BLOOMINGTON -- The Bloomington PrairieThunder will open the 2009-10 International Hockey League season with a three-game road swing before its Oct. 24 home opener against the expansion Dayton Gems at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

The complete 76-game regular-season schedule will not be released until next week after minor revisions have been made by the league office, but teams were allowed to release key home dates Wednesday.

Bloomington will play at Muskegon in the Oct. 17 season opener before traveling to Dayton on Oct. 18 and two-time defending Turner Cup champion Fort Wayne on Oct. 23.

Dayton, one of two new IHL teams along with the Quad City Mallards, will kick off the 38-game home slate. The tentative home schedule for the Thunder includes 13 games on Saturdays; nine on Fridays; nine on Wednesdays; six on Sundays; and one on Tuesday.

Bloomington will be at home on Halloween, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. The final home regular season game will be April 9.

Home games will begin at 7:05 p.m., except on Sunday when the start time will be 4:05 p.m.