Grand Rapids Griffins Vs. Charlotte Checkers 44

(Kevin Sielaff | MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids Griffins face increased travel costs as much as 29 percent next season following a major AHL realignment plan announced earlier this week.

Tim Gortsema, the Griffins' senior vice president of business operations, said no matter what schedule grid is ultimately approved by the league, the team will see its travel budget rise from $350,000 to $425,000 following a host of location changes and creation of a new seven-team Pacific Division.

"That's with everything else being equal as far as hotel, air fares, etc.," he said. "We could easily see that grow to $450,000 next year."

On Tuesday, the AHL announced changes that keep the Griffins' rivalries intact in a new eight-team Central Division - as opposed to the current six-team Midwest Division. It also keeps them in the Western Conference, but one reduced from three to two divisions with a new Pacific Division and five California-based teams. The other two are in Texas.

Within the Central, the Griffins will still play the bulk of their games against the likes of Chicago, Milwaukee and Rockford. Meanwhile, Manitoba returns to the AHL next season and will be included in the Central along with Iowa, Charlotte and Lake Erie.

The league alignment for next season.

Still to be hammered out is the schedule and answers to questions such as how many games within the division and how many out of the division - or, trips to California and Texas.

Team representatives met Sunday in Chicago and debated two different schedule grids, Gortsema said. For the Griffins, the most popular one includes two trips to Texas - one each for San Antonio and Austin (Texas Stars) - and one trip to California to face two teams. Within the division, it is still to be resolved if there will be one or two trips to Manitoba and Charlotte, which also require air fare.

This regular season, the Griffins had plane trips to Oklahoma City, Texas, San Antonio and Charlotte twice.

The schedule could be voted on via conference call or e-mail vote before the league holds its annual meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., on July 6-9, Gortsema said. At that time the playoff format is expected to be decided.

"I think we're fairly close right now," he said. "It's just some of those tweaks that teams might want. The challenge and dynamic of it is that in order to have a couple games with team A, then you have to drop a couple with team B. They all interconnected, and that's a challenge. The league is taking all the requests and trying to formulate one plan."

The California-based teams are expected to play a 68-game schedule; the others the standard 76.

The Griffins don't figure to be obstructionists with either plan, even though teams with increased travel will not be reimbursed.

"The league recognizes that and definitely there's a real difference" Gortsema said. "It was just floated out there, obviously from Western Conference teams, just highlighting the obvious inequities between the conferences and almost just putting it out there that at some point maybe the league needs to look at that and address that. But that is not now, and probably won't be on the agenda for this year.

"We do think there are glaring inequities between the conferences," he added. "But, by the same token, we try and support the league initiatives and, providing it's not too egregious, it's likely something we will support."

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.