First it was Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning poaching Dominic Moore, Julien BriseBois and the Bulldogs coaching staff from the Canadiens organization. Now the other Florida team, the Panthers, is the new NHL affiliate of the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Cyclones are 2010 Kelly Cup winners of the ECHL while affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.
Nashville will continue their connection with Cincinnati, while Montreal will not. The following press release from the Cincinnati Cyclones has only one sentence about the Canadiens:
“The Cyclones and Montreal Canadiens have mutually agreed that it was best not to continue their affiliation.”
Cyclones, Nashville Predators renew affiliation agreement
Date: 08/10/2010
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The 2010 Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that they have renewed their minor league affiliation agreement with the Nashville Predators (NHL) and Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) for the 2010-11 season. These teams will join the Florida Panthers (NHL) and Rochester Americans (AHL) as Cyclones affiliates.
The Nashville Predators are entering their twelfth season in the NHL. They finished the 2009-10 season with a 47-19-6 record, good enough for a third place Central Division finish and a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons; they were eliminated by the eventual champion Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Barry Trotz will be back behind the Nashville bench this season after finishing last year as a runner-up for the Jack Adams Award (NHL Coach of the Year). Trotz has put himself among some legendary names, ranking sixth all-time in both games coached (902) and wins (411) with a single franchise. Additionally, he is only the second coach in NHL history to spend each of the first 10 seasons as a team’s head coach joining the New York Rangers Lester Patrick (13 seasons, 1926-39).
The Milwaukee Admirals will once again be the AHL affiliate of the Cyclones this season. Like their parent club, the Admirals have been a consistent playoff contender – earning a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs in eight straight seasons and nine of the last ten. Last year, several Cyclones spent time playing with the Admirals, including Jason Jozsa, Mark Van Guilder, Ian McKenzie, Reid Cashman, Dustin Sproat, and Kelly Cup Finals Co-MVP Jeremy Smith. Milwaukee finished 2009-10 with a 41-30-2-7 record, good for fourth place in the West Division. They were eliminated from last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs in the first round by the Chicago Wolves in a seven-game series. Prior to joining the AHL in 2001, the Admirals and Cyclones spent nine years as rivals in the International Hockey League (IHL). The Cyclones were 23-17-4 (.568 winning percentage) in games versus the Admirals during that stretch.
“We’re very happy and proud to continue our partnership with the Predators,” said Cyclones GM Kristin Ropp. “Nashville has always brought in great young talent that gives our fans in Cincinnati an exciting, championship-level product every night.”
The Cyclones and Montreal Canadiens have mutually agreed that it was best not to continue their affiliation.
The defending Kelly Cup Champion Cyclones open their home schedule on Saturday, October 30 at U.S. Bank Arena against the Wheeling Nailers. Discounted ticket packages for the 2010-2011 season are available now. For more information, call 513.421.PUCK (7825) extension 3 or visit CyclonesHockey.com.