ECHL announces Membership transactions

The ECHL announced on Thursday that the League’s Board of Governors has approved the following Membership Transactions.

Transfer of Controlling Interest in Allen Americans

The Board of Governors has approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Allen Americans Membership from Steven Brothers Management of Allen LLC to Allen Hockey Team LLC, an entity controlled by Jack Gulati.

“We welcome Jack as the new owner of the Allen Americans,” ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna said. “He knows our League very well and I know he is excited about the potential of the Allen market. We appreciate the Steven Brothers’ efforts as they achieved unprecedented success on the ice as two-time defending Kelly Cup champions.”

“Today starts a new chapter for the Allen Americans Hockey Club and me,” Gulati said. “I’m very excited at the opportunity to help this organization grow off the ice. There is so much potential for this hockey team to be one of the top revenue members in the ECHL.

“We already have one of the best teams in the league on the ice, under the guidance of Steve Martinson, now we need to make this team profitable off the ice,” Gulati added. “My goal is to see the Allen Event Center packed on a nightly basis. I already know from our players that we have some of the best fans in the league. I know with the support of our staff and the community, we can make this organization great again.”     

Voluntary Suspension for Alaska Aces

The Board of Governors has approved the request of the Alaska Aces Membership for a Voluntary Suspension for the 2017-18 Season.

“This is an incredibly difficult decision, which came after months of careful consideration,” Aces Managing Partner Terry Parks said. “We worked through every possible solution that might have avoided this outcome but it became painfully obvious to us that, in this economy, a professional hockey team is not sustainable in Alaska.”

“We appreciate the Aces’ considerable contribution to the ECHL over the past 14 seasons,” McKenna said. “As three-time Kelly Cup champions, they will always be part of the ECHL history and tradition.”

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 21 states and one Canadian province for its 29th season in 2016-17. There have been who have started their career in the ECHL who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 17 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2016-17 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2016-17, marking the 20th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.