USHL ready to open Clark Cup Playoffs
Published on April 15, 2007 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
GRAND FORKS, ND: The 2006-07 USHL regular season came to a conclusion Saturday night with the Waterloo Black Hawks being crowed league and east division champions. Omaha claimed the west division title. Now the league will set its sights on the Clark Cup playoffs. For the first time, all 12 teams in the league will qualify for the post-season, with the first round consisting of a divisional best-of-seven series.
"We just completed one of the most hard-fought and competitive seasons in the 28-year history of the USHL," said league president Gino Gasparini. "No doubt that the competitive spirit of the coaches and players is going to carry over and the next month should provide everyone with an extremely entertaining stretch of playoff hockey. Every player on these 12 teams wants the chance to step on the ice for three rounds and in the end call himself a national champion."
Playoff match-ups, complete with the date, time and location of all seven games in the series are listed below. Please remember that all start times are local and all Ohio and Indiana home games are played in the eastern time zone.
East Division
#1 Waterloo vs. #6 Chicago
Game 1: Thursday, April 19 at Waterloo - 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 21 at Waterloo - 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, April 22 at Chicago - 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Tuesday, April 24 at Chicago - 7:30 p.m.
Game 5: Wednesday, April 25 at Waterloo - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, April 27 at Chicago - 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7: Saturday, April 28 at Waterloo - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
#2 Cedar Rapids vs. #5 Ohio
Game 1: Tuesday, April 17 at Ohio - 7:05 p.m.*
Game 2: Wednesday, April 18 at Ohio - 7:05 p.m.*
Game 3: Friday, April 20 at Cedar Rapids - 7:05 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 21 at Cedar Rapids - 7:05 p.m.
Game 5: Monday, April 23 at Cedar Rapids - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary) Game 6: Wednesday, April 25 at Ohio - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)* Game 7: Saturday, April 28 at Cedar Rapids - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
*Ohio home games will be played at the Dispatch Ice Haus
#3 Indiana vs. #4 Green Bay
Game 1: Wednesday, April 18 at Indiana - 7:05 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, April 20 at Indiana - 7:05 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, April 21 at Green Bay - 7:05 p.m.
Game 4: Monday, April 23 at Green Bay - 7:05 p.m.
Game 5: Thursday, April 26 at Indiana - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Saturday, April 28 at Green Bay - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, April 29 at Indiana - 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
West Division
#1 Omaha vs. #6 Des Moines
Game 1: Wednesday, April 18 at Omaha - 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, April 20 at Des Moines - 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, April 21 at Omaha - 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Tuesday, April 24 at Des Moines - 7:00 p.m.
Game 5: Friday, April 27 at Omaha - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Saturday, April 28 at Des Moines - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, April 29 at Omaha - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
#2 Tri-City vs. #5 Sioux City
Game 1: Friday, April 20 at Tri-City - 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 21 at Tri-City - 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, April 24 at Sioux City - 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, April 25 at Sioux City - 7:00 p.m.
Game 5: Thursday, April 26 at Tri-City - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Saturday, April 28 at Sioux City - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7: Monday, April 30 at Tri-City - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
#3 Lincoln vs. #4 Sioux Falls
Game 1: Wednesday, April 18 at Sioux Falls - 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, April 20 at Sioux Falls - 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, April 21 at Lincoln - 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Tuesday, April 24 at Lincoln - 7:00 p.m.
Game 5: Wednesday, April 25 at Lincoln - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary
Game 6: Friday, April 27 at Sioux Falls - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)**
Game 7: Saturday, April 28 at Lincoln - 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
**Game 6 if necessary will be played at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa because Sioux Falls Arena is not available.
Clark Cup Notes
Des Moines is the defending Clark Cup champion.
The last time a team won back-to-back Clark Cups was when Omaha won two in a row in 1992-93 and 1993-94.
A different team has won the Clark Cup in each of the last seven seasons. Cedar Rapids was the last team to win both the Anderson and Clark Cups, doing so in 2004-05.
14 times a team has claimed both the Anderson and Clark Cups in the same season.
Seven current USHL coaches have won the Clark Cup.
Dave Siciliano is the only current coach to win the Clark Cup with two different teams, having done so with Thunder Bay and Sioux City. Omaha has won more Clark Cups (6) than any other team in USHL history. Des Moines is second with four wins.
Regg Simon of Des Moines is the only current USHL coach who also won the Clark Cup as a player, doing so with Des Moines in 1994-95.
Tentative dates for round two are May 2-6, 2007. Tentative dates for round three are May 12-13, 2007.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 15, 2007
- USHL ready to open Clark Cup Playoffs - USHL
- Tri-City Playoff Schedule Announced - Tri-City Storm
- Junior Blue Jackets And RoughRiders Play Best Of Seven Series Beginning Tuesday - Ohio Junior Blue Jackets
- Stampede Open Playoffs at Home this Wednesday - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Lancers To Host Des Moines Buccaneers in Clark Cup Playoffs - Omaha Lancers
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