What the Aces hope to keep collecting is points in the ECHL standings.
And, historically, home is where they do their top-shelf hoarding.
Since joining the ECHL in the 2003-04 season, the Aces have gone 219-63-26 at Sullivan Arena for a startling .753 winning percentage. They have done even better this season, going 17-3-0 (.850).
The defending Kelly Cup champion Aces are usually very good, so that helps the home winning percentage. But so does their rink, which is unlike any other on the circuit.
They play on the ECHL's only Olympic-sized sheet -- the ice at Sullivan is 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, far wider than the traditional NHL size (200 x 85), which furnishes more skating room, changes angles for skaters and goaltenders, and makes visiting teams adjust.
"We know the building,'' said Aces alternate captain Ethan Cox. "When you don't have to make adjustments, like you do when you go into another building, you know you can maybe exploit some flaws in another team's game.''
The benchmark for home-ice excellence in the Aces' ECHL tenure is the 2005-06 Kelly Cup-winning club, which went 30-4-2 (.861) at Sullivan. This season's team is just slightly off that pace with its .850 home winning percentage -- Cincinnati leads the ECHL in home winning percentage (.857) with a 11-1-2 mark -- and Alaska coach Rob Murray said he hasn't had to drill his players on the importance of winning at home.
"I suppose I haven't had to talk about it because we've been so good at home,'' Murray said. "They love playing here, playing in front of their fans, and it shows.''
Still, once this homestand is complete, 23 of the team's last 31 regular-season games are on the road. So, home points in this stretch would be helpful.
"I think there's a general feeling among the guys it's a really good time to bear down and get some points, so when we do go on the road we have some points (stock-piled),'' Cox said.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
Aces’ Home Ice Is Hockey Heaven
Since joining the ECHL in the 2003-04 season, the Alaska Aces have ruled on their home ice at Sullivan Arena, logging a .753 winning percentage on the only Olympic-sized sheet in the league. Nothing’s changed this season — the Aces are 17-3-0 (.850) at Sullivan. Check out the Aces’ home-ice history:
League Ranking
Season Home Record (Win %) (Based Win %)
2011-12 17-3-0 (.850) 2nd
2010-11 26-7-3 (.764) 1st
2009-10 23-7-6 (.722) Tied 3rd
2008-09 28-7-1 (.792) Tied 1st
2007-08 23-9-4 (.694) Tied 7th
2006-07 28-6-2 (.806) 1st
2005-06 30-4-2 (.861) 1st
2004-05 22-8-6 (.694) Tied 8th
2003-04 22-12-2 (.639) 18th
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