This summer has been a lot of waiting.
We waited as the ECHL and NHL all released their schedules.
We waited as new divisions, playoff setups, and complaints about the shorter California 5 schedule were announced.
But today, finally, plans for the fall and winter can be made.
This afternoon the AHL finally released the full 2015-16 schedule. A total of 1,120 games will be played between Friday, October 9th and Sunday, April 17th. 25 teams will play 76 games, while the infamous California 5 (San Jose, Stockton, San Diego, Bakersfield, and Ontario) will play 68.
Let’s take a look at the full Albany schedule, followed by a breakdown of opponents, numbers, etc.:
OCTOBER
10–at Binghamton
17–at Toronto
18–at Toronto
23–at Portland
24–PORTLAND
25–BINGHAMTON
30–BRIDGEPORT
31–UTICA
NOVEMBER
1–TORONTO
6–at Syracuse
7–at Hartford
13–at Providence
14–at Lehigh Valley
15–at Springfield
20–SPRINGFIELD
21–W/B-SCRANTON
25–BRIDGEPORT
27–BINGHAMTON
28–at Springfield
DECEMBER
2–ST. JOHN’S
5–ROCHESTER
6–SYRACUSE
11–SYRACUSE
12–at W/B-Scranton
15–at St. John’s
16–at St. John’s
19–at Rochester
26–PROVIDENCE
30–UTICA
31–at Utica
JANUARY
2–at Hartford
8–SYRACUSE
9–LEHIGH VALLEY
10–at Hartford
13–ROCHESTER
15–at Providence
16–at Utica
20–HARTFORD
22–ST. JOHN’S
23–ST. JOHN’S
27–HERSHEY
29–UTICA
30–at Bridgeport
FEBRUARY
5–at Providence
6–HARTFORD
9–PROVIDENCE
12–at Rochester
13–ROCHESTER
14–BRIDGEPORT
20–at Utica
21–at Bridgeport
24–ST. JOHN’S
26–at Springfield
28–at Bridgeport
MARCH
1–at Toronto
4–at St. John’s
5–at St. John’s
11–at Binghamton
12–UTICA
13–TORONTO
16–PROVIDENCE
19–at Utica
20–at Bridgeport
22–SPRINGFIELD
25–at Syracuse
26–at Hershey
29–HARTFORD
1–at Binghamton
2–SPRINGFIELD
3–BINGHAMTON
8–at Syracuse
9–at Binghamton
10–TORONTO
13–BINGHAMTON
15–at Rochester
16–BRIDGEPORT
(home games in CAPS)
The breakdown:
-For the first time since the 2011-12 season, all 38 home games will actually be played in the Capital District. No Atlantic City or Newark. With the city on a mission to keep hockey at the Times Union Center, this is a great start.
-By day: Sunday 13, Monday 0, Tuesday 5, Wednesday 10, Thursday 1, Friday 20, Saturday 27.
-By opponent: Wilkes-Barre, Lehigh Valley, Hershey, Portland 2; Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, Providence, Springfield, Hartford 6; Binghamton, Utica, St. John’s, Bridgeport 8. No Western Conference at all.
-The Devils begin the season with a 4 game road swing through Binghamton, Toronto, and Portland, before hosting the Pirates on October 24th. They do play 3 out of their final 4 games at home in mid April.
-Home game times are the same as last season: weeknights at 7:00, Saturdays at 5:00 (except for 1/23, a 2 PM start due to the annual RPI/Union doubleheader), and Sundays at 3:00.
-Albany gets one school day game, an 11 AM start in Toronto on March 1st.
-Longest homestand is 5 games, which happens twice: October 24th-November 1st and January 20-29th. Longest road trip is 6 games from February 26th-March 11th.
-Only 8 3 in 3 weekends this year. I’m good with that.
Now all that is left to do is wait out the last few weeks before training camp and preseason, then the fun begins.
Thoughts Inside The Box 