User blog:Cbcarter34/IHL Board of Governors approve Bandits Relocation to Charlotte

Today, in an emergency meeting, the International Hockey League's Board of Governors voted to approve the relocation of the Baltimore Bandits to Charlotte, NC, The Board also voted in favor of expansion to 22 teams beginning in the 2018-19 season. The Board also voted postpone the Las Vegas Thunder's relocation vote until their annual meeting in June, where they will also decide the two cities for expansion.

The vote to relocate the Bandits was 16-3, with only the St. John's IceCaps, the Alaska Aces, and Elmira Jackals voting no. "Today is a new day for the Carolina IHL franchise. Although I am sad to leave our fans in Baltimore behind, we also realize that this is necessary for us to do this move. I would like to thank the Board of Governors for approving this move, and I would also like to thank to IHA for understanding why we have to do it, and I wish the IHA and their franchise in Baltimore (the Magic) the best in the future," Bandits owner Kevin Joiner said.

Earlier, Joiner announced that if the move was approved, the Carolina IHL franchise will be a regional franchise. Although their main headquarters and offices will be in Charlotte, they will play games at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, and the Dorton Arena in Raliegh. Although the 2018-19 schedule won't be released until expansion takes place and the games be evenly divided between the locations, Joiner said that all the games at the Dorton arena will be played first so that they would infringe on Carolina's IHA franchise, which plays at the PNC Center

Meantime, the Thunder will remain in Las Vegas at least until June. "After discussing it with (IHL Commissioner) Bill Lawrence, as well as my IHA counterpart there maybe hope for Las Vegas to keep an IHL franchise here, but we won't know for certain until the June vote. Although I am glad that the Scarlet Trojans will be at an arena of their own and free up some of the fan base for us, I feel that I can't compete with the IHA. We just can't compete in the same market with them," "Wild Bill" Hancock said.

IHL Commissioner Bill Lawrence announced a proposal for Hancock to purchase one of IHL's two expansion teams, where he can buy and place anywhere he wishes in exchange for selling the Thunder to someone that will keep the team in Las Vegas, Hancock said that he will accept the deal.

With the league announcing it's first expansion, it should be interesting to see how will the IHL expand, and what changes will happen to the IHL.