Sure, it's not even summer, but you puckheads can already get a jump on planning your winter -- The Alaska Aces' 2012-13 schedule is out.

For just the second time in 10 ECHL seasons, the two-time defending Brabham Cup champs open on the road -- they have games Oct. 12-13 at Colorado.

The home opener is Friday, Oct. 19 against Utah.

Unlike last season's schedule, which was punctuated with super-long homestands and super-long road trips, the Aces next season will not have a longer homestand than six games or a long roadie than six games. That makes for more consistent appearances at home on Sullivan Arena's rink.

The Aces will play a New Year's Eve home game for the sixth straight season, which we are sure Mrs. Blog will be absolutely thrilled about.

Alaska will play all 72 games -- 36 home, 36 road, duh -- against Western Conference opponents. The breakdown: 14 games against Utah, including 10 of Alaska's first 28 games (ugh!); 11 games against Colorado; 10 games against Stockton; 9 games each against newcomer San Francisco and Las Vegas; 8 games against Ontario; 7 games against Idaho; and 4 games against Bakersfield.

One tough stretch that popped out: 7 games in 10 days (4 roadies in Utah, followed by 3 home games vs. Las Vegas, so figure in the travel day) from Feb. 15-24. Um, kind of a grind. That's the ECHL.

Check out Thursday's dead-trees edition of the ADN for some more interesting factoids about the schedule. (Well, we hope they are interesting -- we will endeavor to make it so).

Anyhow, here's the schedule:

ALASKA ACES 2012-2013 SCHEDULE
Fri, Oct. 12th @ Colorado
Sat, Oct. 13th @ Colorado
Fri, Oct. 19th vs. Utah
Sat, Oct. 20th vs. Utah
Fri, Oct. 26th vs. San Francisco
Sat, Oct. 27th vs. San Francisco
Sun, Oct. 28th vs. San Francisco
Sat, Nov. 3rd @ Stockton
Sun, Nov. 4th @ Stockton
Wed, Nov. 7th @ Las Vegas
Fri, Nov. 9th @ Las Vegas
Sat, Nov. 10th @ Las Vegas
Wed, Nov. 14th vs. Colorado
Fri, Nov. 16th vs. Colorado
Sat, Nov. 17th vs. Colorado
Wed, Nov. 21st @ Idaho
Fri, Nov. 23rd @ Utah
Sat, Nov. 24th @ Utah
Wed. Nov. 28th @ Stockton
Fri, Nov. 30th @ Bakersfield
Sat, Dec. 1st @ Ontario
Wed, Dec. 5th vs. Utah
Fri, Dec. 7th vs. Utah
Sat, Dec. 8th vs. Utah
Mon, Dec. 10th vs. Utah
Wed, Dec. 12th @ Idaho
Fri, Dec. 14th @ Utah
Sat, Dec. 15th @ Utah
Wed, Dec. 19th vs. Stockton
Fri, Dec. 21st vs. Stockton
Sat, Dec. 22nd vs. Stockton
Fri, Dec. 28th vs. Colorado
Sat, Dec. 29th vs. Colorado
Mon, Dec. 31st vs. Colorado
Fri, Jan. 4th @ Stockton
Sat, Jan. 5th @ Ontario
Sun, Jan. 6th @ Ontario
Wed, Jan. 9th vs. Ontario
Fri, Jan. 11th vs. Ontario
Sat, Jan. 12th vs. Ontario
Fri, Jan. 18th @ Idaho
Sat, Jan. 19th @ Idaho
Mon, Jan. 21st @ Las Vegas
Fri, Jan. 25th vs. San Francisco
Sat, Jan. 26th vs. San Francisco
Sun, Jan. 27th vs. San Francisco
Fri, Feb. 1st @ Las Vegas
Sat, Feb. 2nd @ Las Vegas
Fri, Feb. 8th vs. Stockton
Sat, Feb. 9th vs. Stockton
Sun, Feb. 10th vs. Stockton
Fri, Feb. 15th @ Utah
Sat, Feb. 16th @ Utah
Mon, Feb. 18th @ Utah
Wed, Feb. 20th @ Utah
Fri, Feb. 22nd vs. Las Vegas
Sat, Feb. 23rd vs. Las Vegas
Sun, Feb. 24th vs. Las Vegas
Thur, Feb. 28th vs. Bakersfield
Sat, Mar. 2nd vs. Bakersfield
Sun, Mar. 3rd vs. Bakersfield
Wed, Mar. 6th @ San Francisco
Fri, Mar. 8th @ San Francisco
Sat, Mar. 9th @ San Francisco
Wed, Mar. 13th vs. Idaho
Fri, Mar. 15th vs. Idaho
Sat, Mar. 16th vs. Idaho
Wed, Mar. 20th @ Colorado
Fri, Mar. 22nd @ Colorado
Sat, Mar. 23rd @ Colorado
Fri, Mar. 29th @ Ontario
Sat, Mar. 30th @ Ontario