TEMPE, Ariz. – The Central Hockey League has announced the Opening Round schedule for the 16 teams that will compete in the 2011 Ray Miron President’s Cup Playoffs. The post-season begins on Wednesday, March 30th with a match-up between the Missouri Mavericks and the Wichita Thunder at the INTRUST Bank Arena. 
The Mavericks and Thunder are the lone Opening Round series not to take the traditional 2-2-1 format but instead will open in the home of the lower seeded Wichita Thunder due to building availability and play a 1-2-1-1 series. The top seeds in each conference are the Allen Americans (the #1 seed in the entire playoffs and Governors’ Cup Champions) in the Berry Conference and the Rapid City Rush in the Turner Conference (they were the top seed in the Northern Conference last season and eventually won the CHL Championship in six games over Allen). The final playoff spot was secured Saturday night with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees claiming the 16th and last spot when they erased a 4-0 deficit to beat the Texas Brahmas by a final score of 5-4. The Killer Bees will face the Americans beginning Thursday, March 31 at the Allen Event Center. The other Berry Conference match-ups feature the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and the Arizona Sundogs, the Texas Brahmas and the Mississippi RiverKings and the Tulsa Oilers and the Odessa Jackalopes. In the Turner Conference, the top-seeded Rush will play the Dayton Gems, the Colorado Eagles will face the Quad City Mallards, the Bloomington PrairieThunder will meet the Fort Wayne Komets and the Missouri Mavericks will play the Wichita Thunder. Playoff rosters for the 16 participants are due by Noon CST on Monday, March 28th. The finalized series schedules are as follows: Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “A” (best-of-5) Rapid City Rush vs. Dayton Gems Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Rapid City at Dayton, 7:00 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Rapid City at Dayton, 7:00 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “B” (best-of-5) Colorado Eagles vs. Quad City Mallards Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Colorado at Quad City, 7:05 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Colorado at Quad City, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “C” (best-of-5) Bloomington PrairieThunder vs. Fort Wayne Komets Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 7:05 Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 3:05 Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Bloomington at Fort Wayne, 7:30 *Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 8 – Bloomington at Fort Wayne, 8:00 *Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 10 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 3:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “D” (best-of-5) Missouri Mavericks vs. Wichita Thunder Game 1 – Wed., Mar. 30 – Missouri at Wichita, 7:05 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 *Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Missouri at Wichita, 7:05 *Game 5 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “E” (best-of-5) Allen Americans vs. Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:30 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:30 Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Allen at Rio Grande Valley, 1:00 *Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 4 – Allen at Rio Grande Valley, 7:00 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “F” (best-of-5) Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs vs. Arizona Sundogs Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Bossier-Shreveport at Arizona, 7:05 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Bossier-Shreveport at Arizona, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “G” (best-of-5) Tulsa Oilers vs. Mississippi RiverKings Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:05 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:35 Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Tulsa at Mississippi, 5:05 *Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Tulsa at Mississippi, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:35 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “H” (best-of-5) Texas Brahmas vs. Odessa Jackalopes Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Odessa at Texas, 7:00 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Odessa at Texas, 7:30 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Texas at Odessa, 7:05 *Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 7 – Texas at Odessa, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Odessa at Texas, 7:30 *if necessary **all times local** Contact comments@prohockeynews.com
The Mavericks and Thunder are the lone Opening Round series not to take the traditional 2-2-1 format but instead will open in the home of the lower seeded Wichita Thunder due to building availability and play a 1-2-1-1 series. The top seeds in each conference are the Allen Americans (the #1 seed in the entire playoffs and Governors’ Cup Champions) in the Berry Conference and the Rapid City Rush in the Turner Conference (they were the top seed in the Northern Conference last season and eventually won the CHL Championship in six games over Allen). The final playoff spot was secured Saturday night with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees claiming the 16th and last spot when they erased a 4-0 deficit to beat the Texas Brahmas by a final score of 5-4. The Killer Bees will face the Americans beginning Thursday, March 31 at the Allen Event Center. The other Berry Conference match-ups feature the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and the Arizona Sundogs, the Texas Brahmas and the Mississippi RiverKings and the Tulsa Oilers and the Odessa Jackalopes. In the Turner Conference, the top-seeded Rush will play the Dayton Gems, the Colorado Eagles will face the Quad City Mallards, the Bloomington PrairieThunder will meet the Fort Wayne Komets and the Missouri Mavericks will play the Wichita Thunder. Playoff rosters for the 16 participants are due by Noon CST on Monday, March 28th. The finalized series schedules are as follows: Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “A” (best-of-5) Rapid City Rush vs. Dayton Gems Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Rapid City at Dayton, 7:00 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Rapid City at Dayton, 7:00 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Dayton at Rapid City, 7:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “B” (best-of-5) Colorado Eagles vs. Quad City Mallards Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Colorado at Quad City, 7:05 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Colorado at Quad City, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Quad City at Colorado, 7:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “C” (best-of-5) Bloomington PrairieThunder vs. Fort Wayne Komets Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 7:05 Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 3:05 Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Bloomington at Fort Wayne, 7:30 *Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 8 – Bloomington at Fort Wayne, 8:00 *Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 10 – Fort Wayne at Bloomington, 3:05 Turner Conference Opening Round – Series “D” (best-of-5) Missouri Mavericks vs. Wichita Thunder Game 1 – Wed., Mar. 30 – Missouri at Wichita, 7:05 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 *Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Missouri at Wichita, 7:05 *Game 5 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Wichita at Missouri, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “E” (best-of-5) Allen Americans vs. Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:30 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:30 Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Allen at Rio Grande Valley, 1:00 *Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 4 – Allen at Rio Grande Valley, 7:00 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Rio Grande Valley at Allen, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “F” (best-of-5) Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs vs. Arizona Sundogs Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Bossier-Shreveport at Arizona, 7:05 *Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 6 – Bossier-Shreveport at Arizona, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Arizona at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “G” (best-of-5) Tulsa Oilers vs. Mississippi RiverKings Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:05 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 1 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:35 Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 3 – Tulsa at Mississippi, 5:05 *Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Tulsa at Mississippi, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Mississippi at Tulsa, 7:35 Berry Conference Opening Round – Series “H” (best-of-5) Texas Brahmas vs. Odessa Jackalopes Game 1 – Thu., Mar. 31 – Odessa at Texas, 7:00 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 2 – Odessa at Texas, 7:30 Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 5 – Texas at Odessa, 7:05 *Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 7 – Texas at Odessa, 7:05 *Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 9 – Odessa at Texas, 7:30 *if necessary **all times local** Contact comments@prohockeynews.com