Our man Jeremiah Bartz at The Frontiersman has a breaking story that reports the North American Hockey League's Palmer-based Alaska Avalanche appear to be on the move.
Jeremiah reports owner Mark Lee has requested to the league the franchise be relocated and sold, and he's talking to folks in Johnstown, Pa., about the possibility of the franchise moving there.
The Avs drew an average of just 387 fans per home game at the MTA Events Center in Palmer -- that ranked next to last on the 28-team circuit -- and pulled a combined total of just 546 to two playoff games last week. (FYI -- The league average attendance in the regular season was 1,342
Should the franchise move, repercussions will be felt in more than just the Valley. That would leave the NAHL's two other Alaska teams -- the defending Robertson Cup champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs and Kenai River Brown Bears -- without an in-state rival and a geographic friend that helps keep travel costs down. The Ice Dogs in the regular season averaged 2,134 per home game (sixth in the league) and the Brown Bears averaged 783 (18th).
