Awesome news from the Alaska Aces today -- not. Their first-round ECHL home playoff games would be at the Menard Memorial Arena in Wasilla because of scheduling conflicts at Sullivan Arena.

Because the Great Alaska Sportsman's Show is set for April 8-11 at Sullivan, and the show needs a few days for set-up as well, the Aces would, whether they are a higher or lower seed, play Games 1 and 2 on Monday and Tuesday, April 5-6, at the Menard.

So much for home-ice advantage.

The first-round playoff window set by the ECHL is April 5-12. The only open date at Sullivan is April 12.

Aces managing member Terry Parks says he's told Menard can squeeze about 3,000 folks in on a standing-room-only basis. Sullivan seats more than 6,300 for Aces games, and the club has averaged nearly 5,000 per first-round game in six previous playoff runs.

Parks said most potential first-round opponents have signed off on the Aces getting Games 1 and 2 in the best-of-5 series, even if they are not the higher seed. The Aces' only other option is to play all first-round games on the road, but that's really no option -- road games do not generate revenue for the road team.\

The Aces also would have to practice somewhere other than Sullivan and the adjacent Ben Boeke Arena, which is also taken by the Sportsman's Show.

Working on a story about this for the dead-trees edition Friday.

Do weigh in.