18/19 ECHL Schedule
- Thread starter Neill99
- Start date
USUALLY around the beginning of the new calendar year in July to mid August, way too early at this point if a)the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs are in only the Division semifinals
royals119
Registered User
Last year it was released on May 16, so I would assume some time close to that. For many years it wasn't released until mid summer because they would wait for the NBA schedule due to teams sharing arenas. They stopped waiting a few years ago so teams can start planning promotions and selling groups and partial plans earlier.
BTW, the LEAGUE year ends around the beginning of July, the exact date might vary a little, the CALENDAR year ends Dec 31st, and that is always the same date.
usually, both leagues announce between mid July to mid August, but what I don't get is why is this up now when only Manchester has advanced to the next round
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Dunno a/b the OP's motivation, but I'm always anxious to see next season's schedules for the various leagues so I can lay out my road trip calendar.
Avsrule2022
"No more rats"
It's been a while since the league has announced the schedule as late as June (2014). 2017 was released on 5/16, 2016 on 4/28 and 2015 on 4/27. The last 3 years have all been announced before the end of the playoffs. If things continue the same, you could see a schedule as early as next weekend.
royals119
Registered User
I guess if your definition of "usually" is to take all 30 seasons and look at the most frequent date you would be correct. However, current practice, for the last several years, has been to release the schedule as early as possible. It would be more reasonable to assume they will continue doing what they have been doing recently, vs going back to what they used to do 5 or more years ago.
As far as why - I mentioned, this gives the teams a head start on next year. Teams that have already been eliminated can sign fans up for next year while they are still thinking about hockey, instead of waiting for July, when no one is listening. Teams that are still playing can market ticket packs to any casual fans who show up for an extended playoff run, and build on their current success. New teams, like Portland and St John's can start selling to groups a lot earlier. Teams can run promotions with the local minor league baseball team over the summer and give away or sell actual game tickets instead of just vouchers.
LadyStanley
Registered User
NHL often announces theirs mid-July. AHL has to wait until NBA schedule is set, so often mid-/late-August. ECHL often announces by mid-May.
not any more they don't, LS, Milwaukee no longer shares an arena, since the Bradley Center will be history following the Bucks season...I believe those that do waived the right to wait until the NBA released their master, SINCE AS SAID, Milwaukee and Houston were two of those 4 that share an arena, Charlotte no longer does since they left their shared agreement with the Hornets when they returned to Bojangles Coliseum, which only leaves Cleveland and San Antonio as the only two who share arenas but both are owned/operated by their NBA Counterparts (Cavaliers/Spurs).
210
Registered User
So let me get this straight...LS says the AHL has to wait for the NBA schedule is out, and Hutch say they don't and then he promptly lists the two teams that share a building with an NBA team, which is the exact reason why the AHL has to wait.
Did I misunderstand something in that exchange?
Did I misunderstand something in that exchange?
210...as much as it pains me...Hutch is 100% correct on this one...the NHL has announced their schedule right around the 3rd week in june for some time now and the AHL has also moved their time frame up announcing in july last year. The AHL has taken the stance that it's no longer fair for the entire league to be held back by a couple of teams and have been proactive in going ahead and announcing the schedule earlier then before. They basically told the Monsters and Rampage that they will no longer hold the entire league hostage to placate those 2 teams.
210
Registered User
The AHL still waits for those two buildings to block out dates for the NBA team...they never had to wait for the entire NBA schedule to have to be publicly released, it was just a convenient excuse for them.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
GrGriffins
Registered User
ECHL schedule usually comes out right around the Kelly Cup Finals. They are usually the first pro hockey league to release their upcoming schedule before any of the other pro leagues.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Maybe nobody. What if Mr. McKenna's departure is on bad terms with the rest of the organization, and he steals the sole copy of next season's schedule? No need for a replacement commissioner, then. Wouldn't THAT spice up this forum for a change?
210
Registered User
It's not my "judgement". I've worked for concert promoters, I know exactly how building scheduling for pro teams is done because we had to work around them.
A building will block out dates that the NBA can use (usually by request of the NBA team) to fill in their schedule, usually 50 to 60 dates. Obviously if the NBA team is the primary tenant they get the prime dates. Once a building blocks those dates out that's when the secondary event availability is blocked in. Some building have multi-year agreements with organizations (like the circus, Disney, or large trade shows) so those are blocked even before the NBA team can consider those dates. In those NBA buildings AHL teams would slip in between the NBA and the secondary event schedule. That's all the AHL has ever had to wait for, but for some reason they used to wait for the full NBA schedule. But even so, they still have to wait for the building to block out the potential NBA games.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
I always assumed the League office waited so they'd only have to suffer through that inexplicably low-tech magnets-on-the-board exercise once. Maybe they've purchased a computer since then.
Atlantian
Registered User
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
An interesting note: their official press release announces that two teams will make their first appearances in Jacksonville, Wheeling and St. John's. Maine isn't making that trip. In fact, those are the only two teams the Icemen host that are out of their division. That indicates that the schedule will not have much balance, with heavy emphasis on divisional play, teams not necessarily facing every conference opponent, and some teams playing some interconference games. That's not really a change to the status quo, but notable nonetheless.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
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