/* PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL held it’s annual Board of Governors Meeting in Henderson, Nev. on Thursday, June 26, 2009. The following items that were approved by the Board of Governors. Gwinnett’s Chapman Re-Elected Chairman Of The Board Steve Chapman of the Gwinnett Gladiators was unanimously re-elected to serve a fourth term as Chairman of the Board of Governors. Chapman was voted ECHL Executive of the Year in 2005 and 2006 becoming the first person in league history to win the award twice. 2009-10 Division Alignment The Board unanimously approved the realignment of the American Conference into three divisions while the National Conference is unchanged with two divisions. American Conference – East Division Elmira Jackals, Johnstown Chiefs, Reading Royals and Trenton Devils American Conference – North Division Cincinnati Cyclones, Kalamazoo Wings, Toledo Walleye and Wheeling Nailers American Conference – South Division Charlotte Checkers, Florida Everblades, Gwinnett Gladiators and South Carolina Stingrays National Conference – Pacific Division Bakersfield Condors, Las Vegas Wranglers, Ontario Reign and Stockton Thunder National Conference – West Division Alaska Aces, Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies and Victoria Salmon Kings 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs Format Approved The Board unanimously approved the format for the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs as follows: The conference quarterfinals will be a best-of-five game series with the remaining rounds being best-of-seven game series. The best-of-five series will be a 2-3 format with the higher seed choosing if it wishes to host Games 1-2 or Games 3-5. Teams that are less than 350 miles apart may choose to play a 2-2-1 format. In the National Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winner with the best record in the conference will receive a bye in the first round. The other division winner will be seeded second and meet the team that finishes seventh in the conference in the first round. The other first round matchups will be the third-place finisher in the conference against the sixth-place finisher in the conference and the fourth-place finisher in the conference against the fifth-place finisher in the conference. The conference semifinals will have the first-place finisher meeting the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place matchup and the winner of the second-place finisher and seventh-place finisher against the winner of the third-place finisher against the sixth-place finisher. In the American Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winners will be seeded first, second and third and will play the eighth-place finisher, the seventh-place finisher and the sixth-place finisher, respectively, while the fourth-place finisher and the fifth-place finisher will meet. The conference semifinals will have the winner of the first-place and eighth-place matchup will meet the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place game while the winner of the second-place and seventh-place game will face the winner of the third-place and sixth-place matchup. Expansion Revised, 24-Member Limit The Board unanimously approved a revision to the expansion policy and voted to limit the number of Memberships to 24 with a priority on adding teams in the south and west. The ECHL will play with 20 teams in 2009-10 and has inactive Memberships in Columbia, South Carolina and Reno, Nevada. Columbia, Reno Provides Updates Columbia advised the Board that construction is scheduled to begin this summer on the Lexington County Events Center and that the Inferno plan to return to the ice for the 2010-11 season. The team has retained the nucleus of its staff and plans to increase its preparation for 2010-11 in October. The Board unanimously approved a request from Reno for a one-year extension to its Home Arena Pending as the ownership group continues its work toward an arena project. Playoff Roster Revision The Board unanimously approved the elimination of injured reserve in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Teams will have a maximum roster of 23 players for the postseason with 20 active players and up to three inactive players. Playing Schedule Committee Formed The Board voted to form a committee to examine the overall scheduling process. The committee will report to the Board at the Preseason Meeting in September regarding the timing and release of the schedule in coming seasons as well as the criteria to be used in creating the schedule. Dayton, Mississippi, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix Return Memberships The ECHL announced that the Memberships for Dayton, Mississippi, Myrtle Beach and Phoenix were relinquished by the respective ownership groups, who had advised the Board in January that they would not compete in 2009-10.
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