RAPID CITY - The Rapid City Rush has announced its tentative Central Hockey League schedule for the 2008-09 season.

Rapid City will open its inaugural CHL campaign with a 14-game road trip, starting on Oct. 17 with

the season-opener against Northwest division rival, the Colorado Eagles.

The Rush will play the first home game of the year at 7:05 p.m., on Nov. 29, hosting the same Colorado team to start an eight-game home stand in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center's new ice arena.

The CHL will be made up of 16 teams, divided into two conferences and four divisions. Along with Colorado, Rapid City will share the Northwest Division with the Rocky Mountain Rage and Wichita Thunder.

The Rush plays defending CHL champion Arizona in a two-game set in Prescott Valley on Nov. 14-15. Rapid City fans will get their first look at the Sundogs on Dec. 26-27, opening a stretch that will see the Rush playing 11 of their next 12 games on home ice.

After starting the first five weeks of the season on the road as the new ice arena is completed, Rapid City is tentatively scheduled to play 32 of 64 regular season games at home. The regular season concludes with a two-game home stand against Colorado on March 20-21.

All 64 games will be carried on Rapid City's The Fox 100.3 FM. On Tuesday, the Rush named former Bowling Green University Falcons play-by-play announcer Daniel Nieves as media relations director and the voice of the Rush.