AHL preseason to begin Saturday

ahl06_200.jpgSPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today its composite 2009 preseason schedule, which comprises 41 games to be played between Sat., Sept. 19 and Wed., Sept. 30.

The preseason schedule includes the Hamilton Bulldogs and Toronto Marlies heading to Edinburgh, Scotland, to join the Edinburgh Capitals and the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League to compete for the 2009 Gardiner Cup. The tournament marks a celebration of Scotland’s contributions to the invention of the game of ice hockey.

The 2009 preseason is also the first opportunity for fans in three new AHL cities to see their teams. The Adirondack Phantoms host the Albany River Rats in their debut at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Sept. 25; the Abbotsford Heat play a two-game preseason series with the Manitoba Moose at the Entertainment & Sports Centre on Sept. 25 and 27; and the Texas Stars take to the Cedar Park Center ice to battle the San Antonio Rampage on Sept. 27.

Twenty-four of the 41 games on the AHL’s preseason schedule are set to be played at local community and neutral-site rinks. The 2009 preseason will also feature two games between AHL clubs and their NHL affiliates, as Norfolk hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sept. 25 and Texas entertains the Dallas Stars on Sept. 30.

The American Hockey League’s 74th regular season begins on Fri., Oct. 2, as 29 teams begin competition for the prestigious Calder Cup. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the eighth year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2008-09. 

2009 AHL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Sat., 9/19 W-B/Scranton vs. Binghamton Broome Community College Ice Center
Binghamton, N.Y.
7:30 ET
       
Sun., 9/20 Binghamton vs. W-B/Scranton Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
5:05 ET
       
Wed., 9/23 Worcester vs. Hartford Koeppel Community Sports Center
Hartford, Conn.
7:00 ET
  Springfield vs. Providence New England Sports Center
Marlborough, Mass.
7:00 ET
  Chicago vs. Rockford Carlson Arctic Ice Arena
Loves Park, Ill.
7:00 CT
       
Thu., 9/24 Toronto vs. Hamilton Murrayfield Ice Rink
Edinburgh, Scotland
7:00 pm local/
2:00 pm ET
  Lowell vs. Providence Iorio Arena
Walpole, Mass.
6:05 ET
  Texas vs. San Antonio Ice Center at Northwoods
San Antonio, Texas
7:30 CT
       
Fri., 9/25 Bridgeport vs. Hartford Champions Skating Center
Cromwell, Conn.
7:00 ET
  W-B/Scranton vs. Hershey Giant Center
Hershey, Pa.
7:00 ET
  Binghamton vs. Syracuse Campus Center
Oswego, N.Y.
7:00 ET
  Tampa Bay (NHL) vs. Norfolk Scope
Norfolk, Va.
7:00 ET
  Worcester vs. Springfield MassMutual Center
Springfield, Mass.
7:30 ET
  Albany vs. Adirondack Glens Falls Civic Center
Glens Falls, N.Y.
7:35 ET
  Chicago vs. Milwaukee Wilson Ice Arena
Milwaukee, Wis.
7:00 CT
  Rockford vs. Peoria Carver Arena
Peoria, Ill.
7:00 CT
  Manitoba vs. Abbotsford Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre
Abbotsford, B.C.
7:30 PT
       
Sat., 9/26 Gardiner Cup semifinal:
Toronto vs. Edinburgh (EIHL)
Murrayfield Ice Rink
Edinburgh, Scotland
1:30 pm local/
8:30 am ET
  Gardiner Cup semifinal:
Hamilton vs. Belfast (EIHL)
Murrayfield Ice Rink
Edinburgh, Scotland
5:30 pm local/
12:30 pm ET
  Adirondack vs. Albany Times Union Center
Albany, N.Y.
5:00 ET
  Lowell vs. Portland Portland Ice Arena
Portland, Maine
5:00 ET
  Hartford vs. Bridgeport The Rinks at Shelton
Shelton, Conn.
7:00 ET
  San Antonio vs. Houston Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center
Sugar Land, Texas
6:00 CT
  Rochester vs. Lake Erie Hoover Arena
Strongsville, Ohio
7:00 ET
  Providence vs. Springfield MassMutual Center
Springfield, Mass.
7:00 ET
  Hershey vs. W-B/Scranton Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
7:05 ET
  Syracuse vs. Binghamton Broome Community College Ice Center
Binghamton, N.Y.
7:30 ET
  Milwaukee vs. Chicago Hoffman Estates Park District Ice Arena
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
7:00 CT
  Peoria vs. Rockford Rockford MetroCentre
Rockford, Ill.
7:05 CT
       
Sun., 9/27 Gardiner Cup consolation Murrayfield Ice Rink
Edinburgh, Scotland
1:30 pm local/
8:30 am ET
  Gardiner Cup championship Murrayfield Ice Rink
Edinburgh, Scotland
5:30 pm local/
12:30 pm ET
  Portland vs. Manchester Notre Dame Arena
Berlin, N.H.
2:00 ET
  Worcester vs. Hartford International Skating Center
Simsbury, Conn.
3:00 ET
  San Antonio vs. Texas Cedar Park Center
Cedar Park, Texas
3:00 CT
  Norfolk vs. Hershey Giant Center
Hershey, Pa.
5:00 ET
  Syracuse vs. Rochester ESL Sports Centre
Rochester, N.Y.
6:00 ET
  Manitoba vs. Abbotsford Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre
Abbotsford, B.C.
5:00 PT
       
Mon., 9/28 Houston vs. Texas Cedar Park Center
Cedar Park, Texas
7:00 CT
       
Tue., 9/29 Rochester vs. Syracuse War Memorial at Oncenter
Syracuse, N.Y.
7:00 ET
       
Wed., 9/30 Hamilton vs. Toronto General Motors Centre
Oshawa, Ont.
7:00 ET
  Dallas (NHL) vs. Texas Cedar Park Center
Cedar Park, Texas
7:00 CT