By BRUCE BERLET, Courant Staff Writer
ROCKY HILL -- The future Civic Center operator and the AHL want to keep the Wolf Pack in Hartford, but Madison Square Garden's intentions were
uncertain Wednesday.
The Connecticut Development Authority's decision to have a partnership of Lawrence R. Gottesdiener's Northland Investment Corp. and AEG Worldwide
assume the lease of the building from the city through its expiration in 2013 put the immediate future of pro hockey in Hartford in question.
Sims Hinds, senior vice president of business development for AEG Facilities, said having the Rangers affiliate stay in Hartford is a priority. MSG
Connecticut, which has run the Civic Center for 10 years, issued a statement saying it would evaluate the CDA's recommendation and comment at the
appropriate time. But MSG has often said its intention was to remain in Hartford.
"We've talked to AHL officials, and they desperately want a team to stay in Hartford," Hinds said. "Legally, they can't officially talk about bringing in
another team when there's an existing team, so the AHL can't say it has a team ready to move here as long as the Wolf Pack are a viable entity.
"But we'd love to see the Wolf Pack stay. That's our option A. They're already a known entity that built up a loyal fan base and has an affinity for the
Rangers, so it would make sense for us to be able to keep them at the Civic Center first. But if MSG decides to move their affiliation, we'll work
aggressively with the league to make sure a franchise fills the gap as soon as it becomes open."
That's in contrast to Goettesdiener's comments to the CDA board during his presentation in February that he didn't have an interest in being affiliated
with an NHL team in New York or Boston. The only NHL team not currently in a solo AHL affiliation is the Florida Panthers.
AEG owns the Manchester Monarchs, one of the most successful AHL franchises on and off the ice in their six-year history in New Hampshire. AHL rules
prohibit someone from owning more than one team, so to keep the status quo, AEG would operate the Civic Center with MSG owning the team.
MSG and the Wolf Pack have territorial rights to Hartford, so if they don't agree to that arrangement, they would have to make an affiliation swap or
replace it with a team in the ECHL, which is at a lower level. The ECHL has a team in Reading, Pa., that is owned by AEG, but multi-team ownership is
allowed in that league.
If Goettesdiener wants to own an AHL team in Hartford, AEG would have to sell the Monarchs. His long-term goal is to get another NHL team in Hartford.
AEG will operate the new Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., which will be the home of the New Jersey Devils starting next season.
AHL president and CEO Dave Andrews said the league doesn't have a role in Hartford until MSG decides its course of action. But he emphasized he would
like to see the Rangers stay.
"We absolutely want a team in Hartford, and I'd like to see the Hartford Wolf Pack remain in Hartford," Andrews said. "There's no question they have put a
good, solid competitive product in the facility from day one. They're a good partner in our league, and Hartford is a very important market to the AHL.
"I'm fully behind whatever needs to be done for a new lease to be put in place between the Rangers and a new management group."
Andrews said about 80 percent of the AHL's 29 teams are in "a landlord-tenant relationship" in which a team has a lease agreement with a building
manager.
"I think the most likely scenario is AEG will enter into negotiations with the Wolf Pack to remain there," Andrews said. "I think that's what both sides would
like to do and what the Wolf Pack's objective would be. I don't know why either side would be looking to do something different when there's an existing
entity where the on-ice product has been very successful and the location is good for the Rangers.
"You have to look at why would people want to go in a different direction, and I don't think that there's a different direction better for either one. We'd
work diligently to facilitate that, but at this point, there's not a lot we can do."
