ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers & ECHL Release Revised 2004-05 Season Schedule

Published on July 27, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


Charlotte, NC – Tuesday, July 27, 2004: The Charlotte Checkers today release their REVISED 2004-05 season schedule. The announcement is made by Checkers President Jeff Longo and Head Coach / General Manager Derek Wilkinson. Once again, the 2004-05 season schedule features 72 games, 36 at home and 36 on the road. All Checkers home games will be played at Cricket Arena. This fall Charlotte will begin its' 12th season in the 28 team, coast-to-coast ECHL.

The Checkers and the ECHL's original 2004-05 schedule that was released on May 25 had to be re-done as a result of the league terminating the membership of two franchises last Tuesday (Roanoke and Greensboro). The Checkers revised home schedule still features 23 home games on Friday and Saturday nights, two Sundays, four Tuesdays, six Wednesdays and one Thursday. Starting times for home games Monday through Saturday will be 7:00 p.m. The start times for the two Sunday home games will be 3:00 p.m. The Checkers will play three road games to start the season before staging their home opener on Saturday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. against the Columbia Inferno at Cricket Arena.

The ECHL also revised the division alignment for 2004-05 with Augusta moving from the South Division to the East Division in the American Conference. The Kelly Cup Playoffs format will remain the same.

American Conference East - Augusta, Charlotte, Columbia, Greenville, Pee Dee and South Carolina

American Conference South - Florida, Gwinnett, Louisiana, Mississippi, Pensacola and Texas

National Conference North - Atlantic City, Dayton, Johnstown, Peoria, Reading, Toledo, Trenton and Wheeling

National Conference West - Alaska, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Las Vegas, Long Beach, San Diego and Victoria

Checkers Head Coach and General Manager Derek Wilkinson commented on Charlotte's 2004-05 revised schedule. "The ECHL did a very good job of producing a fair and reasonable revised schedule under very difficult circumstances. The league made every effort to allow the revised schedule to have minimal changes for each team, and that was certainly the case with the Checkers schedule."

Charlotte will continue to get a healthy dose of games with their traditional rivals in the Carolinas. The revised 2004-05 slate includes ten games (5 home and 5 away) against the Greenville Grrrowl, ten games (5 home and 5 away) with the Columbia Inferno, eight games (4 home and 4 away) versus the South Carolina Stingrays, and eight games (3 home and 5 away) against the Pee Dee Pride. In addition, the Checkers will play regional rivals the Augusta Lynx (6 games, 3 home, 3 away) and the Gwinnett Gladiators (8 games, 3 home, 5 away).

The 2004-05 slate also features one new team that will visit Charlotte for the very first time, and two teams who haven't made a Cricket Arena appearance since the 1998-99 season. The Checkers will host the second-year Texas Wildcatters on Wednesday, November 17 and Saturday, January 15. The Pensacola Ice Pilots and Mississippi Sea Wolves will also invade Cricket Arena this season for contests against the Checkers, The Checkers will also play four games against Kelly Cup Finalist and Eastern Division Champion Florida, including two home games against the Everblades on Saturday, January 8 and Sunday, March 20.

Charlotte will also make its' first journey to the Southwest since the 1998-99 season with two road trips. Games down south include contests with the Louisiana IceGators (Lafayette), Mississippi Sea Wolves (Biloxi), Pensacola Ice Pilots and Texas Wildcatters (Beaumont).

The ECHL will open at a later date as a result of the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, which are scheduled to open later because of the World Cup of Hockey. The Premier "AA" Hockey League, the ECHL had affiliation agreements with 21 of the 30 teams in the NHL and 21 of the 28 teams in the AHL in 2003-04.

