The two-time defending Brabham Cup Champion Alaska Aces will open next season on the road for just the third time in ECHL franchise history, the club announced Wednesday morning.  The Aces and ECHL joined in a league-wide release, announcing the dates for the complete 2012-2013 ECHL regular season.  The Aces will begin the season on the road on Friday, October 12 against the Colorado Eagles in Loveland, CO.  Alaska will play their home opener the following week on Friday, October 19 when they host the Utah Grizzlies at Sullivan Arena at 7:15pm.  The 2012-2013 season is just over four months away.  Season tickets and corporate packages are currently available by calling the Aces office at 907.258.ACES.  For the most up to date news and information on the Aces, please visit the Alaska Aces Facebook page at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.

The Aces regular season schedule consists of 72 games – 36 home and 36 road.  Alaska will play 28 of the 36 home games next season on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.  The 2012-2013 season marks the first time since 2007 that the Aces are beginning the season on the road.  For the second straight season the Aces will exclusively play teams from the Western Conference in the regular season.  Alaska has eight Western Conference opponents this year, including the expansion San Francisco Bulls, who will make their first trip to Anchorage for a three-game series in late October.  The Aces will play the Bulls nine times, making their first and only trip to San Francisco for a three-game set in early March. 

Alaska will square-off against the Las Vegas Wranglers nine times in a rematch of the past year’s Conference Finals.  The first meeting comes in Las Vegas on November 7 – one of three separate trips Alaska will make to Las Vegas.  The Wranglers will make one trip to Alaska for a three-game series from February 22-24. 

For the sixth straight season, the Aces will play a game at Sullivan Arena on New Year’s Eve, as they host the Colorado Eagles.  That contest will close a six-game home stand to end 2012, and equals their longest home stand of the season.  The longest road trip in the upcoming season is also six games.     

The Aces most-frequent opponent is the Utah Grizzlies.  The two clubs will square off 14 times this year, three more than any other team.  Following that are 11 meetings with Colorado and 10 against Stockton.  The opponent that Alaska will face the least is the Bakersfield Condors, who they only meet four times, and just once on the road.  The Aces will host Utah, Colorado, San Francisco, and Stockton each six times, and Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Ontario, and Idaho each three times.  Alaska’s season will conclude on Saturday, March 30 in Ontario against the Reign. 

As in years past, all Aces home games will be played at Sullivan Arena.  Sunday games will begin at 5:05pm, and all other games will begin at 7:15pm.  The entire Aces 2012-2013 schedule is listed below:

ALASKA ACES 2012-2013 SCHEDULE

1. Fri, Oct. 12^th        @ Colorado
2. Sat, Oct. 13^th       @ Colorado
3. Fri, Oct. 19^th        vs. Utah
4. Sat, Oct. 20^th       vs. Utah
5. Fri, Oct. 26^th        vs. San Francisco
6. Sat, Oct. 27^th       vs. San Francisco
7. Sun, Oct. 28^th     vs. San Francisco
8. Sat, Nov. 3^rd       @ Stockton
9. Sun, Nov. 4^th      @ Stockton
10. Wed, Nov. 7^th    @ Las Vegas
11. Fri, Nov. 9^th         @ Las Vegas
12. Sat, Nov. 10^th     @ Las Vegas
13. Wed, Nov. 14^th vs. Colorado
14. Fri, Nov. 16^th       vs. Colorado
15. Sat, Nov. 17^th     vs. Colorado
16. Wed, Nov. 21^st @ Idaho
17. Fri, Nov. 23^rd      @ Utah
18. Sat, Nov. 24^th     @ Utah
19. Wed, Nov. 28th   @ Stockton
20. Fri, Nov. 30^th       @ Bakersfield
21. Sat, Dec. 1^st         @ Ontario
22. Wed, Dec. 5^th     vs. Utah
23. Fri, Dec. 7^th          vs. Utah
24. Sat, Dec. 8^th        vs. Utah
25. Mon, Dec. 10^th   vs. Utah
26. Wed, Dec. 12^th   @ Idaho
27. Fri, Dec. 14^th       @ Utah
28. Sat, Dec. 15^th      @ Utah
29. Wed, Dec. 19^th   vs. Stockton
30. Fri, Dec. 21^st        vs. Stockton
31. Sat, Dec. 22^nd     vs. Stockton
32. Fri, Dec. 28^th       vs. Colorado
33. Sat, Dec. 29^th      vs. Colorado
34. Mon, Dec. 31^st   vs. Colorado
35. Fri, Jan. 4^th           @ Stockton
36. Sat, Jan. 5^th         @ Ontario
37. Sun, Jan. 6^th        @ Ontario
38. Wed, Jan. 9^th      vs. Ontario
39. Fri, Jan. 11^th        vs. Ontario
40. Sat, Jan. 12^th       vs. Ontario
41. Fri, Jan. 18^th        @ Idaho
42. Sat, Jan. 19^th       @ Idaho
43. Mon, Jan. 21^st    @ Las Vegas
44. Fri, Jan. 25^th        vs. San Francisco
45. Sat, Jan. 26^th       vs. San Francisco
46. Sun, Jan. 27^th      vs. San Francisco
47. Fri, Feb. 1^st          @ Las Vegas
48. Sat, Feb. 2^nd        @ Las Vegas
49. Fri, Feb. 8^th          vs. Stockton
50. Sat, Feb. 9^th        vs. Stockton
51. Sun, Feb. 10^th     vs. Stockton
52. Fri, Feb. 15^th       @ Utah
53. Sat, Feb. 16^th      @ Utah
54. Mon, Feb. 18^th   @ Utah
55. Wed, Feb. 20^th   @ Utah
56. Fri, Feb. 22^nd       vs. Las Vegas
57. Sat, Feb. 23^rd      vs. Las Vegas
58. Sun, Feb. 24^th     vs. Las Vegas
59. Thur, Feb. 28^th   vs. Bakersfield
60. Sat, Mar. 2^nd       vs. Bakersfield
61. Sun, Mar. 3^rd      vs. Bakersfield
62. Wed, Mar. 6^th    @ San Francisco
63. Fri, Mar. 8^th         @ San Francisco
64. Sat, Mar. 9^th        @ San Francisco
65. Wed, Mar. 13^th vs. Idaho
66. Fri, Mar. 15^th       vs. Idaho
67. Sat, Mar. 16^th     vs. Idaho
68. Wed, Mar. 20^th @ Colorado
69. Fri, Mar. 22^nd      @ Colorado
70. Sat, Mar. 23^rd     @ Colorado
71. Fri, Mar. 29^th       @ Ontario
72. Sat, Mar. 30^th     @ Ontario

The Alaska Aces will begin the 2012-2013 season on the road and return home on Friday, October 19 at Sullivan Arena.  Season ticket and sponsorship packages are currently available through the Aces office at 15^th & Gambell.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/alaskaaceshockey.