[quote=""wannabe2""]Know all the stats on this guy, but has anyone seen him play in the ECHL, as he has just signed for my team in the UK. Its always good to hear fans views on players, can you help please.
Cheers
Glynne.[/quote]
Here his stats from the last number of years. He played for the ECHL Kelly Cup winners, will be a good player.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/view ... &pid=65972
Scott Romfo
Defense
Born Jul 10 1981 -- Blaine, MN
Height 5.11 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots L
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000-01 Tri-City Storm USHL 34 3 4 7 37 7 0 1 1 0
2001-02 Tri-City Storm USHL 60 4 16 20 48 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 R.P.I. NCAA 31 2 2 4 38
2003-04 R.P.I. NCAA 28 2 2 4 28
2004-05 R.P.I. NCAA 29 2 8 10 36
2005-06 R.P.I. NCAA 35 2 15 17 36
2005-06 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 16 1 7 8 14 5 2 0 2 2
2006-07 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 66 5 20 25 73 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 72 7 16 23 71 20 0 4 4 14
2008-09 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 63 8 22 30 48 21 0 4 4 17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whats up around the ECHL
Lots of changes in the ECHL Playoff format. 3 divisions in American Conference.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/wrangl ... ff-format/
PrintE-mailShare
deliciousdiggNewsvineFacebookStumbleTechnoratiredditFark ECHL adopts new playoff formattwitter
Subscribe to RSS Feed
ECHL adopts new playoff format
By Steve Silver · June 29, 2009 · 12:13 PM
Expanded hockey coverage
■More on the Wranglers
■2008-09 regular season schedule and results
The ECHL Board of Governors concluded its annual meetings this weekend and unanimously approved a new playoff format for the 2010 Kelly Cup playoffs.
The Board decided to shorten the first round of the playoffs by making the conference quarterfinals a best-of-five game series, while keeping the remaining rounds best-of-seven series.
This five-game series will be a 2-3 format with the higher seed choosing if it wishes to host games 1-2 or games 3-5. Teams that are less than 350 miles apart may choose to play a 2-2-1 format.
Since the American Conference has 12 teams in three divisions and the National Conference only has eight teams in two divisions, the Board also adopted a new system to determine playoff berths and seeding. (The ECHL used a similar system last year after losing two squads in the middle of the season due to financial troubles).
Basically, the division winners will all receive automatic postseason spots. In the National Conference, the top overall seed will get a bye and the next five best teams (based on points) will make the playoffs -- in other words, the ECHL had no other option besides allowing every team in the National Conference a playoff berth. So seven National Conference teams and eight American Conference teams make the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Wranglers compete in the Pacific Division of the National Conference with the Bakersfield Condors, Ontario Reign and Stockton Thunder.
Here is the new postseason format in the ECHL's words:
In the National Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winner with the best record in the conference will receive a bye in the first round. The other division winner will be seeded second and meet the team that finishes seventh in the conference in the first round. The other first round matchups will be the third-place finisher in the conference against the sixth-place finisher in the conference and the fourth-place finisher in the conference against the fifth-place finisher in the conference. The conference semifinals will have the first-place finisher meeting the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place matchup and the winner of the second-place finisher and seventh-place finisher against the winner of the third-place finisher against the sixth-place finisher.
In the American Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winners will be seeded first, second and third and will play the eighth-place finisher, the seventh-place finisher and the sixth-place finisher, respectively, while the fourth-place finisher and the fifth-place finisher will meet. The conference semifinals will have the winner of the first-place and eighth-place matchup will meet the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place game while the winner of the second-place and seventh-place game will face the winner of the third-place and sixth-place matchup.
The Board also voted to cap the ECHL membership at 24 teams with a priority to find new teams in the West. The ownership group in Reno is still struggling to put a team in the league.
Finally, the Board also approved the elimination of the injured reserve in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Teams will have a maximum roster of 23 players for the postseason with 20 active players and up to three inactive players.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/wrangl ... ff-format/
PrintE-mailShare
deliciousdiggNewsvineFacebookStumbleTechnoratiredditFark ECHL adopts new playoff formattwitter
Subscribe to RSS Feed
ECHL adopts new playoff format
By Steve Silver · June 29, 2009 · 12:13 PM
Expanded hockey coverage
■More on the Wranglers
■2008-09 regular season schedule and results
The ECHL Board of Governors concluded its annual meetings this weekend and unanimously approved a new playoff format for the 2010 Kelly Cup playoffs.
The Board decided to shorten the first round of the playoffs by making the conference quarterfinals a best-of-five game series, while keeping the remaining rounds best-of-seven series.
This five-game series will be a 2-3 format with the higher seed choosing if it wishes to host games 1-2 or games 3-5. Teams that are less than 350 miles apart may choose to play a 2-2-1 format.
