Big D Hockey » CHL

Allen Trades for Simoes’ Rights, Sends Wooddisse’s Rights to Mississippi

Ben Ellis — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:37:01 +0000

The Allen Americans obtained the rights to David Simoes today in a trade with the Mississippi RiverKings. In exhange, they sent the rights to Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi. (Photo Credit: John Coffin)

The Allen Americans made a move they feel will strengthen their blue line for the 2010-2011 season, sending the rights to defenseman Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi in exchange for the rights to defenseman David Simoes.

Here is the press release from Allen, which has some good quotes from Coach Mullins, as well as info on Simoes and Wooddisse:

***

ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans acquired the rights to former Mississippi defenseman David Simoes for the 2010-11 season in exchange for Tyler Wooddisse’s rights.

“David is a solid individual. He will be a great guy in our locker room and community,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said. “As a player, he brings an unbelievable amount of grit and attitude that is hard to play against. Like Britt Dougherty, he is sure to be a fan favorite.”

Simoes hails from Vanderhoof, British Columbia. The 25-year-old has three CHL seasons under his belt after playing for New Mexico, Youngstown and Mississippi. He had 15 points (2g-13a=15) in 58 games last year while racking up 171 penalty minutes.

In his three professional seasons, the five-foot-10-inch, 205-pound blueliner has spent 601 minutes in the sin bin over the course of 177 games. Simoes played Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League for five years before a brief stint at the South Alberta Institute of Technology prior to his professional career.

“[My wife and I] are very excited to be coming to Allen. After playing there last year, it seemed like a great city. I know the organization is top notch, and I’ve heard great things about Coach Mully and Coach Macker,” Simoes said Tuesday.

Simoes pointed to the returning players’ desire to win the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup as the primary factor for wanting to be in Allen. “The main reason that we’re excited is from reading the other players’ quotes about coming back to win. We want to win a championship.”

The Americans sent defenseman Tyler Wooddisse’s rights to Mississippi in the trade.

“It’s always difficult in a situation like this because in order to get a player of value, you have to give up value,” Mullins said. “Tyler contributed a lot to the success we had last year, and it was a touch decision to make this move. But in return, we are getting a player that we felt we needed to have to continue to move forward.”

Wooddisse had 34 points (11g-23a=34) in 62 games during the regular season. He had seven assists in the Americans’ 20-game playoff run.

Individual tickets go on sale Sept. 3, but season tickets and partial plans for Allen’s second season are on sale now. Ticket prices start as low as $9 per game. As always, there is free parking at every game. For more information, call 972-912-1000.

Rapid City Awarded the 2011 CHL All-Star Game

Ben Ellis — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:46:31 +0000

The Central Hockey League issued a press release late today, announcing the host city for the 2011 CHL All-Star Game will be Rapid City, SD, home of the Rapid City Rush.

Americans Announce a “Summer Tour”

Ben Ellis — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:25:38 +0000

A quick release from the Americans this morning about some appearances they’ll be making on Saturdays this summer and early fall. No word on whether or not there will be player appearances, but it’s certainly possible:

***

ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans are partnering with O’Reilly McDonald’s for a summer tour. Every Saturday starting July 31 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Americans will be at one of 17 O’Reilly McDonald’s locations located in Collin County.

The Americans slap shot cage will be set up, and the staff will be on hand to pass out giveaways, as well as ticket information. The tour lasts for 11 weeks and ends Oct. 9 at the location down the street from the Allen Event Center.

Americans and O’Reilly McDonald’s Summer Tour Dates and Locations
July 31 – Allen: US-75 and McDermott
Aug. 7– Plano: US-75 and 15th Street
Aug. 14 – McKinney: Eldorado and Hardin Blvd.
Aug. 21 – Frisco: Hwy 121 and Custer (Grand Opening)
Aug. 28 – Plano: Legacy and Coit
Sept. 4 – Van Alstyne: 1001 W. Van Alstyne Pkwy
Sept. 11 – Plano: Custer and McDermott
Sept. 18 – Van Alstyne: 1001 W. Van Alstyne Pkwy
Sept. 25 – Richardson: US-75 and Campbell
Oct. 2 – Plano: Spring Creek and Alma
Oct. 9 – Allen: US-75 and Stacy Road (just east of the Allen Event Center)

More information about O’Reilly McDonald’s can be found at www.oreillymcd.com.

