re: Baton Rouge Kingfish

That's pretty much it. By expanding minor leagues (in any sport) unless there are a few teams relatively close, travel expenses eat them up. As the attendance at the Gulf Coast clubs decreased, it was inevitable that this part of the ECHL would dry up.

In New Orleans, the Brass couldn't survive the arrival of the Hornets. SMG would have had to hire a third shift at the new arena to convert from hockey to basketball in a timely manner. They refused, so there was nowhere for the Brass to play. The city had already re-renovated the Municipal Auditorium back to its original state, without ice.

So. We lost a perfectly competitive hockey club, with great minor league credentials for developing players, and a coach in Ted Sator who was renowned for that.