“It helps to solidify minor hockey here in Dayton,” Gems co-owner Rob Garfield said. “From the get-go, we (the GDHP LLC) said we wanted to do that and this is a big step in that direction.”
Garfield is preparing to travel to the CHL Summer Conference, scheduled for June 3-5 in Gilbert, Ariz. IHL owners will be present as the league addresses a number of items pertaining to the proposed arrangement, including operating guidelines, divisional alignments and the 2010-11 schedule.
Those discussions will continue at the IHL meetings slated for June 21-23 in Las Vegas.
The IHL was comprised of seven teams last season, which ended with the Fort Wayne Komets winning the Turner Cup for the third consecutive year. The CHL was made up of 15 teams in nine states last season.
“The arrangement between the CHL and the IHL should create an innovative and exciting “AA” level professional hockey league,” IHL Commissioner Dennis Hextall said in a release. “The two leagues each have long-standing histories and share the common goal of solidifying minor professional hockey for our players, our passionate fans and their communities.”
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