Kelly Cup Playoffs Format, Playing Dates Announced

April 3, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

Dear Our Sports Central
PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL has announced that the format for the Division Semifinals, Division Finals and Conference Finals will be 2-2-1 with the higher seed hosting Games 1 and 2 and Game 5, if necessary. The format for the Kelly Cup Finals will be 2-3-2 with the higher seed hosting Games 1 and 2 and Games 6 and 7, if necessary. Teams may agree to change the format with approval from the ECHL. In each round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, teams will be re-seeded based on regular-season point totals.

The fourth-place finisher and fifth-place finisher in the Northern Division will meet in a Wild Card Game on April 5 with the winner advancing to meet the first-place finisher in the Northern Division Semifinals. The best-of-five Division Semifinals will be played April 6-15 with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for April 6-9 and Games 3 and 4 scheduled for April 10-13. Game 5, if necessary, must be scheduled for April 14-15.

The best-of-five Division Finals will be played April 16-25 with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for April 16-19 and Games 3 and 4 scheduled for April 20-23. Game 5, if necessary, must be scheduled for April 24-25. The best-of-five Conference Finals will be played April 27-May 8 with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for April 27-30 and Games 3 and 4 scheduled for May 1-5. Game 5, if necessary, must be scheduled for April 7-8.

The best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals will be played May 10-23 with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for May 10-13 and Games 3, 4 and 5 scheduled for May 14-19. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, must be scheduled for May 21-23.

ECHL Stories from April 3, 2004

• Division Champion IceGators Drop Final Game 4-3 - Louisiana IceGators
• Sea Wolves Slip Past IceGators 4-3 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
• Cyclones End Season With 4-2 Loss at Dayton - Cincinnati Cyclones
• 'Catters defeat Ice Dogs in final game of season, 4-2 - Texas Wildcatters
• Everblades clinch sixth straight playoff berth - Florida Everblades
• IceGators Win Division Crown - Louisiana IceGators
• Gwinnett Flies by Pride, 4-1 - Atlanta Gladiators
• Bullies Clinch Second Place - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
• Royals Clinch Kelly Cup Playoff Berth...Down Storm, 3-2 - Reading Royals
• Chiefs Defeat Titans 4-2 - Trenton Devils
• Express Clinches Playoff Spot - Roanoke Express
• Everblades Playoff Bound After 4-2 Victory - Florida Everblades
• Pride's season ends with 4-1 loss in Gwinnett - Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz
• Bullies Get By Nailers 4-3 - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
• Rivermen to Open First Round of the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs on the Road in Atlantic City - Peoria Rivermen
• Chiefs Wrap-up Regular Season with Win - Johnstown Chiefs
• ECHL Transactions - ECHL
• Goaltender Valley Returns from Hartford - Peoria Rivermen
• Rivermen Rennette, Hemingway Are C&T Hockey Products ECHL Plus Performers for March - Peoria Rivermen
• Gulls - Aces Game Preview - San Diego Gulls
• Doell Named Rookie of the Year - Atlanta Gladiators
• Gwinnett's Doell Named CCM® ECHL Rookie of the Year - ECHL
• Today In The ECHL - ECHL
• Kelly Cup Playoffs Format, Playing Dates Announced - ECHL
• Kelly Cup Playoff Rosters Due Monday - ECHL
• Peoria's Rennette, Hemingway Named C&T Hockey Products ECHL Plus Performers - ECHL
• Ice Pilots Announce Tentative Playoff Schedule - Pensacola Ice Pilots
• Chiefs First Playoff Game Set; Winner of Monday's Game Faces Wheeling - Johnstown Chiefs
• Evangelista Comes Off Injured Reserve - Mississippi Sea Wolves
• Checkers drop slugfest to Roanoke 4-2 - Charlotte Checkers
• San Diego Sinks Condors, 5-2 - Bakersfield Condors
• Falcons Edged by Steelheads - Fresno Falcons

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