The AHL repasting program has started, inviting up to 50 teams to sample a range of food, beverage and snacks.
The program, which is free, is scheduled to begin in March.
The goal is to provide a sample of food and drink to teams before the regular season begins.
The AHL is expected to start a repast program in June.
It is expected that the AHL repasters will be limited to two or three events per season.
The NHL has had an AHL repositioning program in place since the 1990-91 season.
Last year, the AHL expanded the program to the AHL and AHL franchises.
The expanded repasting has been praised by some as a more rigorous approach to the repast process than the AHL, which has been limited to one event per season to avoid confusion with the AHL.
“It is very much a trial and error type of approach,” said Rob Cavanagh, executive director of marketing for the National Hockey League Players Association.
“You will get some great food and some great beverages, and some very good repasts that are just very thoughtful and thoughtful about what you are putting in there and how much it is going to cost.”
The AHL and the NHLPA are in negotiations on the new repasting agreement.
The repasting contract would provide for the AHL to provide teams a total of 15 teams the chance to sample and taste the food and beverage offerings, along with a chance to purchase a free bottle of beer and a free glass of wine.
The parties are scheduled to have the repasts and the repasting samples at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11.
The teams will have 10 minutes to select from the sample set before being seated.
Each team will also have the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one tasting of the beverage or food offered, and then the sample will be resold to the teams at their own discretion.
The agreement would allow teams to purchase additional samples for $3 per sample.
“This is something that we have been looking at for a while, but I think it is time to bring it up to the table,” Cavanag said.
“There are some great things that can be done in terms of repasting and having the teams come in and sample a lot of different food and beverages.”
