Grrrowl Announce 2003-04 Schedule

Published on May 9, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Grrrowl News Release


GREENVILLE, SC – The East Coast Hockey League's Greenville Grrrowl have announced their schedule for the 2003-04 season. The Grrrowl will compete in their sixth season in the ECHL, and will welcome four new division members, along with three new opponents to the schedule. The home opener is scheduled for Friday, October 24th.

"We are beginning a new era in the ECHL, and the number of new teams and division changes will make this a very appealing season for our fans," said Carl Scheer, Chairman / CEO of the Grrrowl and ScheerSports, Inc. "With the addition of teams from the west coast, and the competition of our division, the fans will certainly get their monies worth while watching some very exciting hockey."

The 2003-04 schedule will again feature 72 games, with 16 different opponents. There will be six home games against opponents the Grrrowl did not face last season, including three new league members: the Anchorage Aces, Gwinnett Gladiators, and the Texas Wildcatters. The NEW 10-team Southern Division of the Eastern Conference (listed below) adds the Charlotte Checkers, Greensboro Generals, Roanoke Express, and Gwinnett Gladiators.

Of the 72 games, 56 will be played against division opponents, including 28 of 36 at the BI-LO Center. The 2003-04 schedule will be the first to include the teams from the former West Coast Hockey League (Anchorage Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Idaho Steelheads, Long Beach Ice Dogs, and the San Diego Gulls). The Las Vegas Wranglers will be a new franchise that will increase the size of the league to 32 teams. There will be 6 teams visiting Greenville that were not on last season's home slate.

The Grrrowl will also debut "Hockey Night in the South" with 8 Tuesday night games, which account for all but one weekday contest on the new schedule. "We wanted all of our weekday home games on one specific night to create some excitement and consistency with our ‘Hockey Night in the South'," said Mitch Mann, VP of Ticket Sales. "We will make each Tuesday a special event to increase support for weeknight games. We are excited about the long list of possibilities for great promotions and specials."

The 2003-04 schedule also has been shifted a week from previous years, with an October 17th beginning and an April 4th regular season ending. The annual ECHL All-Star Game will be held in Peoria, ILL on January 20-21, 2004. Playoff qualifications will be determined at a later date by the ECHL Board of Governors.

The Grrrowl again will have 15 Saturday home games, as well as 6 Friday contests. The schedule will also include 6 Sunday games, up from the 5 in 2002-03. Sunday games will start at 3:05pm, while the remaining games will have a 7:05pm game time. 2003-04 Greenville Grrrowl season tickets, mini-plans and flex packs are on sale now. Fans can call 864-467-GRRR or log on to grrrowl.com for more information.

NEW ECHL DIVISIONAL ALIGNMENT FOR 2003-04:

Eastern Conference – Northern Division
Atlantic City, Cincinnati, Dayton, Johnstown, Peoria, Reading, Toledo, Trenton, Wheeling

Eastern Conference – Southern Division
Augusta, Charlotte, Columbia, Florence, Florida, Greensboro, Greenville, Gwinnett, Roanoke, South Carolina

Western Conference – Eastern Division
Arkansas, Columbus, Louisiana, Mississippi, Pensacola, Texas

Western Conference – Western Division
Anchorage, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Las Vegas, Long Beach, San Diego

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