ECHL Today
November 1, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release
Preview of ECHL Games for Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Johnstown Chiefs (0-5-1) at Reading Royals (3-2-2) 1:05 p.m.
ET
- Royals rookie Beau
Erickson is 2-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.88.
- Chiefs' Jim
McKenzie has a two-game goal streak (2g) and a two-game point streak
(2g-1a).
- Reading's Stefano
Giliati has a league-high six-game goal streak (6g) and a six-game
point streak (6g-7a).
- Johnstown is tied for fourth in the league with one shorthand goal.
Gwinnett Gladiators (3-1-2) at Charlotte Checkers (3-1-0) 2 p.m.
ET
- Checkers are second in the league on the penalty kill at 89.3 percent
(25-for-28).
- Gladiators' Brad
Schell has a six-game assist streak (9a) and a six-game point streak
(0g-9a).
- Charlotte's Michel
Leveille has a three-game goal streak (5g) and a four-game point streak
(5g-4a).
- Tom
Zanoski leads Gwinnett with 11 points and is second on the team with
four goals and seven assists.
Stockton Thunder (2-4-0) at Victoria Salmon Kings (1-6-0) 1:05 p.m.
PT
- Victoria's Chad
Painchaud has a four-game point streak (2g-3a).
- Thunder's Andrew
Perugini is 2-0-0 with a shutout and a goals-against average of 0.50 in
his last two starts.
- Salmon Kings are tied for sixth in the league with a goals-against
average of 3.00.
- Stockton defenseman Kenny
MacAulay has a two-game point streak (1g-1a).
Las Vegas Wranglers (3-3-0) at Ontario Reign (3-4-0) 5 p.m.
PT
- Reign are second in the league with 12 power-play goals and third in
power-play percentage with 27.3 (12-for-44).
- Wranglers' Michael
Ouzas is 3-0-0 with a goals-against average of 3.05 in his last three
starts.
- Ontario's David
Walker leads ECHL defensemen with seven assists and is second with
seven points (0g-7a).
- Las Vegas' Josh
Prudden has six points (2g-4a) in his last three games.
Idaho Steelheads (6-0-1) at Alaska Aces (5-3-0) 5:05 p.m.
AT
- Alaska's Eric
Boguniecki has a two-game goal streak (2g) and a two-game point streak
(2g-1a).
- Idaho's Tyler
Spurgeon (2g-9a) and Mark
Derlago (5g-4a) each have a seven-game point streak.
- Aces' Scott
Reid is 2-1-0 with a goals-against average of 2.59.
- Steelheads lead the ECHL in goals-against average with 2.29.
Watch Games Live on B2 Networks, the "Official Broadband Broadcast Provider" of the ECHL
Watch ECHL Games Around The Clock On ECHL TV on B2CableTV.com
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.
- 412 players have
played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL including a record 52 in
2008-09.
- Six ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Gwinnett
Gladiators and 2006
ECHL All-Star right wing Guillaume
Desbiens (Vancouver on Oct. 11), former Idaho Steelheads center Aaron
Gagnon (Dallas on Oct. 16), former Wheeling Nailers right wing David
Laliberte (Philadelphia on Nov. 1), former Reading Royals right wing Scott
Parse (Los Angeles on Oct. 24), former Johnstown Chiefs defenseman Jay
Rosehill (Toronto on Oct. 1) and former Idaho Steelheads left wing Francis
Wathier (Dallas on Oct. 21).
- The ECHL has had 221 players reach the NHL since 2002-03 when it changed
its focus to become the primary developmental league for the NHL and the
AHL. The ECHL had 97 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215
in the first 15 years.
- 157 ECHL players have played their first game in the last five seasons
for an average of more than 31 per year.
- ECHL had a record 78 players on NHL opening-day rosters, surpassing the
71 from a year ago and marking the seventh year in a row that there have
been over 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters.
- Every ECHL team has an affiliation with an NHL team and the league has affiliations
with 28 of the 30 NHL teams, marking the 13th consecutive season that the
league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
- 26 coaches with an ECHL background are working behind the benches of
teams in the NHL including Washington Capitals head coach Bruce
Boudreau and New York Islanders head coach Scott
Gordon of the New York Islanders while former ECHL player Dan
Bylsma is head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
It is the fifth consecutive season that there have been 11 or more coaches
with an ECHL background working in the NHL. 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.
