What’s the benefit to us of players getting called up?

From: Marlana

Comments: Just a question. We don’t have an affiliation yet several of our guys have been called up. Happy for them to get the opportunity. I mean it’s awesome for them. We wouldn’t want them to miss that opportunity, but what’s the benefit for us? It doesn’t seem we need an affiliation for call ups, but it appears we do to get players sent down. Why is that?

Reply: The benefit for us, Marlana, isn’t in the immediacy of the player going up. But look at it from a player’s perspective. They know that by coming to the Condors they have a coach and an organization that wants to promote players to the next level. These guys don’t aspire to be ECHL players their whole career, they want to move up as high as they can go in the hockey ranks. Especially this season, with no affiliation, players know that they aren’t here totally off the grid, but that AHL teams are paying attention and bringing guys up. It bodes well for the future and for recruiting for Matt O’Dette to be able to tell a guy that four of our players went to the AHL this season.

As far as your other question, if a player is under contract in the AHL, usually if he gets sent down to the ECHL he most likely will end up with their affiliate. If a player is under contract to us, such as Robby Dee for example, when he was “called up” by Abbotsford, they were looking for someone who was a free agent at the AHL level. So the AHL teams look at the ECHL and find guys to sign to try-out agreements.

-The Mailbag Guy