CHL Central Hockey League

San Angelo Saints Are Playoff Bound, Join Laredo in Post-season

Published on February 24, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release


The San Angelo Saints have become the second Central Hockey League club to clinch a 2003/2004 playoff berth as the CHL season winds down towards completion on March 14th. With back-to-back road wins over Fort Worth and Odessa the past weekend, the Saints have secured one of four available Southern Conference playoff slots, joining the CHL overall leading Laredo Bucks as confirmed entries into the post-season. A total of eight clubs (four from each conference) will participate in the playoffs, battling to hoist the Ray Miron President's Cup trophy as CHL post-season champions.

While the Saints have guaranteed an appearance in the playoffs, they will still try to lock up home ice advantage for the best-of-five first round series by winning the Southwest Division. Currently San Angelo holds a three-point division advantage over Amarillo, but the Gorillas hold two games in hand. Amarillo, with a victory this evening in Odessa, would lock up the third Southern Conference playoff slot. The Rio Grande Valley Killers Bees are strong favorites to round out the field of four, holding a 13-pont lead for the final position and needing to record eight points in their final 10 games to qualify for the post-season in their first year of play.

In the Northern Conference, both the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and Colorado Eagles are closing in on division titles and automatic playoff berths. Bossier-Shreveport holds an 11-point margin in the Northeast, with seven points needed to earn both a playoff position and the division title. Expansion Colorado, meanwhile, can earn the Northwest crown and a trip to the post-season with eight points in their last 10 contests. With both the Mudbugs and Eagles expected to clinch in the coming days, six clubs remain in contention for the two remaining Northern Conference slots.

Currently in the lead for Northern Conference playoff position are the two-time defending champion Memphis RiverKings (65 points, eight games remaining) and the Indianapolis Ice (64 points, 10 games remaining) with the Wichita Thunder (60,11), Oklahoma City Blazers (55,12), New Mexico Scorpions (55,11) and Tulsa Oilers (50, 11) still in contention.

While the Conference Semi-Final series will be played in best-of-five game formats, both the Conference Finals and the Ray Miron President's Cup Finals will be best-of-seven game series. The four CHL division winners will automatically be seeded first or second in their respective conference, and will hold home ice advantage in the conference semi-finals series.

Pointstreak Performance of the Week

With the Wichita Thunder fighting to earn their first playoff bid since the 99/00 season, left winger Jason Duda came through with a clutch performance February 21st in a 3-2 overtime win at Oklahoma City. Duda scored a power play goal in the second period to cut a 2-0 deficit to 2-1, then notched the overtime game winning goal 34 seconds into the extra frame. The pair of goals gives Duda 18 on the season, and 209 in his eight-year career with the Thunder.

Past Central and Western Professional Hockey League Playoff Champions & Post Season M.V.P.'s

Ray Miron President's Cup Champions

Season Champion Post-Season M.V.P.

2002-2003 Memphis Kahlil Thomas

2001-2002 Memphis Don Parsons

Ray Miron Cup Champions (CHL)

Season Champion Post-Season M.V.P.

2000-2001 Oklahoma City Rod Branch

1999-2000 Indianapolis Jamie Morris

1998-1999 Huntsville Derek Puppa

1997-1998 Columbus Mike Martens

1996-1997 Fort Worth Fire Steve Plouffe

1995-1996 Oklahoma City Jean-Ian Filiatrault

1994-1995 Wichita Ron Handy

1993-1994 Wichita Ron Handy

1992-1993 Tulsa Tony Fiore

President's Cup Champions (WPHL)
Season Champion Post-Season M.V.P.
2000-2001 Bossier-Shreveport Jason Campbell
1999-2000 Bossier-Shreveport Hugo Hamelin
1998-1999 Shreveport John Vecchiarelli
1997-1998 El Paso Bill Trew
1996-1997 El Paso Chris Mackenzie

CHL Attendance Report

TEAM TOTAL # AVG

Oklahoma City 227,374 26 8,745

Laredo 161,574 26 6,214

Colorado 135,486 26 5,211

Rio Grande Valley 140,171 28 5,006

Indianapolis 138,978 30 4,632

Lubbock 117,683 26 4,526

Bossier-Shreveport 117,319 26 4,512

New Mexico 112,204 26 4,315

Tulsa 110,728 26 4,258

Austin 122,387 30 4,079

Fort Worth 101,625 26 3,908

Wichita 99,232 26 3,816

Memphis 101,549 27 3,761

Odessa 85,091 26 3,272

Amarillo 81,470 25 3,258

Corpus Christi 78,006 26 3,000

San Angelo 65,316 27 2,419

CHL TOTALS: 1,996,193 453 4,406

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 24, 2004


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