Season tickets for Allen’s second season are on sale now. Ticket prices start as low as $9 per game with free parking at the Allen Event Center. For more information, call 972-912-1000.

Allen Americans Interviews From July 24th

Ben Ellis — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:44:07 +0000

Yesterday, I attended the open house at the Allen Event Center, hosted by the Allen Americans, to listen in on Chris Whitley’s decision whether or not to return to the Americans for the 2010-2011 season (he said he will, if you haven’t read already). While I was there, I also took some pictures, and interviewed head coach Dwight Mullins, defenseman Erik Adams and forward Colton Yellow Horn.

First, here is the interview with Coach Mullins:

Then, I spoke with Adams. He hasn’t been signed for the upcoming season yet, but he seems confident that it will happen. He was the only veteran on the team last season, and I think he did a great job in that role – it would be great for Allen to bring him back. He also talked a bit about his offseason regime in the Texas heat:

Lastly, I talked with Yellow Horn, who signed on with the Americans for the upcoming season just a couple of weeks ago. I love watching Colton play, but he’s not the most verbose in an interview, so this one is a bit brief. It’s still got some great stuff to watch:

And, I took some photos of everything, as I mentioned before. Take a look through the gallery and enjoy.

[View with PicLens]

Goaltender Chris Whitley Re-signs with the Allen Americans

Ben Ellis — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:40:33 +0000

Chris Whitley, the Allen Americans standout goaltender from last season, announced on Saturday that he'd be re-signing with the club for the 2010-2011 campaign. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

Obviously, the big news from “The Decision” today at the Allen Americans’ open house is that goaltender Chris Whitley is returning to the Allen Americans for a second season. There’s more thoughts and reactions from Coach Mullins and a couple of his teammates upcoming, but I wanted to make sure the Americans’ press release was posted. So, more coming soon, but here you go:

***

ALLEN, Texas – Netminder Chris Whitley called in to a live show today at the Allen Event Center to announce his much-anticipated decision to re-sign with Allen for the 2010-11 season.

“Allen was always the team I was going to return to if I didn’t pursue my teaching career. I had a few offers in Europe, but I didn’t get an offer that was better than Allen in my opinion,” Whitley said. “The decision was also made easy when some key guys re-signed like Graham, Yellow, Nino and Tobias, so that was another thing that factored into my decision.”

The backstop returns from an exceptional rookie year with the Americans. Whitley set CHL playoff records, played in the American Hockey League, earned numerous accolades and took the Americans all the way to the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals.

During the regular season, Whitley went 31-8-1, only two wins shy of the record number of victories for a rookie goaltender in the CHL. His goals-against-average and save percentage were 2.60 and .914, respectively. The netminder started in all 20 Americans playoff games and posted a 10-10 record. The 27-year-old broke three playoff records for a single postseason: most saves (636), most appearances (20) and most minutes (1205).

The backstop is anxious to get back between the pipes for the Americans. “I’m hoping to complete what we almost did last year, which is win a championship. We were so close, and I still think quite often how close we were to winning in our first year as a team.”

Whitley was called up to the American Hockey League twice, earning ice time in one game. In his first AHL contest Feb. 28 with the Lake Erie Monsters, he made 37 saves in a 6-5 shootout win over Grand Rapids.

The netminder was named Goaltender of the Week three times (Nov. 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 22). He was also a finalist for Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Goaltender.

“Chris’s return is really important to our team. He’s an All Star on and off the ice,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said. “I know he feels we have some unfinished business to take care of.”

Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Whitley stands at six-feet-one-inch and weighs 215 pounds. He attended the Detroit Red Wings rookie development camp and training camp last year, and he hopes to receive an invitation to the Lake Erie Monsters training camp.

Whitley also points to Allen’s fan base as a reason for his return. “I feel really comfortable with the City of Allen. The city really took us in with open arms last season and showed tremendous support through the season and especially the playoff run we had. I know this season will be better than last and can’t wait to get back on the ice at the AEC.”

