Central Hockey League

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The Central Hockey League enters its 14th season of play continuing to build on a tradition of outstanding competition and entertainment first established in the early 90’s. In the CHL’s first four seasons of play, the CHL had the unique distinction of centralized ownership. Now, all of the CHL’s current 15 teams are operated independently.

The Formation of a New CHL

Arguably the most significant change over the past 13 years came in May of 2001, as the Central and Western Professional Hockey Leagues joined forces at a press conference in Oklahoma City that combined the top markets within both organizations under the CHL banner. The merger has been highly successful, with the CHL reaching several significant attendance marks in each of the past four seasons, including nearly 2.3 million fans in the 2004-2005 campaign. Since 1992, over 32 million total fans have visited CHL and WPHL arenas, and the CHL is proud to have led all “AA” professional hockey leagues in average attendance for four consecutive seasons.

The Central Hockey League Today

Today, the CHL remains focused on continued expansion in conjunction with new facilities in new markets, building on the tremendous success experienced by our three most recent expansion clubs. The Laredo Bucks (2002), Colorado Eagles (2003) and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (2003) have all enjoyed outstanding fan, corporate and media support while playing in new venues. In 2005/2006, the CHL welcomed its newest expansion club, the Youngstown SteelHounds, and in 2006-2007 the CHL will welcome two additional expansion teams, with both Broomfield, Colorado and Prescott Valley, Arizona on schedule to open new facilities. The CHL’s long time New Mexico franchise also returns in 2006-2007, with the Scorpions moving to a new facility in Rio Rancho.

A Commitment to Continued Growth

The CHL also is continuing to build as a development league, furthering relationships with both the National and American Hockey Leagues to continue to develop players, administrators and officials for the higher level leagues. Under the guidance of CHL President Brad Treliving, Commissioner Emeritus N. Thomas Berry and the CHL Board of Directors (consisting of Horn Chen, Rick Kozuback and Brad Lund) the CHL is committed to continuing to grow and develop our product and game.

The CHL Mission Statement

The CHL is committed to rewarding the interests of Central Hockey League fans and stakeholders through our dedication to continued improvement and excellence, while providing unparalleled service and performance as industry leaders in professional sports.

For more information, please visit www.centralhockeyleague.com.