PigOut
06-15-2009, 10:51 PM
Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/06/echl_players_a_step_away_from.html
ECHL Players a Step Away From The NHL
Fifty-two players were called up to the top league last season
Pam Shebest | Kalamazoo Gazette
June 13, 2009
KALAMAZOO - The Kalamazoo Wings have two Turner Cups and a Colonial Cup, and this year they'll try to add a Kelly Cup to their collection.
After two years, the K-Wings left the fledgling International Hockey League for the more established ECHL and will join 19 other teams competing for the league's championship trophy.
The K-Wings, entering their 36th season, see a long-term relationship with the ECHL, which started in 1988-89.
Kalamazoo left the IHL "basically because of the instability of the league," K-Wngs president Paul Pickard said. "We try to plan and want to plan three and five years out. With 20 teams this year, we know there's going to be a league year after year."
Fans should see a more up-tempo type of hockey next season, according to goaltender Joel Martin.
Martin spent two years in the ECHL (Trenton and Elmira) sandwiched between two stints with the K-Wings, including last season.
Biggest difference is age.
"The biggest difference in the two leagues is age," Martin said. "The ECHL is a little bit younger and, obviously, there are a lot more teams (the IHL had six clubs last season).
"It's really competitive hockey. A lot of guys are under AHL contracts and are trying to move up. Some guys who get sent down are also trying to get back up."
Martin said in his two years in the ECHL, he's seen a lot call-ups, but "Part of the ups and downs is that you could lose some of your best players at inopportune times."
Some of them ended up in the NHL.
The ECHL has sent more than 400 players to the NHL, 52 of them last season, said ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna.
That includes former K-Wing Joel Rechlicz, who went from the Utah Grizzlies to the New York Islanders.
Bruce Boudreau (Washington Capitals) and Scott Gordon (New York Islanders) both coached in the ECHL and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma played for the ECHL's Greensboro Monarchs.
The K-Wings are still in the preliminary stages of securing an NHL affiliation and of signing players.
Teams can protect eight players.
Each ECHL team may protect eight players from last year's roster. The rest, unless already under contract, become available July 1, according to Pickard.
In addition, "(K-Wings coach) Nick (Bootland) saw 76-plus (IHL) games last year and some of those guys might fit into the ECHL," K-Wings general manager Wade Welsh said.
The American Conference schedule is expected out as early as next week, but the National Conference one is finished.
The Bakersfield, Calif., team has its first preseason game Oct. 8 and opens the season Oct. 16.
Teams in either conference can choose to play a crossover team, but none has chosen to do that this season, which is why the West Coast schedule is complete.
The ECHL started in 1988-89 with just five teams: Carolina Thunderbirds, Erie Panthers, Johnstown Chiefs, Knoxville Cherokees and PeeDee Pride. Of those, Johnstown (Pa.) is the only original one left.
After the league added West Coast teams, it dropped its East Coast Hockey League name on May 19, 2003 and now goes strictly by the initials.
Players belong to PHPA.
The ECHL and the AHL are the only two minor league teams whose players belong to the Professional Hockey Players Association, so the K-Wings will be under those rules.
"The per diem goes up, there's a blackout date around Christmas, travel in and travel out (of Kalamazoo) is guaranteed whether or not a player makes the team," Welsh said.
"Our costs will definitely go up from that aspect, but all that was laid out before our owner, Mr. (Bill) Johnston when we decided to make this move."
Two years ago, the league established a Hall of Fame with no more than five people inducted each year: Maximum of three players, one developmental player, two builders and one referee/linesman.
Those chosen are inducted during the all-star game, this season in Ontario, Calif.
Attendance-wise, the K-Wings' 3,190 average would be in the lower half of ECHL teams, which averaged 4,258 fans last season.
Stockton, Calif., was tops, with 6,218, while Johnstown was the bottom at 2,212.
As for the ramifications of leaving the IHL, "Our owner stands by the adage that stuff like that is what lawyers get paid for, so we'll let the lawyers battle the lawyers," Welsh said. "We're moving forward and not focusing on that aspect."
