Less than a week after the announcement that they had been officially accepted into the ECHL, the Utah Grizzlies have a 2005-06 schedule that has them opening and ending the season on the same days as the rest of the Class AA hockey league.
The ECHL, and the Grizzlies, open the season on Oct. 21, Utah hosting Las Vegas in the E Center, one of nine opening-night games in the 27-team league that spans 16 states plus Victoria, B.C., Canada. The Grizz will complete the regular season April 8 at Victoria, one of 13 games on the league's last night before the Kelly Cup playoffs begin.
This is the 18th season for the ECHL.
The Grizzlies' entire 72-game schedule will be played against teams in the West. In fact, the E Center will be the eastern-most stop of their entire regular season.
Utah's first road trip starts Oct. 22 when it travels to fellow ECHL newcomer Phoenix for two games, followed by another Oct. 24 at Las Vegas. Victoria comes in for two games to complete the October schedule on the 28th and 29th.
February is the month of streaks as Utah has a season-long seven-game homestand from Feb. 3-17, then turns around for a season-long eight-game road swing Feb. 18-March 4.