http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/ahl/Manitoba-Moose-20-in-the-works-295455711.html?device=mobile

There's a strong chance the Winnipeg Jets will move their AHL affiliate to the MTS Centre this fall for the 2015-16 hockey season.

True North Sports & Entertainment had granted the group operating the St. John’s IceCaps a one-year extension last September, taking them through the 2015-16 season in the Newfoundland and Labrador capital.

The extension had been given, in part, to afford the group headed by former N.L premier Danny Williams some extra time to find another NHL affiliation agreement to take the place of the Jets-IceCaps deal.

It appears that has happened. The St. John’s group is believed to have struck an arrangement with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, who currently operate their AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ont.

The AHL’s board of governors could approve the new St. John’s deal and the shift of the IceCaps back to Winnipeg at a governors meeting later next week.

It’s not known if True North would return its AHL franchise name to the Manitoba Moose, but it seems likely.

The Moose were members of the AHL from 2001 to 2011.

True North began operating the team, first in the IHL and then in the AHL, when the original Winnipeg Jets franchise left for Phoenix in 1996.

When True North purchased the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers and relocated the team to Winnipeg in 2011, it moved its AHL affiliation to St. John’s. True North maintained ownership of the AHL franchise but leased its business operation to the St. John’s group headed by Williams, to play in the Mile One Centre.

A three-year agreement was struck then, and then extended twice by one year.

Last January, the Jets said that try though they did, the geography had become too problematic, especially in the case of recalling players, and they were looking for a more workable base for their AHL base.

At that time, True North had also confirmed it joined forces with several groups with a proposal to build a new 5,700-seat arena in downtown Thunder Bay, Ont. True North’s part of the deal was that it had agreed to provide a full-time hockey tenant for that facility, hoping to relocate its AHL team there, much closer to home.

But no ground has been broken on the Thunder Bay project and funding for the proposed $106-million arena has still not been announced. It had been reported that the project — hoping to be open in September, 2017 — had a funding deadline at the end of this month or it might die.

All the way back to confirmation of its involvement in the Thunder Bay proposal, and likely earlier, True North has been exploring many options to bring its AHL affiliate into a more geographically friendly location, including Winnipeg on a temporary basis.

That seemed a possibility last summer but then in September, another extension for the IceCaps in St. John’s was announced.

A plan to build the proposed event centre has been dropped, Thunder Bay's mayor said.

 

The decision was announced Monday afternoon, four days after council voted late last Thursday night to proceed to the design and build stage for the proposed centre.

 

The announcement came after Mayor Keith Hobbs received a letter advising him the city was ineligible for federal funding for the project, including the use of the Federal Gas Tax.

 

The city originally sought $23 million from the federal government and $36 million from the provincial counterpart, but the mayor was informed that the project was not eligible for federal funding because of the involvement of professional sports.

 

“Professional sports are first and foremost the responsibility of the private sector, which is why our suite of infrastructure programs does not allow for funding of facilities that will be used by professional or semi-professional athletes,” the letter read.

 

The city received the letter on Monday, signed by Denis Lebel, minister of infrastructure, communities and intergovernmental affairs. Read the full letter below. 

 

Hobbs said earlier this month that the Winnipeg Jets' AHL farm team would move to Thunder Bay if the event centre is built.

 

The only way the city can be eligible for federal funding is if it builds a stand-alone convention centre, Hobbs said. 

 

“I really think that's a dumb idea," Mayor Keith Hobbs said. "I think we have to look at it, see if it's affordable, see if it falls in the realms of what we've already presented."

 

The city’s option, Hobbs said, is to shelve the event centre plan for now. 

 

City manager Tim Commisso said, the city made it very clear that the AHL team would only use space in the hockey arena. 

 

"We obviously knew there was an issue with the professional team," he said at the announcement. "But, our position was, and we put this forward to them in detail, is that you can clearly distinguish the event centre space."

Hmmmm he makes a great argument. If the money is available for an event centre but not the arena why would the money be conditional on not buikding the arena at all? What stops Tbay from saying okay you got us we won't build the pro hockey arena. Then they cash in the Feds money, build the event centre and a year later announce plans to build the arena part?

Seems like overzealous effort on the part of the Feds to avoid any appearance of funding pro sports.

If the deal is dead I wonder what that does to the Jets' AHL plan long term?