The San Angelo Saints have become the second Central Hockey League club to clinch a 2003/2004 playoff berth as the CHL season winds down towards completion on March 14th. With back-to-back road wins over Fort Worth and Odessa the past weekend, the Saints have secured one of four available Southern Conference playoff slots, joining the CHL overall leading Laredo Bucks as confirmed entries into the post-season. A total of eight clubs (four from each conference) will participate in the playoffs, battling to hoist the Ray Miron President’s Cup trophy as CHL post-season champions.

While the Saints have guaranteed an appearance in the playoffs, they will still try to lock up home ice advantage for the best-of-five first round series by winning the Southwest Division. Currently San Angelo holds a three-point division advantage over Amarillo, but the Gorillas hold two games in hand. Amarillo, with a victory this evening in Odessa, would lock up the third Southern Conference playoff slot. The Rio Grande Valley Killers Bees are strong favorites to round out the field of four, holding a 13-pont lead for the final position and needing to record eight points in their final 10 games to qualify for the post-season in their first year of play.

In the Northern Conference, both the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and Colorado Eagles are closing in on division titles and automatic playoff berths. Bossier-Shreveport holds an 11-point margin in the Northeast, with seven points needed to earn both a playoff position and the division title. Expansion Colorado, meanwhile, can earn the Northwest crown and a trip to the post-season with eight points in their last 10 contests. With both the Mudbugs and Eagles expected to clinch in the coming days, six clubs remain in contention for the two remaining Northern Conference slots.

Currently in the lead for Northern Conference playoff position are the two-time defending champion Memphis RiverKings (65 points, eight games remaining) and the Indianapolis Ice (64 points, 10 games remaining) with the Wichita Thunder (60,11), Oklahoma City Blazers (55,12), New Mexico Scorpions (55,11) and Tulsa Oilers (50, 11) still in contention.

While the Conference Semi-Final series will be played in best-of-five game formats, both the Conference Finals and the Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals will be best-of-seven game series. The four CHL division winners will automatically be seeded first or second in their respective conference, and will hold home ice advantage in the conference semi-finals series.