Allen Americans Release 2010-2011 Regular Season Schedule

Ben Ellis — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:53:28 +0000

The Central Hockey League released the full schedule for the 2010-2011 regular season today, and the Allen Americans are going to be in for a heavy rotation of some of their favorite matchups.

The Americans will start the season on October 15-16 with a two-game series against the rival Texas Brahmas at the Allen Event Center. Those two games on opening weekend are the first of six total in which the teams will face one another over the season.

The Americans will face the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs most often this season, with a total of ten games scheduled (five at home, five on the road).

Some other schedule highlights:

October 29-30: Allen travels to Rapid City for a two-game series rematch of the 2010 CHL Finals.
November 12-14: Allen travels to Laredo and then Odessa, their opponents in the Southern Conference Semis and Finals, respectively.
January 12: CHL All-Star Game
Febuary 26: Allen will host Bloomington; the two teams’ first matchup ever.
March 27: Allen will close the regular season on the road in Tulsa.

Here is the full season schedule for the Americans, followed by their press release:

***

Allen Americans 2010-11 Schedule
Oct. 15 vs. Texas at 7:30 PM
Oct. 16 vs. Texas at 7:00 PM
Oct. 21 @ Bossier-Shreveport at 6:35 PM
Oct. 22 @ Bossier-Shreveport at 7:05 PM
Oct. 23 @ Wichita at 7:05 PM
Oct. 26 vs. Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
Oct. 29 @ Rapid City at 8:05 PM
Oct. 30 @ Rapid City at 8:05 PM
Nov. 5 vs. Texas at 7:30 PM
Nov. 6 @ Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
Nov. 12 @ Laredo at 7:30 PM
Nov. 13 @ Odessa at 7:05 PM
Nov. 14 @ Odessa at 4:05 PM
Nov. 18 @ Tulsa at 7:05 PM
Nov. 19 vs. Wichita at 7:30 PM
Nov. 20 vs. Odessa at 7:00 PM
Nov. 24 @ Arizona at 8:05 PM
Nov. 26 @ Arizona at 8:05 PM
Nov. 27 @ Arizona at 8:05 PM
Dec. 3 vs. Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
Dec. 4 vs. Laredo at 7:00 PM
Dec. 10 @ Rio Grande Valley at 7:30 PM
Dec. 17 vs. Texas at 7:30 PM
Dec. 18 vs. Tulsa at 7:00 PM
Dec. 21 vs. Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
Dec. 26 vs. Mississippi at 2:00 PM
Dec. 28 @ Texas at 7:00 PM
Dec. 31 vs. Tulsa at 7:30 PM
Jan. 1 vs. Colorado at 7:00 PM
Jan. 2 @ Tulsa at 4:05 PM
Jan. 7 @ Colorado at 8:05 PM
Jan. 8 @ Rapid City at 8:05 PM
Jan. 14 vs. Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
Jan. 15 vs. Laredo at 7:00 PM
Jan. 17 vs. Arizona at1:00 PM
Jan. 21 @ Rio Grande Valley at 7:30 PM
Jan. 22 @ Rio Grande Valley at 7:30 PM
Jan. 28 @ Laredo at 7:30 PM
Jan. 29 vs. Laredo at 7:00 PM
Jan. 30 vs. Rapid City at 2:00 PM
Feb. 2 vs. Tulsa at 7:30 PM
Feb. 4 vs. Texas at 7:30 PM
Feb. 5 @ Texas at 7:30 PM
Feb. 11 vs. Odessa at 7:30 PM
Feb. 12 vs. Odessa at 7:00 PM
Feb. 13 vs. Rio Grande Valley at 2:00 PM
Feb. 15 @ Rio Grande Valley at 7:00 PM
Feb. 18 @ Bossier-Shreveport at 7:05 PM
Feb. 19 @ Texas at 7:30 PM
Feb. 22 @ Laredo at 7:00 PM
Feb. 25 vs. Texas at 7:30 PM
Feb. 26 vs. Bloomington at 7:00 PM
March 1 @ Laredo at 7:00 PM
March 2 vs. Bossier-Shreveport at 7:30 PM
March 4 @ Texas at 7:30 PM
March 5 @ Bossier-Shreveport at 7:05 PM
March 6 vs. Odessa at 2:00 PM
March 8 @ Odessa at 7:05 PM
March 11 @ Texas at 7:30 PM
March 12 vs. Wichita at 7:00 PM
March 13 vs. Bloomington at 2:00 PM
March 18 vs. Tulsa at 7:30 PM
March 19 vs. Rio Grande Valley at 7:00 PM
March 25 @ Mississippi at 7:05 PM
March 26 vs. Mississippi at 7:00 PM
March 27 @ Tulsa at 4:05 PM

A downloadable PDF of this schedule is available from the Americans’ website.

