11 replies to this topic

[LoboFan07]

This thread for the ECHL 2004-2005 Season!

his is the Texas Wildcatters 2nd Season as a Francise! Go 'Catters!

Fri, Oct 22, 2004 Texas at Florida 7:30
Sat, Oct 23, 2004 Texas at Florida 7:30
Sat, Oct 30, 2004 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Sun, Oct 31, 2004 Texas at Mississippi 5:05
Fri, Nov 5, 2004 Augusta at Texas 7:05
Sat, Nov 6, 2004 Augusta at Texas 7:05
Tue, Nov 9, 2004 Texas at Gwinnett 7:05
Fri, Nov 12, 2004 Texas at Columbia 7:30
Sun, Nov 14, 2004 Texas at Greenville 3:05
Tue, Nov 16, 2004 Texas at Greenville 7:05
Wed, Nov 17, 2004 Texas at Charlotte 7:00
Fri, Nov 19, 2004 Pensacola at Texas 7:05
Sat, Nov 20, 2004 Mississippi at Texas 7:05
Sun, Nov 21, 2004 Texas at Louisiana 5:05
Wed, Nov 24, 2004 Las Vegas at Texas 7:05
Fri, Nov 26, 2004 Texas at Mississippi 7:35
Sat, Nov 27, 2004 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Fri, Dec 3, 2004 Texas at Louisiana 7:05
Sat, Dec 4, 2004 Texas at Mississippi 7:35
Sun, Dec 5, 2004 Gwinnett at Texas 5:05
Fri, Dec 10, 2004 Texas at Pensacola 7:05
Sat, Dec 11, 2004 Pensacola at Texas 7:05
Fri, Dec 17, 2004 Texas at Louisiana 7:05
Sat, Dec 18, 2004 Charlotte at Texas 7:05
Sun, Dec 19, 2004 Charlotte at Texas 5:05
Sun, Dec 26, 2004 Mississippi at Texas 5:05
Thu, Dec 30, 2004 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Sat, Jan 1, 2005 Reading at Texas 7:05
Sun, Jan 2, 2005 Reading at Texas 5:05
Sat, Jan 8, 2005 Mississippi at Texas 7:05
Sun, Jan 9, 2005 Pensacola at Texas 5:05
Tue, Jan 11, 2005 Texas at Greenville 7:05
Thu, Jan 13, 2005 Texas at Pee Dee 7:00
Fri, Jan 14, 2005 Texas at Pee Dee 7:30
Sat, Jan 15, 2005 Texas at Charlotte 7:00
Mon, Jan 17, 2005 Texas at Gwinnett 7:05
Sat, Jan 22, 2005 Augusta at Texas 7:05
Sun, Jan 23, 2005 Augusta at Texas 5:05
Fri, Jan 28, 2005 Greenville at Texas 7:35
Sat, Jan 29, 2005 Greenville at Texas 7:05
Tue, Feb 1, 2005 Texas at Mississippi 7:05
Fri, Feb 4, 2005 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Sat, Feb 5, 2005 Mississippi at Texas 7:05
Thu, Feb 10, 2005 South Carolina at Texas 7:05
Fri, Feb 11, 2005 Texas at Pensacola 7:05
Sat, Feb 12, 2005 Texas at Pensacola 7:05
Fri, Feb 18, 2005 Texas at Louisiana 7:05
Sat, Feb 19, 2005 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Fri, Feb 25, 2005 Florida at Texas 7:05
Sat, Feb 26, 2005 Florida at Texas 7:05
Sun, Feb 27, 2005 Mississippi at Texas 5:05
Fri, Mar 4, 2005 Texas at Pensacola 7:05
Sat, Mar 5, 2005 Texas at Gwinnett 7:35
Sun, Mar 6, 2005 Texas at South Carolina 3:00
Tue, Mar 8, 2005 Texas at South Carolina 7:00
Fri, Mar 11, 2005 Texas at Columbia 7:30
Sat, Mar 12, 2005 Texas at Columbia 7:30
Sun, Mar 13, 2005 Texas at Augusta 4:05
Tue, Mar 15, 2005 Texas at Augusta 7:05
Thu, Mar 17, 2005 Victoria at Texas 7:05
Sat, Mar 19, 2005 Idaho at Texas 7:05
Sun, Mar 20, 2005 Idaho at Texas 5:05
Fri, Mar 25, 2005 Pee Dee at Texas 7:05
Sat, Mar 26, 2005 Pee Dee at Texas 7:05
Sun, Mar 27, 2005 Pensacola at Texas 5:05
Tue, Mar 29, 2005 Texas at Mississippi 7:05
Fri, Apr 1, 2005 Texas at Pensacola 7:05
Sat, Apr 2, 2005 Texas at Louisiana 7:05
Sun, Apr 3, 2005 Pensacola at Texas 5:05
Tue, Apr 5, 2005 Texas at Mississippi 7:05
Fri, Apr 8, 2005 Louisiana at Texas 7:05
Sat, Apr 9, 2005 Texas at Louisiana 7:05

