No CHL in Casper, Wyoming in 2013

Found this article written by Kelly Byer who is a staff writer for the Casper Star Tribune. Kelly has been following this story since last year. This may lend credence to the rumors going around that something might get done with the ECHL during the summer.

Casper plan to snag pro hockey falls short 

By KELLY BYER Star-Tribune staff writer

Fans of professional minor league hockey in Casper will have to wait at least another year, despite the best efforts of a private investor group. The group did not raise enough money to acquire a Central Hockey League team and update the Casper Events Center by the start of the 2013 season, City Manager John Patterson said Wednesday.
But he said there is still a chance professional hockey could happen in 2014.
“We intend to keep the team ownership group together,” he said. “Now we just need to fund the installation of the ice sheet up at the Events Center.”
Patterson said installation should take fewer than 90 days. The ice rink would stay on the floor eight months a year, and a 1-inch-thick board would be placed over the ice when concerts and other events take place.
Investors would be responsible for outfitting the center and coordinating CHL play in Casper.
The city would rent the center to the team and offset costs with related revenue, such as concessions. Because operations will be privately funded, the cost has not been released.
Patterson said community interest sparked the discussion in mid-2012, and feedback since then has been positive. He received more than 20 letters of support from current amateur hockey players at the Casper Recreation Center.
The CHL is roughly comparable to baseball’s AA level in the hierarchy of minor league hockey and fielded 10 teams this season. The closest franchises to Casper are the Rapid City (S.D.) Rush and the Denver Cutthroats.
Patterson has said he expects the future Casper team to come from Texas, as a CHL team that is no longer in operation is for sale. The players would participate in about 40 home games each season, which begins in October and ends in March.