NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



ECHL

Murray Promoted To Vice President Of Hockey Operations

August 18, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that Mike Murray has been promoted to vice president of hockey operations.

Murray joined the ECHL in September 2008 as coordinator of hockey operations and was promoted to manager of hockey operations in June. He replaces senior vice president of hockey operations Rod Pasma, who was hired by the American Hockey League as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.

"Mike has worked closely with Rod Pasma on all aspects of ECHL hockey operations over the past season, including supplementary discipline," said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna. "His background as a player, combined with his administrative and legal experience make him an ideal candidate for this position."

Murray will be responsible for on-ice discipline, officiating, ECHL central registry and administration, serving as the league contact with the Professional Hockey Players' Association and interaction with other leagues on hockey matters.

The 29 year old interned as a law clerk in the Labor Relations Department for the Massachusetts Port Authority following two years at Pro Athletes Management Inc., a law firm in Boston that represents professional athletes, and one season as an assistant to the general manager of the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League.

The native of Dover, Mass. played hockey for four years at Dartmouth College and two seasons as a professional including in the ECHL with Augusta, Cincinnati, Reading and Trenton.

Murray received his bachelor's degree in history from Dartmouth College. He was awarded his juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School where he graduated cum laude while also being admitted as a member of the Massachusetts Bar.

Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
- The ECHL celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08 and is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
- ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league with 20 teams in 15 states and British Columbia in 2009-10.
- The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
- ECHL had affiliations with 24 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League in 2008-09 marking the 12th consecutive year for affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
- 407 former ECHL players have played in NHL.
- 151 former ECHL players have played their first NHL game in the last four seasons.
- Record 52 former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2008-09 and eight players played in both the ECHL and the NHL: goaltenders Matt Climie (Idaho and Dallas), Riku Helenius (Elmira, Mississippi and Tampa Bay), Michal Neuvirth (South Carolina and Washington) and Marek Schwarz (Alaska and St. Louis), defensemen Wes O'Neill (Johnstown and Colorado), Raymond Macias (Johnstown and Colorado) and Kevin Quick (Augusta, Elmira and Tampa Bay) and right wing Joel Rechlicz (Utah and New York Islanders).
- There were 72 former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters.
- ECHL has been represented on last nine Stanley Cup champions including 2009 with Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, player Ruslan Fedotenko, equipment managers Dana Heinze and Dave Zeigler, athletic trainers Chris Stewart and Scott Adams and scout Derek Clancey.
- Former ECHL coaches working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders while former ECHL player Dan Bylsma is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons winning the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2007-08 becoming the first former ECHL coach to receive the award. Peter Laviolette, who began his coaching career with the Wheeling Nailers, led Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006.
- There are 15 assistant coaches in the NHL who were players or coaches in the ECHL.
- Eighteen former ECHL officials worked in the NHL in 2008-09 with referees David Banfield, Chris Ciamaga, Ghislain Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin St. Pierre and Ian Walsh and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak and Jay Sharrers. Barton, Joannette, Leggo, McCauley, Nowak, Pollock, Rooney and Sharrers all worked the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League and for the past 20 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion.
- In the last six seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with over 2,500 call-ups involving more than 1,300 players since 2002-03.
- Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

Check out the ECHL Statistics

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from August 18, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central