CHECKERS 2004-05 SEASON SCHEDULE

All Times Local


OCTOBER, 2004 (4 games, 1 home, 3 road)
Fri, Oct 22, 2004 Charlotte at Greenville - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Oct 23, 004 Charlotte at South Carolina - 7:05 p.m.
Fri, Oct 29, 2004 Charlotte at Columbia - 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Oct 30, 2004 Columbia at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER, 2004 (12 games, 7 home, 5 road)
Fri, Nov 5, 2004 Trenton at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 6, 2004 South Carolina at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Wed, Nov 10, 2004 Atlantic City at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Nov 12, 2004 Charlotte at Augusta - 7:35 p.m.
Sat, Nov 13, 2004 Charlotte at Greenville - 7:05 p.m.
Wed, Nov 17, 2004 Texas at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Nov 19, 2004 Charlotte at Gwinnett - 7:35 p.m.
Sat, Nov 20, 2004 Greenville at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Tue, Nov 23, 2004 Augusta at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Wed, Nov 24, 2004 Charlotte at Columbia - 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Nov 26, 2004 Columbia at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 27, 2004 Charlotte at Pee Dee - 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER, 2004 (15 games, 4 home, 11 road)
Fri, Dec 3, 2004 Charlotte at Pee Dee - 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Dec 4, 2004 Columbia at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Wed, Dec 8, 2004 Louisiana at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Dec 10, 2004 Charlotte at Gwinnett - 7:35 p.m.
Sat, Dec 11, 2004 Charlotte at Augusta - 7:35 p.m.
Tue, Dec 14, 2004 Charlotte at South Carolina - 7:05 p.m.
Fri, Dec 17, 2004 Charlotte at Pensacola - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Dec 18, 2004 Charlotte at Texas - 7:05 p.m.
Sun, Dec 19, 2004 Charlotte at Texas - 5:05 p.m.
Tue, Dec 21, 2004 Charlotte at Louisiana - 7:05 p.m.
Wed, Dec 22, 2004 Charlotte at Mississippi - 7:05 p.m.
Sun, Dec 26, 2004 Augusta at Charlotte - 3:00 p.m.
Tue, Dec 28, 2004 South Carolina at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Dec 30, 2004 Charlotte at Pensacola - 7:05 p.m.
Fri, Dec 31, 2004 Charlotte at Florida - 7:30 p.m.

JANUARY, 2005 (11 games, 8 home, 3 road)
Sat, Jan 1, 2005 Charlotte at Florida - 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Jan 7, 2005 Columbia at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 8, 2005 Florida at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Wed, Jan 12, 2005 Augusta at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Jan 14, 2005 Greenville at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 15, 2005 Texas at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Jan 20, 2005 Johnstown at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Jan 21, 2005 Charlotte at Greenville - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Jan 22, 2005 Charlotte at Columbia - 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Jan 28, 2005 South Carolina at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 29, 2005 Columbia at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.


FEBRUARY, 2005 (14 games, 7 home, 7 road)
Fri, Feb 4, 2005 Pee Dee at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 5, 2005 Dayton at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Tue, Feb 8, 2005 Charlotte at Columbia - 7:30 p.m.
Wed, Feb 9, 2005 Pee Dee at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Feb 11, 2005 Gwinnett at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 12, 2005 Charlotte at Pee Dee - 7:30 p.m.
Sun, Feb 13, 2005 Charlotte at Augusta - 4:05 p.m.
Wed, Feb 16, 2005 Gwinnett at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Feb 18, 2005 Mississippi at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 19, 2005 Mississippi at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sun, Feb 20, 2005 Charlotte at Gwinnett - 4:05 p.m.
Fri, Feb 25, 2005 Charlotte at Greenville - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Feb 26, 2005 Charlotte at South Carolina - 7:00 p.m.
Sun, Feb 27, 2005 Charlotte at Pee Dee - 2:30 p.m.

MARCH, 2005 (11 games, 7 home, 4 road)
Fri, Mar 4, 205 Charlotte at Atlantic City - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Mar 5, 2005 Greenville at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Tue, Mar 8, 2005 Pee Dee at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Mar 11, 2005 Greenville at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Mar 12, 2005 Pensacola at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Tue, Mar 15, 2005 Trenton at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Mar 18, 2005 Charlotte at Pee Dee - 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Mar 19, 2005 Gwinnett at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sun, Mar 20, 2005 Florida at Charlotte - 3:00 p.m.
Fri, Mar 25, 2005 Charlotte at Columbia - 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Mar 26, 2005 Charlotte at South Carolina - 7:00 p.m.

