2008-09 CHL Operational Issues Determined

[Thrillhouse]

The Central Hockey League (CHL) today announced several operational issues that were determined and ratified by the CHL Board of Governors at meetings recently completed at the CHL’s Summer Conference that took place at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. The determined issues include divisional alignment and playoff format among other things.

The CHL will maintain its two conference (North and South), four division alignment for the 2008-09 season. The expansion Rapid City Rush will join the Colorado Eagles, Rocky Mountain Rage and Wichita Thunder in the Northwest Division. The Northeast Division will consist of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Mississippi RiverKings, Oklahoma City Blazers and Tulsa Oilers. The lone team shifting conferences for the upcoming season is the Texas Brahmas who will join the Corpus Christi Rayz, Laredo Bucks and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in the Southeast Division and the Southwest Division will remain the Amarillo Gorillas, Arizona Sundogs, New Mexico Scorpions and Odessa Jackalopes.

For the second consecutive season, the playoffs will include 10 teams. The format will remain the same with each division winner from each conference earning the #1 and #2 seeds respectively in their conference’s brackets. The remaining three teams per conference will be determined by the next highest point totals. In the opening round, the #4 seed will play the #5 seed in a best-of-three series with the winner advancing to play the #1 seed in the conference semifinals which will also consist of the #2 seed versus the # 3 seed. Following the conference semifinals and conference finals, the remaining teams from each conference will play in the Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals, with home ice advantage awarded to the team with the highest regular season point total. All playoff series’ other than the opening round will feature best-of-seven game formats.

The CHL also introduced two expansion franchises that will take the ice during the 2009-2010 season, in Independence, Missouri and Allen, Texas. Both teams will play in newly constructed event centers.

[caps05]

Interesting about the two new teams. Allen is right in the heart of the CHL's geographical footprint, but what about Independence?

That one, like Youngstown, is one I can't quite figure out.

[FlagsFan]

Any word on if the CHL is doing free CHL TV again next year?

[FlagsFan]

Originally Posted by caps05

Interesting about the two new teams. Allen is right in the heart of the CHL's geographical footprint, but what about Independence?

That one, like Youngstown, is one I can't quite figure out.

Independence is just a bit northeast of Wichita, Kansas. Right on the border next to Kansas City.

[caps05]

Originally Posted by FlagsFan

Independence is just a bit northeast of Wichita, Kansas. Right on the border next to Kansas City.

Thanks.

[Blazer Q]

one thing that was left off the end of this press release that i have seen on the other ones on different message boards is the chl basically admitting that they are nothing more then a shame company for getting arenas built.