AUGUSTA, Ga – The Augusta Lynx of the ECHL have been battling financial issues for a number of weeks throughout the 2008-09 ECHL season. Finally, those issues caught up with them. Late Tuesday afternoon, the ECHL announced that the Lynx had suspended operations and voluntarily relinquished their membership back to the league, effective immediately.

"We are very disappointed for our fans, league partners and the other member teams of the ECHL," ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna said in the release. "The ECHL would like to thank the Lynx fans for all of their support."

All of Augusta's players immediately were given free agent status by the league and can sign with any other ECHL team they wish.

Pro Hockey News sources close to the situation had been concerned about the franchise and today’s story in the Augusta Chronicle pointed to a possible rescue of the franchise through one of several potential investors. Lynx co-owner and general manager Dan Troutman told the Augusta Chronicle that he was optimistic of a rescue plan. In an early evening press conference in Augusta, Troutman expressed regret in not being able to find an investor.

"We looked long and hard in someone to invest in the Lynx and we have been unsuccessful in that," he said.

The league announced that it has begun working on a revision of the schedule, starting with the cancellation of games featuring Gwinnett at Charlotte and Augusta at Mississippi on Thursday, December 4. The Augusta-Mississippi game set for Friday, December 5 has been replaced by a contest between Gwinnett at Mississippi.

The list of schedule changes between December 6 and December 21 are as follows:

Saturday, Dec. 6
Delete Augusta at Mississippi
Delete Gwinnett at South Carolina
Add Gwinnett at Mississippi
Add Charlotte at South Carolina

Saturday, Dec. 13
Delete Augusta at Mississippi
Add Gwinnett at Mississippi

Sunday, Dec. 14
Delete Augusta at Mississippi
Add Gwinnett at Mississippi

Tuesday, Dec. 16
Delete South Carolina at Augusta

Friday, Dec. 19
Delete Augusta at Charlotte
Add Gwinnett at Charlotte

Saturday, Dec. 20
Delete Gwinnett at Augusta
Sunday, Dec. 21
Delete Augusta at Charlotte
Add South Carolina at Charlotte

A slumping economy with dwindling discretionary dollars made for a difficult environment to raise investment capital for a floundering hockey club. The team was averaging just 2,722 fans through 7 home games leaving room for improvement, but very little real optimism for any new investor.

One solution recently discussed was one seen in other "AA" leagues in North America, ownership of two franchises by one principle owner. Rumors had swirled, as they often do, that the Charlotte Checkers owners might have had an interest in the Lynx.

Increasing travel costs (even with the recent drop in fuel costs), decreased advertising revenue streams, increased costs from venue operators, and loss of revenue at the gate all make for an uncertain future, not only for the Lynx, but many franchises operating on razor thin profit margins.

Pro Hockey News will continue to follow this story.

Contact the author at lm.davis@prohockeynews.com