APRIL, 2005 (5 games, 2 home, 3 road)
Fri, Apr 1, 2005 Charlotte at Greenville - 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Apr 2, 2005 Charlotte at Gwinnett - 7:35 p.m.
Tue, Apr 5, 2005 Charlotte at Gwinnett - 7:05 p.m.
Fri, Apr 8, 2005 Greenville at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Apr 9, 2005 South Carolina at Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.


TEAM BREAKDOWN:

Atlantic City - ( 2 games, 1 home, 1 away)
Augusta Lynx - ( 6 games, 3 home, 3 away)
Columbia Inferno - (10 games, 5 home, 5 away)
Dayton Bombers - ( 1 game, 1 home, 0 away)
Florida Everblades - ( 4 games, 2 home, 2 away)
Greenville Grrrowl - (10 games, 5 home, 5 away)
Gwinnett Gladiators - ( 8 games, 3 home, 5 away)
Johnstown Chiefs - ( 1 game, 1 home, 0 away)
Mississippi Sea Wolves( 3 games, 2 home, 1 away)
Louisiana IceGators - ( 2 games, 1 home, 1 away)
Pee Dee Pride - ( 8 games, 3 home, 5 away)
Pensacola Ice Pilots ( 3 games, 1 home, 2 away)
S. Carolina Stingrays - ( 8 games, 4 home, 4 away)
Texas Wildcatters - ( 4 games, 2 home, 2 away)
Trenton Titans ( 2 game, 2 home, 0 away)

The ECHL will have 28 teams in 16 states and one province in Canada playing 1,008 games in 2004-05. The league welcomes its first team in Canada in 2004-05 with the addition of Victoria, British Columbia. Beginning on October 22 and concluding on April 9, 2005, each of the teams will play a 72-game schedule comprised of 36 home and 36 road games. The ECHL opens at a later date in 2004-05 as a result of the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, which are scheduled to open later because of the World Cup of Hockey. The Premier "AA" Hockey League, the ECHL had affiliation agreements with 21 of the 30 teams in the NHL and 21 of the 28 teams in the AHL in 2003-04.

In 2003-04 there were 40 players that played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, surpassing the high of 27 players in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Eleven players, including eight goaltenders, appeared in both the ECHL and the NHL in 2003-04, breaking the high of five players in 2001-02, and a total of 116 ECHL players played in the NHL in 2003-04. There have been 255 players that have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL. For the fifth consecutive year the ECHL is represented on the Stanley Cup Champion with Ruslan Fedotenko, Nolan Pratt and Andre Roy as well as radio play-by-play announcer Dave Mishkin and assistant equipment manager Dana Heinze.

Former ECHL coaches were behind the benches for 14 teams in the American Hockey League and all 28 teams had an ECHL player take the ice in 2003-04. The ECHL had affiliation agreements with 21 of the 28 teams in the AHL and there were over 90 players on AHL contracts in the ECHL in 2003-04. In 2003-04, there were more than 220 players that played in both the ECHL and the AHL and the ECHL had 425 call-ups, involving 234 players, to the AHL

CHECKERS SEASON TICKET HOLDER JERSEYS – Renew your Checkers season tickets with a $25.00 deposit and receive a special Checkers "Season Ticket Holder Only" jersey. This offer applies to purchases of plans of 12-Game plans or higher. Fans will receive one jersey for each seat purchased! For current season ticket holders, your deposit will guarantee your seat locations for next season. For new season ticket holders, your deposit will give you priority for any available seat location.

CHECKERS SEASON TICKETS: Checkers season tickets for the 2004-2005 season are now on sale. Fans may call the Checkers office ay (704) 342-4423 for more information.

Check out the Charlotte Checkers Statistics

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