In the wake of last weeks loss to the Washington Winter Warriors, more bad news is coming out for fans of the Barrel Riders of Buffalo. Following up on our report from last week about the kerfuffle between the city of Buffalo and the management of the Barrel Riders,it appears that the team is leaving Buffalo.
Over the past several months, team owner, Scott Hall, has been making out-of-state “business trips” to San Jose, California. When asked about these trips, Hall told Game Misconduct that he was simply looking at new arena designs for Barrel Riders; looking for inspiration on what could be done back in Buffalo. In addition to this, during IHHL Ice Bucket finals, Hall had the mayor of San Jose join him in the executive suite to watch the Barrel Riders play. Official word from the Barrel Riders states that the Mayor was merely invited to the game since he and team owner Scott Hall are old friends.
Talks between the Barrel Riders and the City broke down completely following the Barrel Riders’ loss of the Winter Classic. Hall was reportedly incensed by the lack of preparations taken by the city and state of the facilities.
Negotiations resumed near the start of the Ice Bucket playoffs, but sources inside of the Mayor's office said that the Barrel Riders never really seemed engaged and that the team was only going through the motions. These sources have confirmed that discussions on improvements on the existing arena and an extension of the Buffalo Riders contract to use the arena broke down early last week.
Barrel Rider Management has opted not to respond to requests for a comment on this story. It is not known for sure where the Barrel Riders will go, but it seems certain that their time in Buffalo has drawn to a close.
The IHHL appears to be floundering at this time with loss of two team owners, no partnership for the 2014/2015 seasons, and an apparent dearth of high caliber players to cover the 2013/2014 expansion. The Barrel Riders leaving of Buffalo may be the IHHL’s equivalent of the NFL Colts leaving Baltimore. What started out as a bright season for first year Commissioner Derek Heilman, may be his last unless these and other issues can be addressed.
Game Misconduct will continue to follow this, and other stories related to the IHHL as they unfold.
Over the past several months, team owner, Scott Hall, has been making out-of-state “business trips” to San Jose, California. When asked about these trips, Hall told Game Misconduct that he was simply looking at new arena designs for Barrel Riders; looking for inspiration on what could be done back in Buffalo. In addition to this, during IHHL Ice Bucket finals, Hall had the mayor of San Jose join him in the executive suite to watch the Barrel Riders play. Official word from the Barrel Riders states that the Mayor was merely invited to the game since he and team owner Scott Hall are old friends.
History of the Dispute
The dispute between the city and the Barrel Riders’ appears to have started shortly after the Barrel Riders won the Ice Bucket in 2013. The Barrel Riders, fresh from their victory and having secured the honor of hosting the first IHHL Winter Classic, began negotiating with the city for improvements to the Arena, and training facilities. Negotiations stalled near the start of the season and team Owner Scott Hall blamed many of the early season injuries on inadequate training facilities.Talks between the Barrel Riders and the City broke down completely following the Barrel Riders’ loss of the Winter Classic. Hall was reportedly incensed by the lack of preparations taken by the city and state of the facilities.
Negotiations resumed near the start of the Ice Bucket playoffs, but sources inside of the Mayor's office said that the Barrel Riders never really seemed engaged and that the team was only going through the motions. These sources have confirmed that discussions on improvements on the existing arena and an extension of the Buffalo Riders contract to use the arena broke down early last week.
Barrel Rider Management has opted not to respond to requests for a comment on this story. It is not known for sure where the Barrel Riders will go, but it seems certain that their time in Buffalo has drawn to a close.
The IHHL appears to be floundering at this time with loss of two team owners, no partnership for the 2014/2015 seasons, and an apparent dearth of high caliber players to cover the 2013/2014 expansion. The Barrel Riders leaving of Buffalo may be the IHHL’s equivalent of the NFL Colts leaving Baltimore. What started out as a bright season for first year Commissioner Derek Heilman, may be his last unless these and other issues can be addressed.
Game Misconduct will continue to follow this, and other stories related to the IHHL as they unfold.
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