The Turner Cup playoffs officially begin Tuesday, but don't look for scores in tomorrow's newspaper.
Playoff fever in the IHL moves a little slower than the National Hockey League, or other sports for that matter.Six of the 10 playoff teams, including the Utah Grizzlies, will have at least a week wait before they can even schedule their first post-season game.
It may seem odd for fans who are used to teams playing three games in three nights, sometimes in three different cities.
Most teams are struggling to fill their arenas, even during the playoffs, and are trying to schedule games on nights most favorable to good attendance.
For most cities, that means teams will schedule as many games as they can on weekends because the average attendance is so much better.
The first playoff game, a quarterfinal match-up between Manitoba and Long Beach in the Western Conference, is Wednesday.
The teams don't meet for game No. 2 until Friday in Long Beach.
The Eastern Conference quarterfinals don't begin until Friday in Milwaukee, featuring the Admirals and the Cleveland Lumberjacks.
They'll play again Saturday in Cleveland.
The league allows almost two weeks for each round so teams can work out travel schedules to suit the needs of each team.
Utah will play the first day its allowed to play a semifinal game on April 25.
Utah coach Bob Bourne has said he's not worried about the long layoff before playoffs begin for the Grizzlies because their opponents endure the same wait.
It will also give Utah's older team some time to heal any nagging injuries.
The final round of the Turner Cup playoff is slated for May 24- June 9.
You can reach Amy Donaldson by e-mail at ADonald512@aol.com