***

ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans will open the 2010-11 Central Hockey League regular season at the Allen Event Center hosting their Metroplex rival, the Texas Brahmas, Oct. 15 and 16.

The Americans are scheduled to play 66 games, two more than last year, with 33 games at home and 33 on the road. The home schedule features 28 weekend games (11 Friday, 12 Saturday and five Sunday). All weekday games with the exception of Jan. 17 begin at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday contests start at 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. The club anticipates a preseason game Saturday, Oct. 9, at the AEC. As of now, the opponent is TBD.

After developing a healthy rivalry with the cross-town Texas Brahmas last year, the Americans will host Texas six times (Oct. 15, Oct. 16, Nov. 5, Dec. 17, Feb. 4 and Feb. 25) and travel to NYTEX Sports Centre five times (Dec. 28, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, March 4 and March 11).

Allen fans will get an opportunity to see a rematch of last year’s Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals Jan. 30 when the Rapid City Rush come to town. The club travels to Rapid City twice for three games (Oct. 29, Oct. 30 and Jan. 8).

An opportunity to relive the Southern Conference Finals will take place Nov. 20, Feb. 11, Feb. 12 and March 6 when Odessa visits Allen.

The Americans play Bossier-Shreveport five times at home (Oct. 26, Dec. 3, Dec. 21, Jan. 14 and March 2) and five times on the road (Oct. 21, Oct. 22, Nov. 6, Feb. 18 and March 5). The club will plan a fan road trip to watch at least one of the road contests there.

The Americans are excited to announce a New Year’s Eve game this year against Tulsa. More details about the game’s festivities will follow shortly.

Allen’s opening night will feature Fan Fest with bounce houses, face painting, a balloon artist, a rock climbing wall and live music before the first puck drop of Allen’s second season. The first 2,500 fans will receive mini replica Southern Conference Champions banners to commemorate the achievement of the inaugural team. All fans will receive 2010-11 magnetic schedules.

The Southern Conference Champions banner will be raised in a special pre-game ceremony, and the Americans are working with several community partners to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Other promotional nights include Dr. Ross J. Miller Schedule Poster Night Oct. 26 and Coors Light Souvenir Schedule Cup Night Nov. 5. The full promotional schedule will be released soon and will include something for everyone.

Allen Americans Announce Return of Tobias Whelan

Ben Ellis — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:37:43 +0000

On Thursday, the Allen Americans announced the signing of Tobias Whelan (shown above in Game 7 of last year's Conference Semi-Finals) for the 2010-2011 season. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

The Allen Americans announced this morning that Tobias Whelan, the talented rookie out of Lakehead University, will return for the 2010-2011 season.

Whelan finished the 2009-2010 season with 33 points (18G, 15A) in 57 games. He also had 70 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating.

The Americans have to love what they get with Whelan: arguably one of the best “all-around” games on the team. He can play a physical game and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves if he has to, but also has some fantastic offensive tools. He’s also a leader in the locker room, and those kinds of guys are invaluable throughout the course of a season.

Here is the team’s press release:

***

ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans have re-signed standout rookie Tobias Whelan (WEE-lan) for the upcoming season.

“Whelan is a very valuable player because he can play in all situations,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said Wednesday. “He’s another guy in our locker room that is glue. We will look for him to give a lot of leadership.”

The six-foot, 190-pound forward scored 33 points (18g-15a=33) in 57 games last year before recording seven points (4g-3a=7) in 19 postseason games.

Whelan, 26, ended the regular season ranked high among rookies. He was tied for most shorthanded goals among first-years with three. The forward was also sixth in scoring for players in their first professional year and tied for third in game-winning goals among rookies with three.

