KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm and United States Hockey League (USHL) announced its 60-game regular season schedule for the 2015-16 season Thursday, after the team’s home opener was unveiled Wednesday.
The new campaign will be the first in the USHL for new Head Coach and General Manager Bill Muckalt and his staff.
Tri-City kicks off the season with a rematch of last spring’s Western Conference Semifinal playoff series, hosting the Omaha Lancers on Friday, Sept. 25 at the Viaero Event Center in Kearney.
The matchup will be presented by Viaero Wireless, and will feature a premium promotion from the wireless retailer.
In addition to eight games each against in-state rivals Lincoln and Omaha, the Storm will host Eastern Conference foes Cedar Rapids, Bloomington, Dubuque, Madison and Team USA’s Under-18 team.
Tri-City will make trips to Muskegon and Green Bay for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The team will also travel to three other Eastern Conference buildings in Chicago, Cedar Rapids and Youngstown.
The USHL has also announced preseason games for all teams in lieu of the annual Fall Classic. Tri-City will participate in a regional preseason event in Lincoln with the Stars, Omaha Lancers and Des Moines Buccaneers. Games will be played at the Ice Box on Sept. 17 and 18. Official matchups and game times are still to be determined.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams in each conference based on total points in the standings will qualify for the Clark Cup Playoffs. All three rounds in the postseason will follow a best-of-five games format.
Dec. 12 vs. Bloomington will be Stormy’s 16th birthday, with an afternoon start time of 3:05 p.m. All other promotions and game times will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tri-City Storm season tickets for the 2015-16 season are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011.