Everything–and I mean EVERYTHING–that I have been told by the front office points to the Crunch absolutely staying here. There’s no question about this. The mascot may change, the colors may change, the players may change, but there will still be an AHL club run by Chairman How in Syracuse for the foreseeable future. They will find us a team to partner with, one way or another.
I wish I could say more, but that’s all I have for now. No matter what happens, I hope both teams find a situation they can be satisfied with.
From Newport Reb
