CHL commissioner: Blaze expected to return next season
BLOOMINGTON — Central Hockey League commissioner Duane Lewis
expects the Bloomington Blaze to remain part of the league for next
season even as questions surround the ownership status of Sandra
Hunnewell.
“It hasn’t been ideal,” Lewis said of the current situation during Saturday’s game at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. “But our goal is to be here next year and whether it’s with Sandy or somebody else or a combination of people, that’s what we’re talking about.”
Rumors about the league taking over ownership of the team from Hunnewell, a New Jersey businesswoman, circulated on the Internet over the past two months.
“She’s got a lot going on and not being in here on a daily basis has hurt,” said Lewis. “There’s been nobody here from an ownership standpoint.
“There just hasn’t been the hands on that there is in a lot of other cases. That’s been part of the problem, so we’ve been more engaged in that process.”
Lewis said the league has weathered unclear ownership issues in several markets in the past.
“It’s nice to have no doubts. Over the course of our seasons, on several teams in the offseason there’ve been doubts as to what’s going to happen,” he said. “In this franchise there’s been that situation before, too. Our goal is to make sure those doubts are out of everybody’s minds as quickly as possible.”
The Blaze have yet to renew their Coliseum lease for the 2013-14 season, but Lewis doesn’t expect that to be a “major hurdle” going forward.
“The parties that need to talk about the lease are talking,” he said. “I’m not aware of any deadline, but if there is one I don’t think there’s going to be anything that’s gone terribly awry.”
The Blaze conclude their second season in the CHL today and will finish in ninth place. Lewis firmly believes the Blaze will see a third season.
“Our goal here right now is to get this going forward as quickly as possible. We’re a little bit behind where we want to be,” he said. “We have work we have to do, obviously, to make sure we’re as solid as we want.”
“It hasn’t been ideal,” Lewis said of the current situation during Saturday’s game at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. “But our goal is to be here next year and whether it’s with Sandy or somebody else or a combination of people, that’s what we’re talking about.”
Rumors about the league taking over ownership of the team from Hunnewell, a New Jersey businesswoman, circulated on the Internet over the past two months.
“She’s got a lot going on and not being in here on a daily basis has hurt,” said Lewis. “There’s been nobody here from an ownership standpoint.
“There just hasn’t been the hands on that there is in a lot of other cases. That’s been part of the problem, so we’ve been more engaged in that process.”
Lewis said the league has weathered unclear ownership issues in several markets in the past.
“It’s nice to have no doubts. Over the course of our seasons, on several teams in the offseason there’ve been doubts as to what’s going to happen,” he said. “In this franchise there’s been that situation before, too. Our goal is to make sure those doubts are out of everybody’s minds as quickly as possible.”
The Blaze have yet to renew their Coliseum lease for the 2013-14 season, but Lewis doesn’t expect that to be a “major hurdle” going forward.
“The parties that need to talk about the lease are talking,” he said. “I’m not aware of any deadline, but if there is one I don’t think there’s going to be anything that’s gone terribly awry.”
The Blaze conclude their second season in the CHL today and will finish in ninth place. Lewis firmly believes the Blaze will see a third season.
“Our goal here right now is to get this going forward as quickly as possible. We’re a little bit behind where we want to be,” he said. “We have work we have to do, obviously, to make sure we’re as solid as we want.”