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/06/echl_players_a_step_away_from.html
ECHL Players a Step Away From The NHL
Fifty-two players were called up to the top league last season
Pam Shebest | Kalamazoo Gazette
June 13, 2009
KALAMAZOO - The Kalamazoo Wings have two Turner Cups and a Colonial Cup, and this year they'll try to add a Kelly Cup to their collection.
After two years, the K-Wings left the fledgling International Hockey League for the more established ECHL and will join 19 other teams competing for the league's championship trophy.
The K-Wings, entering their 36th season, see a long-term relationship with the ECHL, which started in 1988-89.
Kalamazoo left the IHL "basically because of the instability of the league," K-Wngs president Paul Pickard said. "We try to plan and want to plan three and five years out. With 20 teams this year, we know there's going to be a league year after year."
Fans should see a more up-tempo type of hockey next season, according to goaltender Joel Martin.
Martin spent two years in the ECHL (Trenton and Elmira) sandwiched between two stints with the K-Wings, including last season.
Biggest difference is age.
"The biggest difference in the two leagues is age," Martin said. "The ECHL is a little bit younger and, obviously, there are a lot more teams (the IHL had six clubs last season).
"It's really competitive hockey. A lot of guys are under AHL contracts and are trying to move up. Some guys who get sent down are also trying to get back up."
Martin said in his two years in the ECHL, he's seen a lot call-ups, but "Part of the ups and downs is that you could lose some of your best players at inopportune times."
Some of them ended up in the NHL.
The ECHL has sent more than 400 players to the NHL, 52 of them last season, said ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna.
That includes former K-Wing Joel Rechlicz, who went from the Utah Grizzlies to the New York Islanders.
Bruce Boudreau (Washington Capitals) and Scott Gordon (New York Islanders) both coached in the ECHL and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma played for the ECHL's Greensboro Monarchs.
The K-Wings are still in the preliminary stages of securing an NHL affiliation and of signing players.
Teams can protect eight players.
Each ECHL team may protect eight players from last year's roster. The rest, unless already under contract, become available July 1, according to Pickard.
In addition, "(K-Wings coach) Nick (Bootland) saw 76-plus (IHL) games last year and some of those guys might fit into the ECHL," K-Wings general manager Wade Welsh said.
The American Conference schedule is expected out as early as next week, but the National Conference one is finished.
The Bakersfield, Calif., team has its first preseason game Oct. 8 and opens the season Oct. 16.
Teams in either conference can choose to play a crossover team, but none has chosen to do that this season, which is why the West Coast schedule is complete.
The ECHL started in 1988-89 with just five teams: Carolina Thunderbirds, Erie Panthers, Johnstown Chiefs, Knoxville Cherokees and PeeDee Pride. Of those, Johnstown (Pa.) is the only original one left.
After the league added West Coast teams, it dropped its East Coast Hockey League name on May 19, 2003 and now goes strictly by the initials.
Players belong to PHPA.
The ECHL and the AHL are the only two minor league teams whose players belong to the Professional Hockey Players Association, so the K-Wings will be under those rules.
"The per diem goes up, there's a blackout date around Christmas, travel in and travel out (of Kalamazoo) is guaranteed whether or not a player makes the team," Welsh said.
"Our costs will definitely go up from that aspect, but all that was laid out before our owner, Mr. (Bill) Johnston when we decided to make this move."
Two years ago, the league established a Hall of Fame with no more than five people inducted each year: Maximum of three players, one developmental player, two builders and one referee/linesman.
Those chosen are inducted during the all-star game, this season in Ontario, Calif.
Attendance-wise, the K-Wings' 3,190 average would be in the lower half of ECHL teams, which averaged 4,258 fans last season.
Stockton, Calif., was tops, with 6,218, while Johnstown was the bottom at 2,212.
As for the ramifications of leaving the IHL, "Our owner stands by the adage that stuff like that is what lawyers get paid for, so we'll let the lawyers battle the lawyers," Welsh said. "We're moving forward and not focusing on that aspect."