- 20 former ECHL officials are working as part of the NHL officiating team
in 2009-10 with referees David
Banfield, Francis
Charron, Chris
Ciamaga, Ghislain
Herbert, 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, Bryan
Pancich, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak and Jay Sharrers.
- ECHL was represented for the ninth year in a row on the Stanley Cup
champion 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. There were 43 former players and 14 former coaches on 15 of
the 16 teams competing in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup
Playoffs, marking the fourth year in a row that there have been at least 30
former ECHL players and the sixth consecutive season that over 25 players
with ECHL experience have competed in the NHL postseason.
- Former ECHL and current Boston Bruins goaltender Tim
Thomas was the recipient of the Vezina
Trophy as the top goaltender in the NHL and was also presented the William
Jennings Trophy with teammate Manny Fernandez as the goaltenders
finishing the season having surrendered the fewest goals. Thomas was also
named First
Team All-NHL after registering a career-high 36 wins while leading the
NHL with a goals-against average of 2.10 and a save percentage of .933 to
help the Bruins finish with the most wins (53) and points (116) since
1971-72.
- ECHL was represented in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game by Mark Streit of the
New York Islanders and Tim
Thomas of the Boston Bruins while former ECHL players Dan
Ellis, Jonathan
Quick and Tomas
Vokoun were all selected as recipients of the NHL's "Three Stars" award
in 2008-09.
- Former ECHL broadcasters working in the National Hockey League include
John Ahlers and Steve Carroll of the Anaheim Ducks, Tom
Callahan of the Nashville Predators, Dave Goucher of the Boston Bruins,
Chris Kerber of the St. Louis Blues, Dave
Mishkin of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bob
McElligott and John
Michael of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Rob
Simpson, who is a producer/host for The NHL Network.
- Ryan
Stanzel and Jeremy
Zager, who were both recipients of the ECHL
Media Relations Director of the Year award, are working in the
communications department for the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings,
respectively. Former ECHL assistant director of communications Joe Siville
and Kelly
Murray are now with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington
Capitals, respectively, while former ECHL director of communications Jason
Rothwell is the creative director for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- ECHL has affiliations with
25 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 and in 2008-09
there were 10 times as many call-ups from the ECHL to the AHL than all
other professional leagues.
- The ECHL averaged 4,258 fans per game in 2008-09 and is the only minor
professional hockey league to increase average attendance each of the last
two seasons. It is the fifth consecutive season and the 17th time in the
last 19 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans and the league
drew over 3 million fans for the 16th year in a row and reached the 3
million mark in the fewest number of games since 2005-06.
- There have been more than 74 million fans who have attended almost 17,000
games since the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states.
- The Ontario Reign, the City of Ontario and Citizens Business Bank Arena
will host the 18th Annual ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok Hockey on
Jan. 20, 2010 and the 13th Annual All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 19,
2010.
- Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.
• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...
ECHL Stories from November 1, 2009
- Steelheads Beat Aces In OT, 3-2 - Idaho Steelheads
- Reign Topped By Wranglers, 2-1 - Ontario Reign
- Salmon Kings Drop Matinee Versus Thunder - Victoria Salmon Kings
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- D'Alvise's Hat Trick Lifts Stockton - Stockton Thunder
- Checkers Fall To Gladiators In Overtime - Charlotte Checkers
- Royals Hold On For Third Straight One Goal Win, 3-2 Over Johnstown - Reading Royals
- Gladiators Spoil Checkers Opener - Atlanta Gladiators
- Chiefs Downed By Royals - Johnstown Chiefs
- Jones Called Up To Worcester - Kalamazoo Wings
- Game Prview: Stockton Thunder At Victoria Salmon Kings - Stockton Thunder
- Gavin Morgan Returns To Reading - Reading Royals
- Four Called Up By Wolf Pack; Sauer Assigned - Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Idaho Winning Streak Snapped At Six By Aces - Idaho Steelheads
- Reid's 50 Saves Propel Alaska - Alaska Aces
- Reign Shuts Out Condors, 3-0 - Ontario Reign
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.