PORTLAND – The Portland Pirates’ three-year affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres ended Friday, when the American Hockey League approved the Sabres’ purchase of the Rochester Americans.
Brian Petrovek, Pirates CEO and managing owner, declined to reveal the identity of the franchise’s new NHL partner. But several sources close to the team said the Pirates will be an affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes next season.
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An official announcement of the new affiliation is expected to be made Monday at a 1 p.m. news conference at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
As a result of the change, those Pirates still under contract with the Sabres will move to Rochester, N.Y. Sources also say the team that played in Rochester last season — when the Americans were affiliated with the Florida Panthers — will move to San Antonio, while that team, which was affiliated with Phoenix, will move to Portland. The Pirates are expected to retain their name and logo.
“This was a very interesting and, at times, complicated process that began in the early part of the season,” Petrovek said during an impromptu news conference Friday afternoon. “It’s all predicated on our ability to be whole, to find a new partner, and we’re excited about that process being at the finish line. … That’s news we’re going to share with all of you on Monday.”
In a statement issued by the Sabres, the NHL team acknowledged its affiliation with Portland had ended.
“The Buffalo Sabres have no further comment at this time,” the statement read.
The Sabres expect to hold a news conference next week in Rochester to announce their plans for the franchise.
Buffalo ended its 29-year affiliation with Rochester in 2008 when it moved its top minor league team to Portland. But Terry Pagula, a Pennsylvania billionaire who purchased the Sabres last February for $189 million, had expressed interest in moving the AHL affiliate back to upstate New York.
“If I was sitting in Terry’s shoes, and I had his vision and his wherewithal financially, I would probably be doing the same thing,” said Petrovek, who characterized the termination of the affiliation between the Pirates and the Sabres as “amicable.”
“It’s a logical move for Buffalo and in the end it’s going to work out for everybody,” said Steve Crane, general manager of the Cumberland County Civic Center. “I’m going to assume the Pirates will get a good affiliate and will benefit economically for their contract buyout. In the end, the fans will be the beneficiary because we’ll get another strong affiliation and an AHL team.”
In order to make the move back to Rochester, the Pirates released Buffalo from an affiliation agreement, which had three more years to run, plus another two years at the Sabres’ option. Terms of the separation release were not made public.
“They will not be disclosed,” Petrovek said. “That’s between us and the Buffalo Sabres, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
It is the fourth time the Pirates have changed their NHL affiliation in their 18 years of operation.
For their first 12 seasons, the Pirates — who won the Calder Cup in their first AHL season in 1994 — were affiliated with the Washington Capitals. In 2005, the AHL team began a three-year affiliation with the Anaheim Ducks.
Three years ago, the Pirates became affiliated with the Sabres.
“Every step of the way in this process of moving from one affiliate to another has strengthened our business,” Petrovek said. “We’re here for the long term. There’s absolutely no thought in our mind about selling this franchise or moving this franchise.”
“We’re looking at this as a new chapter, and it’s a chapter which is going to put us in a much stronger position than we’ve ever been before,” Petrovek said. “We have the utmost confidence in that we’re going to deliver to our fans a product that is going to pick up where Buffalo left off and move us a step ahead.”
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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