[CalallenWildcat]

Wildcatters can improve on a good inaugural season! The second season is always a good one!

[LoboFan07]

BEAUMONT - Local hockey fans curious if what appears to be an almost certain NHL work stoppage will have repercussions for the Texas Wildcatters have no further to look than the ice at Ford Arena this fall.

This doesn't mean you'll see Brett Hull or Paul Kariya wearing a Wildcatters jersey. However there will be a trickle down effect if the union's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league is allowed to expire on Sept. 15 according to Wildcatters owner Rick Adams.

"The primary effect in Beaumont will be that there will be a higher level of player in our league next year because there will be a number of two-way NHL-AHL contracts that NHL teams may assign to the AHL," said Adams. "This would force down from the American Hockey League players that would otherwise have slots on those rosters."

The unfolding series of events is like déjà vu all over again for Wildcatters coach Robert Dirk who had "no doubt" there will be no NHL hockey this fall.

Dirk was an assistant player representative from 1991-1995
when he played for the Vancouver Canucks and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. During that time the NHL experienced two major labor-management episodes: a 10-day player walkout (1991) and a lockout-shortened season (1994-95).

Now that he is a coach, Dirk can see the issues from both sides of the bargaining table. The union wants a free marketplace without a salary cap and management wants to put a check on spending. At this point, the two sides are far apart and neither appears willing to budge.

"From the management side my perspective is the players have to realize how good they have it and a lot of them don't," said Dirk. "They're getting paid to play a sport, a game that they love to play. It's good for them but in a sense (the salaries are) ridiculous.

"The owners have to learn to become smart businessmen. If you want to make a dollar then run your business accordingly. If you don't have the money then don't pay these players $50 million contracts."

A notable sidebar to these events is the reemergence of the World Hockey Association (WHA), which is scheduled to begin play in late October. Bobby Hull, who gave the original WHA legitimacy when he jumped from the NHL to the Winnipeg Jets, is the resurrected league's commissioner.

"They certainly picked a very good year for the WHA to resurface because half of the NHL players are going to be free agents as of July 1," said Dirk. "But if they sign with the WHA they are probably locked into the WHA for the whole year. If they would come to Texas to play they could play here as long as they wanted but as soon as the NHL started up again they could leave."

So, if anything the bad news for the NHL should be good news for the ECHL.

Just don't expect to see Martin Brodeur in net in Beaumont anytime soon.

[CalallenWildcat]

Who is Beaumont's AHL affiliate?

[LoboFan07]

They dont have one surprisingly. They are an independent team

[CalallenWildcat]

Then I don't see how they will benefit from a strike. It said players will be sent from NHL to AHL to CHL/ECHL, but they wont benefit because they are independent. If anything, a strike will hurt them.

[LoboFan07]

I dont understand the whole thing but they get players I know just added to their team. I dont get it.

[CalallenWildcat]

Maybe the AHL players will move down to the other teams, then Texas can trade for the AHL players and that's how it works.

[LoboFan07]

I know they are trading half of their players from this year.

[CalallenWildcat]

They may be trading for the rights of any players received from the AHL. That's a risky trade, but it may just work.

[CalallenWildcat]

From www.wildcattershockey.com

ECHL Announces Playoff format for 2004-05 Season
06/21/04

Beaumont, TX (June 21, 2004) – The ECHL announces the format for the 2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The format was approved by the ECHL Board of Governors at its Annual Meeting held June 10-11 in Atlanta.

Every team begins the season with the goal of winning the Patrick J. Kelly Cup, presented annually to the ECHL Postseason Champion and won in 2004 by the Idaho Steelheads, who defeated the Florida Everblades in the first coast-to-coast Kelly Cup Finals.

