ECHL Opens Season October 11

July 18, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. ­ The East Coast Hockey League opens its 15th Anniversary season on Friday, October 11 with 11 games, including Charlotte hosting Kelly Cup Champion Greenville and Dayton hosting Johnstown in a rematch of last season¹s Northwest Division Finals.

The 972-game schedule will conclude March 30. The schedule does not include New Orleans, which was granted its request for a voluntary suspension for the 2002-03 season.

Playing its first ECHL game in the 21,300-seat Rupp Arena, Lexington will host Greensboro while Pee Dee hosts South Carolina in the first of nine meetings between the Southeast Division rivals. Augusta hosts Florida in the first meeting since Florida¹s 2-1 shootout win at Augusta on the final day of the regular season that clinched the final playoff spot for the Everblades while eliminating the Lynx from the postseason. In other opening night games, Toledo hosts Peoria, Reading hosts Wheeling, Trenton hosts Richmond, Atlantic City hosts Roanoke, Columbia hosts Columbus, and Baton Rouge hosts Jackson.

On Saturday October 12, Greenville will raise its Kelly Cup Championship banner prior to its game against 2001 Kelly Cup Champion South Carolina.

Following the games on January 19, regular-season action will pause for the 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition. Hosted by the Florida Everblades at the 7,082-seat TECO Arena in Estero, Fla., the ECHL Skills Competition will be held on January 20 with the 11th Annual All-Star Game on January 21.

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in three states, the ECHL enters its 15th Anniversary season with 28 teams in 14 states, including its newest market in Lexington, Kentucky. The ECHL will welcome two new markets in 2003-04 with the addition of Gwinnett County, Georgia and Southeast (Beaumont) Texas. The ECHL has seen 191 players advance to the NHL along with coaches, officials and front office personnel. There were 82 former ECHL players that played in the NHL in 2001-02 and 25 of the 30 NHL teams developed players with ECHL affiliates.

ECHL Stories from July 18, 2002

• Nailers 2002-2003 Schedule Released - Wheeling Nailers
• Generals Have Their Plan of Attack - Greensboro Generals
• ECHL's Kelly Cup Champion Greenville Grrrowl Announce 2002-03 Schedule - Greenville Grrrowl
• Royals 2002-03 Complete Schedule Approved - Reading Royals
• Ice Dogs Retain WCHL's All-Rookie Attard - Long Beach Ice Dogs
• Bombers Announce Schedule - Dayton Bombers
• Sea Wolves 2002-03 Schedule Announced - Mississippi Sea Wolves
• Falcons Hockey School Starts Monday - Fresno Falcons
• Pride open regular season October 11 vs. South Carolina - Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz
• IceGators to open ECHL season October 12 - Louisiana IceGators
• Stingrays Release Season Schedule - South Carolina Stingrays
• Chiefs 2002-2003 Schedule Announced - Johnstown Chiefs
• ECHL Opens Season October 11 - ECHL
• ECHL Grants New Orleans Voluntary Suspension Request - ECHL
• San Diego Inks Rookie Goaltender - San Diego Gulls
• 2002-2003 Inferno Schedule Released - Columbia Inferno
• Busy Weekend for the K-Wings - Kalamazoo Wings
• Wings Stadium Welcomes Hockey Services - Kalamazoo Wings
• 2002-03 Schedule Announced - Cincinnati Cyclones

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