ECHL announces 2018 Preseason schedule

The ECHL announced on Tuesday its Preseason schedule of 24 games beginning Sept. 30 and continuing through Oct. 7.

The Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League will open its 31st season with six games on Friday, Oct. 12. Opening weekend continues with 12 games on Saturday, Oct. 13 and three games on Sunday, Oct. 14.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,424 fans per game in 2017-18, the 14th consecutive season and the 26th time in the last 28 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans.

2018 ECHL Preseason Schedule

Sunday, September 30

Wilfred Laurier University at Brampton        2 p.m. ET

Thursday, October 4

South Carolina at Orlando                 12 Noon ET (RDV Sportsplex)

Brampton at Newfoundland               7 p.m. NT (Stephenville Dome – Stephenville, Newfoundland)

Atlanta at Greenville                           7 p.m. ET

Friday, October 5

Brampton at Newfoundland               7 p.m. NT (Hodder Memorial Arena – Deer Lake, Newfoundland)

Fort Wayne at Indy                            6 p.m. ET

Reading at Adirondack                      7 p.m. ET

Greenville at South Carolina               7 p.m. ET (Carolina Ice Palace)

Cincinnati at Wheeling                       7:05 p.m. ET

Toledo at Kalamazoo                          7:30 p.m. ET

Orlando at Florida                              7:30 p.m. ET

Kansas City at Allen                           7 p.m. CT (Allen Community Ice Rink)

Idaho at Utah                                      7 p.m. MT

Saturday, October 6

Tulsa at Wichita                                  4 p.m. CT (Wichita Ice Center)

Kansas City at Allen                           4:30 p.m. CT (Allen Community Rink)

Worcester at Maine                             7 p.m. ET (The Rinks at Exeter – Exeter, N.H.)

Adirondack at Reading                      7 p.m. ET

Orlando at Florida                              7 p.m. ET

Kalamazoo at Toledo                          7:15 p.m. ET

Indy at Fort Wayne                            7:30 p.m. ET

Wheeling at Cincinnati                       7:35 p.m. ET

Utah at Idaho                                      7 p.m. MT

Sunday, October 7

Brampton at Newfoundland               2 p.m. NT (Eastlink Events Centre – Clarenville, Newfoundland)

Maine at Manchester                           4:35 p.m. ET (The Rinks at Exeter – Exeter, N.H.)

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 31st season in 2018-19. There have been  who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 18 who made their NHL debuts in the 2017-18 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 31 NHL teams in 2017-18, marking the 21st consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.