To reflect its national presence the ECHL renamed its conferences, the American Conference and the National Conference. The divisions in the American Conference will be the East Division and the South Division while the divisions in the National Conference will be the North Division and the West Division.

The playoff qualifiers in the National Conference will be the top four teams with the highest regular-season point total from the North Division and the top four teams with the highest regular-season point total from the West Division. The Division Semifinals will be best-of-five series with the first-place finisher meeting the fourth-place finisher and the second-place finisher meeting the third-place finisher. The winners of the Division Semifinals will advance to the Division Finals which is also a best-of-five series. The winners of the Division Finals will meet in the best-of-seven Conference Finals to determine the National Conference Champion and representative in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals.

Because of geographical proximity in the American Conference, first-round playoff berths will be awarded to the top eight (8) teams - the first-place team in each division (based on regular-season point totals in each conference), as well as the next six-best teams (based on regular-season point totals in each conference). The two division winners will be seeded first and second (in order of points) and the next six-best teams (in order of points) will be seeded third through eighth.

In the Conference Quarterfinals, the first-place team will meet the eighth-place team, the second-place team will meet the seventh-place team, the third-place team will meet the sixth-place team, and the fourth-place team will meet the fifth-place team. Home ice in the Conference Quarterfinals is granted to those teams seeded first through fourth.

In the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals, teams will be reseeded according to the same criteria as the Conference Quarterfinals (division leaders will be seeded first and granted home-ice advantage while the remaining teams will be seeded in order of regular-season points).

The winners of the best-of-five Conference Semifinals advance to the best-of-seven Conference Finals to determine the American Conference Champion and representative in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals.









American Conference (14 teams)

East Division (7 teams) - Charlotte Checkers, Columbia Inferno, Greensboro Generals, Greenville Grrrowl, Pee Dee Pride, Roanoke Express and South Carolina Stingrays.
South Division (7 teams) - Augusta Lynx, Florida Everblades, Gwinnett Gladiators, Louisiana IceGators, Mississippi Sea Wolves, Pensacola Ice Pilots and Texas Wildcatters.

National Conference (16 teams)

North Division (8 teams) - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, Dayton Bombers, Johnstown Chiefs, Peoria Rivermen, Reading Royals, Toledo Storm, Trenton Titans and Wheeling Nailers.
West Division (8 teams) - Alaska Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Idaho Steelheads, Las Vegas Wranglers, Long Beach Ice Dogs, San Diego Gulls and Victoria Salmon Kings.

Began in 1988 with five teams in three states, the ECHL welcomed nine new markets in 2003-04 and played with 31 teams in 17 states across five time zones. In 2004-05, the league will play with 30 teams in 17 states and one Canadian province as it welcomes the Victoria Salmon Kings, who become first ECHL team outside of the United States, playing in Victoria, British Columbia.

Beginning on October 22 and concluding on April 9, 2005, each of the teams will play a 72-game schedule comprised of 36 home and 36 road games. The Premier "AA" Hockey League, the ECHL had affiliation agreements with 21 of the 30 teams in the NHL and 21 of the 28 teams in the AHL in 2003-04.

2005 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs

National Conference

Division Semifinals (Best-of-Five Series)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

Division Finals (Best-of-Five Series)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

National Conference Final (Best-of-Seven Series)
North Division Champion vs. West Division Champion

American Conference

Quarterfinals (Best-of-Five Series)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 8 Seed
No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed
No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed
* Winners reseeded for Conference Semifinals

Semifinals (Best-of-Five Series)
No. 1 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

American Conference Finals (Best-of-Seven Series)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

2005 Kelly Cup Finals (Best-of-Seven Series)
National Conference Champion vs. American Conference Champion

[LoboFan07]

Wildcatters go on a signing run

Wildcatters Sign First New Player Dean Stork Brings Size To Texas Defense
BEAUMONT, TX (June 23, 2004) – Texas Wildcatters Head Coach Robert Dirk announced today the Wildcatters and defenseman Dean Stork have agreed to terms for the 2004-05 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6-foot-3, 215 pound Stork, who is 28 years old, played last season with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. He had 2 goals, 17 assists for 19 points and 61 penalty minutes in 63 games. Entering his seventh season of professional hockey, Stork is a veteran of 317 professional hockey games, including 304 in the ECHL and 13 in the American Hockey League. His career totals include 27 goals and 90 points along with 374 penalty minutes.

