CORPUS CHRISTI, TX-The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the entire 2011-12 schedule of games. The league will be comprised of 28 teams divided into five divisions who will each play 60 games in the regular season, an increase from 58 a season ago. It was announced earlier this month that the Corpus Christi IceRays will compete in the seven-team South Division along with the Amarillo Bulls, New Mexico Mustangs, Odessa Jackalopes, Texas Tornado, Topeka RoadRunners, and Wichita Falls Wildcats.
The IceRays will kick off their season at the NAHL Showcase on Sept. 14th in Blaine, MN. The four-day, four-game event will see Corpus Christi face off against the Dawson Creek Rage, Robertson Cup Finalist Michigan Warriors, the Wenatchee Wild, and the expansion Minot Minotauros.
The schedule features 28 games at the American Bank Center.
Corpus Christi’s home opener will come against a familiar name as the IceRays host the Odessa Jackalopes on September 23rd at 7:05 PM inside the American Bank Center. The Jackalopes were formally the Owatonna Express and it will be the first of ten meetings between the two sides, with four games in Corpus Christi.
The IceRays will play seven of their first nine games after the Showcase at home. The homestand will feature the Amarillo Bulls (10/7-10/8), the New Mexico Mustangs (10/15-10/16) and the Texas Tornado (10/20-10/21). The ‘Rays will play the Tornado 12 times this season while they will square off with the Mustangs and Bulls, 10 and eight times respectively.
On November 4th, the team heads to Wichita Falls for the first of 12 meetings with the Wildcats. The teams will ring in the New Year in Corpus Christi when the IceRays host the Wildcats on December 31st at the American Bank Center.
The team welcomes Topeka to the Coastal Bend for a two-game set on December 2nd and 3rd. Corpus Christi will make their longest in-division road trip when they head to Kansas on February 2nd for two games. It is the only four meetings of the season between the two clubs.
The season wraps up with the IceRays playing eight of their last 10 games on the road as they play just three of their 11 March contests on home ice.
To view the schedule in its entirety, visit the NAHL website at http://www.nahl.com/nahl/schedules/2011-12-nahl-schedule.pdf.
The team will announce their promotional schedule in the coming weeks.
Season tickets are now available with prices and packages tailored to everyone’s needs! The team is always looking for new business and corporate partnerships as well. For more information call the Rays’ front office at 361.814.PUCK (7825) or crash the net at www.goicerays.com.
“THE NEW ICERAYS…TOMORROW’S STARS”
