ECHL Releases 2010-11 Schedule
Published on June 8, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that its 23rd season will begin on Oct. 15 with seven games being played in seven states from Alaska to Florida and continues on Oct. 16 with nine more games in eight states.
The complete schedule is available at ECHL.com. Planning is well under way for the 2010-11 season and information on special team promotional nights will be available on individual team web sites.
Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 19 teams in 14 states and British Columbia playing 684 games from Oct. 15, 2010 to April 2, 2011.
Wheeling returns for its 19th season and South Carolina celebrates its 18th season. Toledo returns for its 17th season while Florida celebrates its 13th year; Trenton its 12th season and Reading its 10th season in the ECHL.
The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,485 per game in 2009-10 which is the highest average since 1999-00 and the second-highest average in the last 11 years. It is the sixth consecutive season and the 18th time in the last 20 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans and the league drew over 3 million fans for the 17th year in a row.
Cincinnati will raise its second Kelly Cup championship banner in the last three years and its second conference championship banner on Oct. 30 when it hosts the Wheeling Nailers. The Idaho Steelheads will hoist their third National Conference championship banner and their first West Division championship banner on Oct. 15 when they host Victoria. The Cyclones set a Kelly Cup Playoffs record with 13,483 fans in attendance for Game 5 against Idaho on May 21.
The Alaska Aces host the Utah Grizzlies on Oct. 15 and 16 while the Stockton Thunder will host the Ontario Reign on Oct. 15 and 16. Stockton has averaged over 6,000 fans per game in each of its five seasons in the league and led the league in attendance for each of its first four seasons before finishing third last year with an average of 6,031 per game.
The Elmira Jackals host the Cincinnati Cyclones for two games on Oct. 15 and 16. Elmira tied for the league lead in 2009-10 with 12 sellouts and raised its average attendance 9.9 percent over 2008-09 to 3,661.
Florida will host Gwinnett; South Carolina will host Greenville and Wheeling will host Toledo on Oct. 15. The Nailers will also play 10 games this season in Johnstown with the first game at Cambria County War Memorial on Oct. 23 against Trenton.
Bakersfield will raise its first Pacific Division championship banner when it opens its season on Oct. 16 against Las Vegas.
Trenton opens its season on Oct. 16 against Reading.
The Toledo Walleye open their season on Oct. 16 against Wheeling. The Walleye welcomed a Toledo hockey record 226,575 fans in 2009-10 and tied for the ECHL high with 12 sellouts.
The ECHL returns to Greenville, S.C. following a four-year absence with the home opener at BI-LO Center scheduled for Oct. 21 against Florida.
Utah opens its home schedule against Bakersfield on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23. The Grizzlies set a team record with 10,020 on Jan. 29 against Las Vegas and raised their average attendance 12.7 percent to 4,119 fans per game.
Las Vegas opens its eighth season at Orleans Arena on Oct. 22 and 23 against Victoria while Gwinnett hosts South Carolina on Oct. 22 in its home opener and Reading hosts Elmira on Oct. 23 to open its home schedule.
Ontario, which led the ECHL in 2009-10 with an average of 6,451 fans per game, hosts its home opener on Oct. 23 against Stockton.
Kalamazoo, which welcomed its highest average attendance since 1998-99 last season with 3,433 per game, welcomes Cincinnati to Wings Stadium for its home opener on Oct. 23.
Victoria opens its home schedule against Ontario on Oct. 27, 29 and 30.
The Bakersfield Condors, the City of Bakersfield and Rabobank Arena will host the 19th Annual ECHL All-Star Game on Jan. 26, 2011.
ECHL Stories from June 8, 2010
- Reign Give Back Big in 2nd Season - Ontario Reign
- West Valley City Sells E-Center Naming Rights - Utah Grizzlies
- K-Wings Annouce 2010-11 Schedule - Kalamazoo Wings
- ECHL Releases 2010-11 Schedule - ECHL
- Wheeling Nailers Release 2010-2011 Regular Season Schedule - Wheeling Nailers
- Trenton Devils 2010-11 Regular Season Schedule Released - Trenton Devils
- Gladiators 2010-2011 Schedule Released - Atlanta Gladiators
- Stingrays Announce 2010-11 Regular Season Schedule - South Carolina Stingrays
- Everblades Announce Their 2010-11 Schedule - Florida Everblades
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