Blazers to join Northeast Division

June 9, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Oklahoma City Blazers News Release


Oklahoma City, Okla. – The Oklahoma City Blazers will play the 2004-05 season as a member of the five-team Northeast Division, in the Northern Conference of the Central Hockey League, the Blazers front office announced today.

The Blazers will join the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Memphis RiverKings, Tulsa Oilers and Fort Worth Brahmas in the only five-team division in the 17-team CHL. The Northwest Division will consist of the Wichita Thunder, Colorado Eagles, New Mexico Scorpions and the new franchise in Topeka. The divisional alignment in the Southern Conference did not change.

Despite the change in divisions, the Blazers will maintain its natural rivalry with Wichita and will still play the majority of its games against other Northern Conference foes.

The playoff format will remain in place, with the two division winners from each conference earning the top two spots, while the next two highest point totals in each conference will earn the third and fourth playoff seeds.

Additional changes for the coming season include revised veteran and rookie rules. Each CHL team will permitted to carry a maximum of four veterans on their roster who have participated in 260 or more regular season professional games. The rookie rule has been replaced with a developmental player rule, requiring each team to have a minimum of five players on their roster at all times who have participated in 128 professional regular season games or fewer. The CHL's salary cap and roster size remain the same, although a maximum of 17 of each team's 18 players can dress per game. All CHL players and on-ice officials will be required to wear visors this season in an effort to reduce eye and facial injuries.

The Blazers will begin play in the team's 13th season in the CHL in late October. The 60-game schedule will be released pending completion in mid-August.

NOTE: Express Sports CEO Brad Lund was honored at the CHL's annual Spring Conference last weekend in Phoenix, Ariz. Lund was named CHL Executive of the Year which is presented annually to the Central Hockey League executive who best exemplifies the qualities of excellence and professionalism in a leadership role.



Central Hockey League Stories from June 9, 2004


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