Stars aligned with geographical rivals
Published on June 28, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Iowa Chops News Release
Des Moines, IA. ... The Iowa Stars, in conjunction with American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews, made several announcements today from the AHL Board of Governors' annual meeting at Amelia Island, Fla.
"The American Hockey League has given us a great opportunity to show our fans what the AHL is all about," said Iowa Stars President John Pettit. "Not only will we be able to build our geographical rivals quickly, but our fans will have a chance to see a variety of other top teams as well, like Toronto, Rochester, Manchester, and Grand Rapids."
The Stars will play in the West Division of the Western Conference. Within the division, the Stars will play each team a total of ten times (five home, five road). Outside of the division, the Stars will play major market teams such as Toronto and Cleveland; traditional AHL teams like Rochester and Hamilton; and last season's top team in the East, the Manchester Monarchs. Other games will include Grand Rapids and Manitoba.
At the conclusion of the 2005-06 regular season, the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs will feature the top four teams in each of the four divisions, with one possible exception: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic Division finishes with more points than the fourth-place team in the East Division, it would cross over and compete in the East Division playoffs. The postseason format will again feature a divisional playoff, leading to conference finals and ultimately the Calder Cup Finals. All rounds will comprise best-of-seven series.
The Board of Governors also approved the schedule format for the 2005-06 regular season which can be viewed at www.theahl.com. The AHL's 70th season, which will begin on Wed., Oct. 12, will comprise a total of 1,080 games, with each of the league's 27 member teams playing an unbalanced 80-game schedule, including 40 home dates and 40 road dates and featuring both traditional and regional rivalries. The entire 2005-06 schedule is expected to be announced in late July.
About the Iowa Stars and the Affiliation with Dallas
The Iowa Stars will begin a five-year affiliation agreement with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars this fall as Iowa plays their inaugural season in the AHL. As per the affiliation agreement, the Dallas Stars will provide up to 22 players to the Iowa Stars. Dallas will also be responsible for all hockey operation decisions, including the hiring of a head coach, assistant coach, equipment manager and medical trainer.
The Iowa Stars will join 28 other clubs in the AHL, which serves as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Entering its 70th season of operation this fall, over 80 percent of all players to compete in the NHL in 2003-04 were AHL graduates, and more than 400 players took the ice in both leagues.
The New Wells Fargo Arena
The Iowa Stars will begin play in the AHL in October 2005 in the state-of-the-art Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. The venue is scheduled to officially open on July 6, 2005. Currently in the final stages of construction, the arena is located in the heart of Iowa's capital city along the banks of the Des Moines River. Along with great sightlines, the Wells Fargo Arena, with a seating capacity of more than 17,000 people for many events, features 600 club seats, 36 corporate suites, a 180-seat restaurant and state-of-the-art video boards. The seating capacity for hockey will be 15,585.
The Wells Fargo Arena, along with the Hy-Vee Hall, Veterans Memorial Auditorium and Polk County Convention Complex, form the Iowa Events Center, a premier state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility for sports, concerts, entertainment, trade shows, conventions and exhibits. This $217 million facility totals more than one million square feet in size. The arena features a panoramic view of the downtown skyline, Des Moines River and the golden capitol dome. The Wells Fargo Arena is managed by Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field.
For information about Iowa Stars season tickets, merchandise and other inquires, please contact the team at (515-23 STARS) or visit the team online at www.iowastarshockey.com.
American Hockey League Stories from June 28, 2005
- AHL Announces New Schedule - OSC Original by Chris Meiman
- Senators 2005-06 opponents announced - Binghamton Senators
- AHL Announces Division Alignment, Schedule Formats For 2005-06 - Manchester Monarchs
- Wolves remain in wild West - Chicago Wolves
- Penguins to remain in East Division - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Griffins move to North Division - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Bruins remain in Atlantic Division - Providence Bruins
- Ads to continue play in the West - Milwaukee Admirals
- Bears return to the FM dial in 2005-06 - Hershey Bears
- Bulldogs to play more teams than ever before in 2005-06 - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Lock Monsters remain in Atlantic Division - Albany Devils
- Wolf Pack remain part of Atlantic Division - Connecticut Whale
- AHL sets divisions, schedule and playoff formats for 2005-06 - Peoria Rivermen
- Falcons to have new division opponent in Albany River Rats - Springfield Falcons
- Stars aligned with geographical rivals - Iowa Chops
- Phantoms 2005-06 schedule format announced - Adirondack Phantoms
- Pirates announce date for home opener - Portland Pirates
- Bears announce 2005-06 schedule - Hershey Bears
- Three new divisional foes, 2003 Calder Cup Finals rematch await Aeros - Houston Aeros
- AHL announces division alignments, schedule and playoff formats for 2005-06 - AHL
- Griffins' home opener set for October 15 - Grand Rapids Griffins
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
