Fort Wayne, IN-- The ECHL announced the 2017-18 Conference and Divisional alignment Tuesday. The league will continue to be divided by two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference for its 30th anniversary season. Each conference will continue to contain two divisions with the Central and the Mountain divisions in the Western Conference and the North and South divisions making up the Eastern Conference.
The Komets will remain in the Central division. Cincinnati changes conferences and moves from the South division of the Eastern Conference to the Western conference and joins Fort Wayne while Tulsa moves from the Central division to the Mountain division. The Indy Fuel, Kalamazoo Wings, Kansas City Mavericks (formerly Missouri Mavericks), Quad City Mallards and Toledo Walleye remain divisional rivals with the Komets.
Each team will skate a 72-game schedule. The Komets will face Central division foes 47 times during the year while skating 11 games against teams in the Mountain division for a total of 58 Western Conference tilts. Fort Wayne has 11 games slated against North division teams while only three games are against members of the South division for a total of 14 Eastern Conference games.
The ECHL 2017-18 alignment will be as follows:Western Conference
Central Division
Fort Wayne Komets, Cincinnati Cyclones, Indy Fuel, Kalamazoo Wings, Kansas City Mavericks, Quad City Mallards, Toledo Walleye
Mountain Division
Allen Americans, Colorado Eagles, Idaho Steelheads, Rapid City Rush, Tulsa Oilers, Utah Grizzlies, Wichita Thunder
Eastern Conference
North Division
Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Manchester Monarchs, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, Worcester Railers
South Division
Atlanta Gladiators, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Jacksonville IceMen, Norfolk Admirals, Orlando Solar Bears, South Carolina Stingrays
Opening night for the 66th season of Komet Hockey is slated for Saturday, Oct. 14 in Fort Wayne against the Toledo Walleye.
Got tickets? Single game tickets for 2017-18 go on sale soon. Season Tickets are on sale now at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way in Fort Wayne. For more information visit Komets.com or call 260-483-0011.
Adirondack Thunder
Allen Americans
Atlanta Gladiators
Bloomington Bison
Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Fort Wayne Komets
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Idaho Steelheads
Indy Fuel
Iowa Heartlanders
Jacksonville Icemen
Kalamazoo Wings
Kansas City Mavericks
Maine Mariners
Norfolk Admirals
Orlando Solar Bears
Rapid City Rush
Reading Royals
Savannah Ghost Pirates
South Carolina Stingrays
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Toledo Walleye
Trois-Rivières Lions
Tulsa Oilers
Utah Grizzlies
Wheeling Nailers
Wichita Thunder
Worcester Railers