“I have heard a lot of good things about Robert Dirk and I look forward to playing for him,” said Stork. “I’m excited to be coming to Texas and look forward to playing in the South again.”

“Dean will provide character on the ice, in the dressing room and in the community,” said Dirk. “I couldn’t be happier; this is the first major signing of a new player."

The Edmonton, Alberta native played three years at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst prior to turning pro at the end of the 1998-99 season. Defined as a stay-at-home defenseman, Stork had a career high 15 goals and 28 points in 2002-03 with the Arkansas RiverBlades.

“I expect him to help stabilize our defensive core, which should lead to fewer goals against,” added Dirk.

Stork is the first new player to agree to terms with the Wildcatters, joining defensemen Aaron MacInnis and Mark Jackson and All-Star forward John Snowden, who have already signed.



Wildcatters Extend Qualifying Offer To Ashlee Langdone
BEAUMONT, TX (July 1, 2004) – Texas Wildcatters Head Coach Robert Dirk announced today he has extended a qualifying offer to forward Ashlee Langdone.

The 24-year-old Langdone is coming off a career high 29 points (9g,20a). He led the team in penalty minutes with 304. The Edmonton, Alberta native will be entering his fifth professional season, having played his first three years in San Diego.

Players who had already signed a contract by July 1 did not need to receive qualifying offers.

Each team was entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (288 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2004-05 season). Players on open qualifying offers can not be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.



Wildcatters Add A Nickel Package
BEAUMONT, TX (July 2, 2004) – Texas Wildcatters Head Coach Robert Dirk announced today the team has agreed to terms with five returning players for the 2004-05 season. Forwards Tony Lawrence, Lukas Smital and Adam Stefishen along with defenseman Clint Cabana and goalie Mark Scally had their contracts submitted to the ECHL office today. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lawrence, 23, finished tied for fourth in team points last year with 41 (17g,24a). The 6-foot-3, 225-pound native of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota will be entering his third full season of professional hockey. In last year’s inaugural season, he achieved three Texas Wildcatters milestones. He assisted on the Wildcatters first-ever goal (at Atlantic City 10/17/2004), scored Texas’ first shorthanded goal (vs. Fresno 11/11/2003) and along with forward Rae Metz combined for the fastest two goals in team history (24 seconds vs. Florence 2/6/2004).

Smital, 29, finished tied for fourth in team points last year with 41 (19g,22a). The-6-foot-1, 210 pound native of Brno, Czech Republic will be entering his tenth professional hockey season in North America. Last season, he was one of three Wildcatters players to be called up to the American Hockey League (2 games with San Antonio).

Stefishen, 22, was acquired in a late-season trade along with defenseman Mark Jackson from the Fresno Falcons. The 6-foot, 20- pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia completed his rookie season in North America with 14 points (3g,11a) and 249 penalty minutes in 60 games. He played parts of two seasons in Europe prior to making his debut in the ECHL.

Cabana, 26, finished second in team penalty minutes with 250 in 58 games and chipped in with nine points (1g,8a). The 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of Bonnyville, Alberta will be entering his seventh season of professional hockey. He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round (#175) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Scally, 27, signed with the Wildcatters on January 4, 2004. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound native of Moon Township, PA will be entering his fifth season of professional hockey. He finished with a team leading 2.95 goals against average and .929 save percentage in 14 appearances with the Wildcatters. On February 21, 2004, he had a career high 59 saves in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

“We are light years ahead of where we were last year on July 2,” said Dirk. “This group of players will provide the team with size, scoring, toughness, grit and goaltending.”

The fearsome five that signed today join defensemen Aaron MacInnis, Dean Stork and Mark Jackson as well as All-Star forward John Snowden, who have already agreed to terms. “We have a solid nucleus of players to build around,” added Dirk.

The Wildcatters will open their second season on the road against the defending ECHL Eastern Conference Champion Florida Everblades. The home opener is Saturday, October 30 against the Louisiana IceGators. Season tickets for the 2004-05 season are now on sale. For as little as $50.00, you can reserve your seat for the second year of Wildcatters hockey in Southeast Texas. For more information about the Wildcatters, log on to www.wildcattershockey.com or call (409) 951-5500.