The Orillia, Ontario, native recorded Allen’s first and only Gordie Howe Hat Trick Friday, Feb. 12, against Amarillo when he fought Chris Cloud, grabbed a goal and notched three assists in the game.

Whelan amassed 101 points in as many games in five seasons with Lakehead University before joining the Americans.

Whelan returns to the Americans this fall with Bruce Graham, Nino Musitelli, Colton Yellow Horn and Liam Huculak. Former CHL Rookie of the Year David Nimmo is also under contract with Allen for 2010-11.

Allen Americans to Open 2010-2011 Season at Home on Oct. 15th

Ben Ellis — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:50:59 +0000

The Allen Americans put out a press release today with information about their home opener and some additional details regarding home openers around the league. The Americans will face off against a “to-be-determined” opponent on October 15th. More information about the opposing team for opening night and the rest of the regular season schedule will be forthcoming.

Here’s the team’s release:

***

ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans will open the 2010-11 season at the Allen Event Center Friday, Oct. 15, as part of the CHL’s southern conference.

The Southern Conference Champions banner will be raised in a special pre-game ceremony, and the Americans are working with several community partners to raise awareness about breast cancer.

The Central Hockey League released the home openers for all 18 teams participating in the nineteenth CHL season Tuesday. The season begins Friday, Oct. 15. Opening night hosts in addition to the Americans will be the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles, Missouri Mavericks, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and Tulsa Oilers.

The new conference alignment will split the teams into two conferences of nine teams with the conference reflecting the geography of the North and South. In the very near future, the two conferences will be given names reflective of the histories of both the CHL and IHL, and new trophies will be introduced for the conference champions, regular season champions and league champions.

“We are very excited about the divide between the two conferences and feel the balance and rivalries created will be great for all fans,” Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner, said. “Followers of both the CHL and IHL will enjoy the introduction of new teams as opponents and the formation of new rivalries.”

The north will be comprised of Bloomington PrairieThunder, Colorado Eagles, Dayton Gems, Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets, Missouri Mavericks, Quad City Mallards, Rapid City Rush and Wichita Thunder. The Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Laredo Bucks, Mississippi RiverKings, Odessa Jackalopes, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Texas Brahmas and Tulsa Oilers will make up the southern conference.

The CHL’s regular season will consist of 66 games that will run from Friday, Oct. 15, through Sunday, March 27, with the postseason starting the week of March 28.

CHL Announces Playoff Format for 2010-2011 Season

Ben Ellis — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:19:21 +0000

The Central Hockey League announced a format change for the league’s post-season play on Wednesday. With more teams playing in the league, the CHL decided to expand the format a bit, and have more teams competing in the playoffs.

Last season, the top three teams in each conference made the playoffs, while the 4th and 5th place teams battled for the final spot with a three-game series. After the four teams were decided, the playoffs continued with best-of-seven series.

This season, there will be eight teams in the mix from each conference (meaning just one team in each conference will be left out of post-season action), and the teams will play best-of-five series in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The conference final and the league championship rounds will be best-of-seven series.

Here is the breakdown from the league:

A total of sixteen (16) of eighteen (18) teams will qualify for the post-season, consisting of eight (8) clubs from each conference. Both conference winners will be seeded 1st in their conference heading into the playoffs based on point totals. The next seven (7) highest teams in each conference’s regular season standings based on point totals will be seeded 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th in each conference and will also qualify for post-season play.
The playoffs will consist of four (4) rounds. (Conference Quarterfinals – Best-of-5, Conference Semifinals – Best-of-5, Conference Finals – Best-of-7, CHL Championship Finals – Best-of-7).
The brackets for the post-season will remain constant with no re-seeding taking place during the competition.
The second round (Conference Semifinals) will consist of the victorious four (4) teams from each Conference’s Quarterfinals series’.
The third round (Conference Finals) will consist of the victorious two (2) teams remaining from each conference, with Conference Semifinal seeding remaining in effect to determine home ice advantage.
The fourth round (Championship Finals) will consist of the victorious two (2) teams remaining, one from each conference. Home ice advantage in the Finals will be awarded to the club with the higher regular season point total, regardless of any earlier playoff seeding.
Should two (2) or more teams be tied in points for any seeding issue throughout the playoffs, the following tiebreakers will be used: Most wins, then head-to-head record, then goals for and against differential.

