Steelheads announce 2009-2010 schedule

A three-game homestand to open the season, a midnight puck drop in Las Vegas, and home dates on New Year?s Eve and New Year?s Day highlight the 2009-2010 ECHL hockey schedule released by the Idaho Steelheads on Tuesday. The Steelheads will kick off the regular season on October 16, at home, against the Stockton Thunder. It is part of a three-game weekend set to open the campaign which concludes in Bakersfield on April 3. The Thunder will be in town again to ring in 2010 as Idaho will host three games with the Thunder in three nights?December 31st, January 1st, and January 2nd?at Qwest Arena in downtown Boise. Other highlights of the schedule include: *A December 29th game at Las Vegas that begins at midnight. It?s an annual event for the Wranglers. *Three visits, including two in December, from reigning National-Conference champion Alaska. *Eleven home games on each Friday and Saturday night. Unlike last season, the Steelheads will not cross over into the American Conference at all, playing all 72 of their regular-season contests against other members of the eight-team National Conference (Las Vegas, Ontario, Bakersfield, Stockton, Alaska, Utah, Victoria, and Idaho). The most frequent foe for Idaho will be Utah (14 games) followed by Alaska and Stockton (12). The remainder of the breakdown goes like this: Victoria (11), Ontario (9), Las Vegas and Bakersfield (7 each). Each of Idaho?s 36 home games is scheduled to begin at 7:10 PM. Ticket packages are on sale for the 2009-2010 season by calling the Idaho Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080. Full-season plans begin at just $450 per seat with partial plans available for as little as $150.OPPONENT DAY DATEStockton Fri 10/16/2009 Stockton Sat 10/17/2009 Stockton Sun 10/18/2009 at Utah Fri. 10/23/2009 at Utah Sat. 10/24/2009 at Alaska Fri. 10/30/2009 at Alaska Sat. 10/31/2009 at Alaska Sun. 11/1/2009 at Utah Wed. 11/4/2009 at Utah Fri. 11/6/2009 Utah Sat 11/7/2009 at Stockton Fri. 11/13/2009 at Stockton Sat. 11/14/2009 Victoria Wed 11/18/2009 Victoria Fri 11/20/2009 Victoria Sat 11/21/2009 at Stockton Wed. 11/25/2009 at Stockton Fri. 11/27/2009 at Stockton Sat. 11/28/2009 Alaska Wed 12/2/2009 Alaska Fri 12/4/2009 at Utah Sat. 12/5/2009 Ontario Wed 12/9/2009Ontario Fri 12/11/2009 Ontario Sat 12/12/2009 Utah Wed 12/16/2009 Alaska Fri 12/18/2009 Alaska Sat 12/19/2009 at Utah Sat. 12/26/2009 at Las Vegas Tue. 12/29/2009 Stockton Thu 12/31/2009 Stockton Fri 1/1/2010 Stockton Sat 1/2/2010 at Victoria Fri. 1/8/2010 at Victoria Sat. 1/9/2010 Utah Wed 1/13/2010 Las Vegas Fri 1/22/2010 Las Vegas Sat 1/23/2010 Las Vegas Sun 1/24/2010 at Bakersfield Fri. 1/29/2010 at Bakersfield Sat. 1/30/2010 at Ontario Sun. 1/31/2010 at Las Vegas Thu. 2/4/2010 at Las Vegas Fri. 2/5/2010 at Las Vegas Sat. 2/6/2010 Utah Wed 2/10/2010 Utah Fri 2/12/2010 Utah Sat 2/13/2010 at Ontario Fri. 2/19/2010 at Ontario Sat. 2/20/2010 at Stockton Sun. 2/21/2010 Alaska Wed 2/24/2010 Alaska Fri 2/26/2010 Alaska Sat 2/27/2010 Bakersfield Wed 3/3/2010 Bakersfield Fri 3/5/2010 Bakersfield Sat 3/6/2010 at Victoria Wed. 3/10/2010 at Victoria Fri. 3/12/2010 at Victoria Sat. 3/13/2010 Utah Tue 3/16/2010 Utah Wed 3/17/2010 at Ontario Fri. 3/19/2010 at Ontario Sat. 3/20/2010 at Ontario Sun. 3/21/2010 Victoria Wed 3/24/2010 Victoria Fri 3/26/2010 Victoria Sat 3/27/2010 at Alaska Tue. 3/30/2010 at Alaska Wed. 3/31/2010 at Bakersfield Fri. 4/2/2010 at Bakersfield Sat. 4/3/2010