In addition to the NHL All Star Break, the American Hockey League will also be having their All Star Break on 1/29-30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, it will be a very busy week leading into the All Star Break as all 4 Regional Teams will be playing twice in an all Regional Weekend to minimize travel prior to the event on Friday & Saturday. The Division Leading Oklahoma City Barons will look to head into the All Star Break with a big lead as they currently lead the Aeros by 5 points right now.
While the rest of the Western Conference is in a very tight battle where the gap from 6th Place Milwaukee to last Place Rockford is just 7 points right now. San Antonio sits in the 8th & Final Playoff Spot right now, while the Texas Stars are just 3 points back in 10th Place and have won 3 in a row as the Stars are beginning to click despite numerous call ups to the Dallas Stars like Matt Fraser who was called up just yesterday. Fraser was a free agent signee after a strong 5 Year WHL Career with the Kootenay Ice & a little bit with the Red Deer Rebels early on where he scored 74 points in 66 games (36G 38A) to help play a major role in the Kootenay Ice winning the WHL Championship last year.
Both games on Friday Night will be important for both races. In Oklahoma City, the Barons & Aeros will look to sway the Division Race in their direction in Oklahoma City. While Texas & San Antonio will faceoff in at the AT&T Center to get into the Division Race. A Texas win could see the Stars & Rampage tied for the 8th & Final Playoff spot in the AHL Western Conference right now. While a San Antonio Win could get them battaling with Milwaukee & Chicago battaling for 6th right now.
As for the Milwaukee Admirals, they will be playing Peoria on Tuesday (Away), Chicago on Friday (Home) & Rockford on Saturday (Away). The Chicago Wolves will also have a trio of games with a pair of games against Abbotsford on both Tuesday & Wednesday (Both Road), then will head to Milwaukee to play Chicago on Friday (Road).
Elsewhere across the Southwest will be the Allen Americans will begin a stretch on Tuesday Night where they will be at the Allen Event Center for 9 of their next 10 Games (Their only Road game is against the Texas Brahmas). They will be looking to finish off the Arizona Sundogs where they won a pair of 1 goal games over the weekend (4-3 on Friday & 2-1 on Saturday) and look to take over the Wichita Thunder for the Southern Conference Lead which will come into the spotlight on Friday Night. The battle for the 3rd & 4th Spots in the South will also be on the line when the Texas Brahmas & Tulsa Oilers will go head-to-head from NYTEX Sports Center.
The Junior Ranks will have a very busy weekend with Corpus Christi contuning to put their lead against the Wichita Falls Wildcats after the Wildcats sweeped the Ice Rays last weekend with 4-2 & 2-1 wins. While the Fresno Monsters will make a rare trip to the South as they will take on the Tornado on Friday Night & the Amarillo Bulls on Saturday Night this weekend.
For the Western States Hockey League, it's a very busy weekend with 1st Place on the line with the El Paso Rhinos hosting the Park City Moose who is currently last in the Rocky Mountain Conference. While the Ice Jets are going to host the San Diego Gulls who are looking to seperate themselves from the rest of the pack for 2nd Place in the West Coast Division with the Fresno Monsters running away with the Division with a 21 point lead right now. Also the Texas Jr. Brahmas & New Mexico Renegades will faceoff in Rio Rancho, New Mexico while the Dallas Snipers will travel to Utah to play the Ogden Mustangs.
National Hockey League
1/24: Anaheim Ducks VS. Dallas Stars 7:30 PM (FSN Southwest)
1/26: NHL All Star Fantsay Draft
1/28: NHL Super Skills Competition
1/29: NHL All Star Game
American Hockey League
1/27
Houston Aeros VS. Oklahoma City Barons 7:00 PM
Texas Stars VS. San Antonio Rampage 7:00 PM
1/28
Texas Stars VS. Oklahoma City Barons 7:00 PM
Houston Aeros VS. San Antonio Rampage 7:00 PM
1/29: AHL Skills Competition 3:00 PM
1/30: AHL All Star Game 7:00 PM
Central Hockey League
1/24: Arizona Sundogs VS. Allen Americans 7:05 PM
1/27
Wichita Thunder VS. Allen Americans 7:05 PM
Tulsa Oilers VS. Texas Brahmas 7:30 PM
Laredo Bucks VS. RGV Killer Bees 7:30 PM
1/28
Tulsa Oilers VS. Wichita Thunder 7:05 PM
RGV Killer Bees VS. Allen Americans 7:05 PM
Laredo Bucks VS. Texas Brahmas 7:30 PM
1/29
Laredo Bucks VS. Tulsa Oilers 4:05 PM
RGV Killer Bees VS. Allen Americans 5:05 PM
North American Hockey League
1/26: Wichita Falls Wildcats VS. Corpus Christi Icerays 7:05 PM
1/27
Wichita Falls Wildcats VS. Corpus Christi Icerays 7:05 PM
Amarillo Bulls VS. Odessa Jackalopes 7:05 PM
New Mexico Mustangs VS. Topeka Roadrunners 7:05 PM
Fresno Monsters VS. Texas Tornado 7:30 PM
1/28
Fresno Monsters VS. Amarillo Bulls 7:00 PM
Corpus Christi Icerays VS. Odessa Jackalopes 7:05 PM
New Mexico Mustangs VS. Topeka Roadrunners 7:05 PM
1/29: Odessa Jackalopes VS. Amarillo Bulls 6:00 PM
Western States Hockey League
1/26: Park City Moose VS. El Paso Rhinos 8:30 PM
1/27
San Diego Gulls VS. Dallas Ice Jets 7:00 PM
Texas Jr. Brahmas VS. New Mexico Renegades 8:30 PM
Dallas Snipers VS. Ogden Mustangs 7:30 PM
Park City Moose VS. El Paso Rhinos 8:30 PM
1/28
San Diego Gulls VS. Dallas Ice Jets 6:00 PM
Texas Jr. Brahmas VS. New Mexico Renegades 8:30 PM
Dallas Snipers VS. Ogden Mustangs 7:30 PM
Park City Moose VS. El Paso Rhinos 8:30 PM
1/29
Dallas Snipers VS. Ogden Mustangs 11:00 AM
San Diego Gulls VS. Dallas Ice Jets 1:00 PM
Texas Jr. Brahmas VS. New Mexico Renegades 2:00 PM
