ECHL Announces Changes For 2012-13

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LAS VEGAS - The Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting was held at The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada last week.

League Membership capped at 26 teams

The Board of Governors agreed to cap League Membership at 26 teams, with a goal of adding three additional Members in the Western Conference.

Gwinnett’s Chapman re-elected Chairman of the Board

Steve Chapman, president of the Gwinnett Gladiators, was re-elected to serve a seventh term as Chairman of the Board of Governors. Chapman was voted ECHL Executive of the Year in 2005 and 2006 becoming the first person in league history to win the award twice.

Divisional alignment for 2012-13 season

The Board of Governors approved the divisional alignment for the 2012-13 season. New teams for the upcoming season are listed in bold.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Elmira Jackals, Reading Royals, Trenton Titans and Wheeling Nailers

North Division
Cincinnati Cyclones, Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets, Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye

South Division
Florida Everblades, Greenville Road Warriors, Gwinnett Gladiators, Orlando Solar Bears and South Carolina Stingrays

Western Conference

Mountain Division
Alaska Aces, Colorado Eagles, Idaho Steelheads and Utah Grizzlies

Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors, Las Vegas Wranglers, Ontario Reign, San Francisco Bulls and Stockton Thunder

Crelin receives Award of Excellence

ECHL Vice President of Business Operations Ryan Crelin was presented with an Award of Excellence in recognition of his work on behalf of the League and Member clubs over the past season.

Two-referee system for Conference Finals and Kelly Cup Finals

The Board of Governors voted to adopt a two-referee system for use during the Conference Finals and Kelly Cup Finals, beginning in 2013.

Waiver order determined for Training Camp

The waiver order for the four expansion teams during training camp was determined during the meeting. Evansville will have the top waiver priority, followed by Fort Wayne, Orlando and San Francisco.

Playoff format tabled until September

The format for the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs was tabled during the meeting to allow the Board to study additional options. Further discussion, and a decision on the playoff format, will take place at the Preseason Meeting of the Board of Governors to be held in September.