Attention sports fans: Lots of hockey news from Knute today. To wit ...
EXPANSION IS OFFICIAL: The 13th and 14th teams are the SPUDS and the Stingers. Free agents who were assigned to the new clubs will be contacted. There is still room on each team for one or two players.
BALANCED SCHEDULE: Knute broke the league into two groups (A and B). Teams within each group will play each other once and have one intergroup game. Group A is Ice Holes, Fugaweez, Patriots, Phantoms, Spiders, Wolverines and Stickmen. Group B is Snipers, REDRUM, SPUDS, Stingers, Puckers, Blue Devils and Brewzers.
PLAYOFFS: The playoff scheme still sounds a little murky. There might be one bracket that includes all teams and the top four in a playoff for the Stanley Keg, and there might be a Keg for each group.
PRACTICE: There will be another week of practice (April 8) before the season starts to let the new teams get their acts together.
MEMORIAL DAY: No games that weekend, but there might be a tournament if enough want to play. Tell your coordinator: Hell yes.
SUBS: It sounds like there's a crackdown on illegal subs this season. Teams won't be allowed to use them unless they have fewer than 10 skaters. And then, subs must be approved by Knute and be registered I-leaguers. The penalty for using an unauthorized sub: forfeit -- and a suspension for the coordinator.
SCHEDULE: Is out. See below.
