… Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

At two hours away, it’s the closest ECHL rink outside the Inland Empire, though Las Vegas is arguably worth the slightly extra distance.

This will be the first time Bakersfield has hosted the ECHL all-star game.

The full press release:

The Condors have set a standard for minor league sports in attendance and community development, with over 2.5 million fans passing through the turnstiles and over $4 million dollars raised for local charities throughout the years. The Condors have drawn over 200,000 fans nine times in the previous 11 seasons. This season the Condors once again rank in the top 20% of minor league hockey attendance nation-wide, sitting 5th in the ECHL at 5,289 per game, and out-drawing 63 of the 77 minor league hockey teams between the AHL, ECHL, CHL, IHL and SPHL.

This past season, the Condors were represented by five individuals at the 2010 All-Star Game in Ontario, California: G Timo Pielmeier, D Sasha Pokulok, D Eric Regan and LW Shawn Weller, as well as Head Coach Marty Raymond. Two others, RW Dan Sexton and C MacGregor Sharp, were unable to attend as they had been reassigned to the NHL and AHL, respectively.

“We are proud to announce the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic has been awarded to Bakersfield,” said Commissioner Brian McKenna. “The Condors’ strong organization, combined with an enthusiastic fan base and outstanding arena, meeting and hotel facilities make Bakersfield an ideal choice to host our annual showcase event.”

“This is an event 12 years in the making,” said Condors President Matthew Riley. “We are proud to finally bring the ECHL’s best into Condorstown and to put our all-star city and all-star fans in front of the rest of the hockey and sports entertainment world. We know this great community will rise to the occasion and we have a lot of work to do to get ready for this, but we’re excited to get started, and honored to be the host for next year’s event.”