I’m not sure that I like the idea that almost every team will make the post-season – it seems to water down the notion of “playing for the post-season”, but I certainly understand it from a business standpoint. More games means more revenue, and as smaller, professional franchises, these teams can all benefit from additional play. I do like the less complicated structure, eliminating the “play-in” idea of the 4th/5th teams competing to get in at the end.

CHL Announces Conference Alignments for 2010-2011 Season

Ben Ellis — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:22:24 +0000

The Central Hockey League has announced the new conference alignments for the 2010-2011 season. This was an expected announcement, as the Southern Conference lost two teams since last season (Amarillo, who disbanded, and Corpus Christi, who transitioned to an NAHL team). Also, the CHL and IHL joined together in June, and five teams from the IHL are now in this “new CHL”, meaning they had to find a home.

All of the teams who are coming over from the IHL have found a home in the Northern Conference – Bloomington, Dayton, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Quad City. This means three teams who were in the Northern Conference last year (Bossier-Shreveport, Mississippi and Tulsa) now call the Southern Conference home.

The league also announced that each division will have a name that is “reflective of the histories of both the CHL and IHL and new trophies will be introduced for the conference champions, the regular season champions and the league champions.” Does this mean that the Ray Miron Cup will no longer be given to the league champs? Will it be the name of the trophy given to the Southern Conference champs? What will this new trophy the CHL champions will hoist be called? Interesting questions that will be answered soon.

Here is the CHL’s press release:

***

(Tempe, Arizona) – The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the conference alignment for the 18 participating teams for the 2010-11 season as well as the dates of each team’s home openers this Fall. The CHL announced on June 1 that they have affiliated with the International Hockey League (IHL) marking the 19th year of hockey for the CHL and the 60th year of professional hockey for the IHL.

The new conference alignment will split the teams into two conferences of nine teams with the conference reflecting the geography of the North and South. In the very near future, the two conferences will be given names reflective of the histories of both the CHL and IHL and new trophies will be introduced for the conference champions, the regular season champions and the league champions.

“We are very excited about the divide between the two conferences and feel the balance and rivalries created will be great for all fans,” said Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner. “Followers of both the CHL and IHL will enjoy the introduction of new teams as opponents and the formation of new rivalries.”

The league’s Board of Governors has approved the following conference alignment for the 2010-11 season:

North
Bloomington PrairieThunder
Colorado Eagles
Dayton Gems
Evansville IceMen
Fort Wayne Komets
Missouri Mavericks
Quad City Mallards
Rapid City Rush
Wichita Thunder

South
Allen Americans
Arizona Sundogs
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Laredo Bucks
Mississippi RiverKings
Odessa Jackalopes
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Texas Brahmas
Tulsa Oilers

Opening night for the 19th CHL season will be Friday, October 15th when 12 teams will take the ice marking six home opening games. Opening night hosts will be the Allen Americans, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles, Missouri Mavericks, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and Tulsa Oilers.

The reigning Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Champion Rapid City Rush will open their 2010-11 season on Saturday, October 23 and the team that hoisted the International Hockey League’s Turner Cup as the league champions, the Fort Wayne Komets, will open their home schedule on Saturday, October 16.

The dates of the home openers for the CHL’s clubs are:

Allen Americans – Friday, October 15
Arizona Sundogs – Friday, October 22
Bloomington PrairieThunder – Friday, October 22
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs – Friday, October 15
Colorado Eagles – Friday, October 15
Dayton Gems – Saturday, October 16
Evansville IceMen – Saturday, October 23
Fort Wayne Komets – Saturday, October 16
Laredo Bucks – Saturday, October 23
Mississippi RiverKings – Saturday, October 16
Missouri Mavericks – Friday, October 15
Odessa Jackalopes – Thursday, October 28
Quad City Mallards – Saturday, October 16
Rapid City Rush – Saturday, October 23
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees – Friday, October 15
Texas Brahmas – Friday, October 22
Tulsa Oilers – Friday, October 15
Wichita Thunder – Saturday, October 16

The length and dates of the 2010-11 regular season along with the league’s playoff format will be announced later this week.