CHL's 12th Season Concludes

The Central Hockey League’s 12th regular season is complete, with eight member teams preparing for action in the 2003-2004 Ray Miron President’s Cup Playoffs. The season was a success on several levels, as the CHL enjoyed tremendous parity, again increased attendance, and experienced excellent success in expansion markets in Colorado and Rio Grande Valley.

On the ice, three of four division winners from the 2002/2003 season failed to qualify for the post-season, with only the Amarillo Gorillas, Indianapolis Ice and Laredo Bucks earning a repeat visit to the playoffs. In Laredo, the Bucks enjoyed arguably the top season in CHL history, establishing new CHL records with a winning percentage of .813 (currently leading all minor professional hockey), a 21-game home winning streak and a penalty killing percentage of 89.4. Along with the Governors’ Cup as regular season CHL champions, the Bucks earned three individual awards, as goaltender David Guerrera was voted the CHL’s Rookie of the Year and center Jeff Bes claimed Most Valuable Player and Joe Burton Scoring Champion honors with a CHL-leading 117 points.

The 2003/2004 season also saw the CHL set a new total attendance record, welcoming 2,448,584 fans to 544 games. The CHL increased its per game average attendance for the third consecutive season, finishing the campaign with an average of 4,501 per contest, more than 600 higher than any other “AA” league in North America. In Oklahoma City, the Blazers highlighted the year by setting a new single game CHL attendance mark, packing 16,929 fans into the Ford Center on February 7th.

The CHL’s two expansion clubs this season both received outstanding support en route to highly successful inaugural seasons. In Colorado, the Eagles sold out all 32 home games at the Budweiser Events Center (5,211) and claimed the Northwest Division title with a record of 43-16-5, setting a CHL record for points by an expansion team with 91. Expansion sibling Rio Grande Valley was also warmly received, as the Killer Bees welcomed an average of 5,114 (93% capacity) to the Dodge Arena and also qualified for the playoffs. In other news, the CHL Board of Governors has ratified a motion to proceed to a 60-game regular season schedule for the 2004-2005 season, down from the 64 game season used the past two years.

| Back to index...

Search Archive »





Browse by Month »

May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
October 2001
September 2001
July 2001
May 2001
February 2000