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ECHL Announces 2013-14 Schedule

June 19, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced on Wednesday that its 26th season will begin on Friday, Oct. 18 with six games being played in six states from Florida to Alaska and continues on Saturday, Oct. 19 with 10 more games in eight states. Opening Weekend concludes on Sunday, Oct. 20 with one game.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 22 teams in 15 states playing 792 games from Oct. 18, 2013 to April 13, 2014.

Wheeling celebrates its 22nd season in 2013-14 while South Carolina plays its 21st season. Toledo returns for its 20th season, Florida celebrates its 16th year, and Reading its 13th season in the ECHL. Alaska, Bakersfield, Gwinnett, Idaho and Las Vegas each celebrate their 11th ECHL season in 2013-14.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,695 fans per game in 2012-13, the highest single-season average since 1999-2000, and the ninth consecutive season and the 21st time in the last 23 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans.

Opening Weekend is highlighted by the Reading Royals raising their first-ever Kelly Cup championship banner at Sovereign Center on Saturday, Oct. 19 as they host South Carolina. Gwinnett will celebrate its second consecutive South Division title as the Gladiators host Greenville on Friday, Oct. 18, while a pair of Sunshine State rivals meet at Germain Arena when the Florida Everblades host the Orlando Solar Bears. Wheeling also opens at home on Friday with a match-up against Elmira.

The Alaska Aces will raise their third consecutive Brabham Cup banner as ECHL regular-season champions on Oct. 18 in a rematch of the 2013 Western Conference Quarterfinals series agains San Francisco. Also on Opening Night, the Utah Grizzlies entertain Idaho at Maverik Center while Bakersfield hosts Colorado at Rabobank Arena.

Cincinnati, which has increased its attendance in each of the last six seasons, will celebrate its first North Division title since 2009 on Saturday, Oct. 19, hosting Wheeling at U.S. Bank Arena. Fort Wayne, which led the ECHL in attendance in 2012-13 with 7,583 per game, hosts Toledo in its home opener. Also on Saturday, the Evansville IceMen, who were seventh in their first ECHL season with 5,415 per game, host Kalamazoo in their home opener at Ford Center.

Stockton will raise its first-ever Western Conference championship banner to the rafters on Oct. 19 as the Thunder host Colorado. The Ontario Reign will celebrate their third Pacific Division title in five years the same night, hosting Bakersfield at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Also on Saturday, the Las Vegas Wranglers open their home season against Utah.

Idaho hosts its opener at Century Link Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 23 as the San Francisco Bulls visit Boise.

Colorado, which has sold out over 380 consecutive games at Budweiser Events Center, opens the home portion of its schedule on Friday, Oct. 25 against Idaho. Also on that night, Elmira hosts Reading at First Arena while Greenville opens at home against South Carolina.

Saturday, Oct. 26 sees four teams hosting home openers with Kalamazoo entertaining Evansville, Orlando welcoming Gwinnett, South Carolina hosting Greenville and Toledo taking on Wheeling.

The San Francisco Bulls are the final team to host a home opener on Friday, Nov. 8 when Bakersfield visits the Cow Palace.

Once again in 2013-14, there are several out-of-conference match-ups featured on the schedule. Florida visits Ontario on Oct. 25 and 27, Bakersfield on Oct. 26 and Las Vegas on Oct. 29 while Fort Wayne travels to Las Vegas for three games on Nov. 1, 2 and 3. Colorado heads east for games against Orlando on Dec. 4 and 8 and Florida on Dec. 6 and 7 and Utah has a three-game series at Orlando on Jan. 2, 3 and 4.

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