Earlier today, the ECHL and the New York Rangers reached an affiliation agreement with the Bloomington Bison who are the newest expansion team.
Adding Bloomington will give the Rangers another option as they will be their development affiliate. The Rangers currently have the Hartford Wolfpack who are in the AHL as their primary affiliate for players to be called up during the season.
This will be the second time in two years that the Rangers have changed their ECHL affiliate. Previously it was in Cincinnati OH where 2 goaltenders were spending their time.
Both Rangers prospects, Talyn Boyko and Olof Lindbom have been developing in the ECHL which will likely see Boyko stay another year with Bloomington and Lindbom maybe going elsewhere. During today's announcement, the bison hired Philip Barski as their new head coach as he was an assistant with the Barrie Colts of the OHL.
The city previously had a team known as the Bloomington Thunder which was part of the southern professional Hockey League. That team folded in 2014.
