The AHL‘s board of governors has approved the sale of the Binghamton Senators, clearing the way for the team to become the Belleville Senators in 2017-18.
Purchased by B.C. Senators, Inc., a holding of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, the Binghamton Senators are playing their last season in New York before relocating to Belleville, ON. The Belleville Senators will play in Yardmen Arena, which is receiving $18.5 million worth of upgrades in anticipation of the team’s arrival. In completing this move, the Ottawa Senators become the latest NHL franchise to move their AHL affiliate closer to their home base.
There could be a ripple effect as the result of the Belleville Senators. Officials in Binghamton have expressed confidence that another AHL franchise will move in behind the Senators, though it remains to be seen which franchise will take the team’s place.
The approval of the sale was first announced by the AHL.
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