ROBERTSON CUP Phantoms hosts for NAHL banquet

The banquet will be a prelude to the league championship tournament.
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms will host the 2006 North American Hockey League's Banquet of Champions on Tuesday at Mr. Anthony's, 7440 South Ave.
A limited number of tickets are available to the public. The cost is $30 per person. Cocktails and open bar will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. A guest speaker will be announced later this week. To purchase tickets, call the Ice Zone at (330) 965-1423.
The league will present its annual postseason awards at the banquet. Honored will be the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, the first- and second-team All-Star squads and All-Rookie team.
Also presented will be the Academic Achievement Award and Community Service Award.
Prelude to tournament
The Banquet of Champions serves as a prelude to the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship Tournament.
The 30th tournament will be held at the Ice Zone from May 10-13. Individual game tickets and tournament passes are available by calling the Ice Zone.
The four teams that qualified through the NAHL playoffs for the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament are the North Division's Cleveland Barons, the South Division's Texas Tornado, the Central Division's Southern Minnesota Express and the West Division's Bozeman Icedogs.
The Mahoning Valley Phantoms join the field as the host team to complete the five-team, double-elimination meet.
The tourney will open May 10 with two games on tap: Cleveland vs. Bozeman at 2 p.m. and Southern Minnesota vs. Texas at 7:30 p.m.
Phantoms open May 11
The Phantoms open play on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. against the lower-seed winner of Game 1 and the winner of Game 2.
The other game May 11 is at 2 p.m. between the loser of Game 1 vs. loser of Game 2.
The seeding of the teams is based on the final regular-season standings of the competing teams: No. 1--Bozeman; No. 2--Texas; No. 3--Southern Minnesota; No. 4--Cleveland; No. 5--Mahoning Valley.