Since the American Conference has 12 teams in three divisions and the National Conference only has eight teams in two divisions, the Board also adopted a new system to determine playoff berths and seeding. (The ECHL used a similar system last year after losing two squads in the middle of the season due to financial troubles).
Basically, the division winners will all receive automatic postseason spots. In the National Conference, the top overall seed will get a bye and the next five best teams (based on points) will make the playoffs -- in other words, the ECHL had no other option besides allowing every team in the National Conference a playoff berth. So seven National Conference teams and eight American Conference teams make the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Wranglers compete in the Pacific Division of the National Conference with the Bakersfield Condors, Ontario Reign and Stockton Thunder.
Here is the new postseason format in the ECHL's words:
In the National Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winner with the best record in the conference will receive a bye in the first round. The other division winner will be seeded second and meet the team that finishes seventh in the conference in the first round. The other first round matchups will be the third-place finisher in the conference against the sixth-place finisher in the conference and the fourth-place finisher in the conference against the fifth-place finisher in the conference. The conference semifinals will have the first-place finisher meeting the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place matchup and the winner of the second-place finisher and seventh-place finisher against the winner of the third-place finisher against the sixth-place finisher.
In the American Conference, postseason berths will be awarded to the first-place team in each division and the next five teams in the conference, based on points. The division winners will be seeded first, second and third and will play the eighth-place finisher, the seventh-place finisher and the sixth-place finisher, respectively, while the fourth-place finisher and the fifth-place finisher will meet. The conference semifinals will have the winner of the first-place and eighth-place matchup will meet the winner of the fourth-place and fifth-place game while the winner of the second-place and seventh-place game will face the winner of the third-place and sixth-place matchup.
The Board also voted to cap the ECHL membership at 24 teams with a priority to find new teams in the West. The ownership group in Reno is still struggling to put a team in the league.
Finally, the Board also approved the elimination of the injured reserve in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Teams will have a maximum roster of 23 players for the postseason with 20 active players and up to three inactive players.
IHL gains another team, ECHL loses out.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/2 ... /906309894
Journal Gazette
Those sounds of "Clear! ... thump - followed by deep breaths" you hear is the IHL springing back to life.Fresh from the announcement that Dayton was returning, the league got another jolt of electricity when Quad City announced Tuesday that it will be back on the Komets' 2009-2010 schedule, and back as the Mallards, the nickname it held when it won three Colonial Cup championships.See ya, Kalamazoo. Enjoy the ECHL.But there is more news to come.All seven team reps will be in town Wednesday to hammer out the IHL schedule, and then on Friday, there will be an expansion draft and a dispersal draft of the Kalamazoo roster.
IHL site says the drafts are on thursday
Posted by mightbite at 06/30/09 06:43:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin-I agree with you when you say"See ya,Kalamazoo",as for enjoying the ECHL,that may well not happen.
Posted by Kfansince68 at 06/30/09 09:16:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am so relieved....and I am so happy that my optimism was not misplaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Cat Eyes at 06/30/09 09:26:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great news. I guess some nay sayers should be roasting the crow about now.
Posted by writes right shoots left at 06/30/09 09:29:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, now Justin. Let's not get dramatic. Before Dayton and now Quad City, I saw the IHL as a sickly old man anxiously declaring "I'm not dead yet!"
Posted by Wendy at 06/30/09 09:31:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wendy, have you been watching Monty Python again? lol
Posted by deuce at 06/30/09 11:14:00 PM
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/2 ... /906309894
Journal Gazette
Those sounds of "Clear! ... thump - followed by deep breaths" you hear is the IHL springing back to life.Fresh from the announcement that Dayton was returning, the league got another jolt of electricity when Quad City announced Tuesday that it will be back on the Komets' 2009-2010 schedule, and back as the Mallards, the nickname it held when it won three Colonial Cup championships.See ya, Kalamazoo. Enjoy the ECHL.But there is more news to come.All seven team reps will be in town Wednesday to hammer out the IHL schedule, and then on Friday, there will be an expansion draft and a dispersal draft of the Kalamazoo roster.
IHL site says the drafts are on thursday
Posted by mightbite at 06/30/09 06:43:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin-I agree with you when you say"See ya,Kalamazoo",as for enjoying the ECHL,that may well not happen.
Posted by Kfansince68 at 06/30/09 09:16:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am so relieved....and I am so happy that my optimism was not misplaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Cat Eyes at 06/30/09 09:26:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great news. I guess some nay sayers should be roasting the crow about now.
Posted by writes right shoots left at 06/30/09 09:29:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, now Justin. Let's not get dramatic. Before Dayton and now Quad City, I saw the IHL as a sickly old man anxiously declaring "I'm not dead yet!"
Posted by Wendy at 06/30/09 09:31:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wendy, have you been watching Monty Python again? lol
Posted by deuce at 06/30/09 11:14:00 PM
ECHL Announces Players With Qualifying Offers
http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi ... 1&id=19105
http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi ... 1&id=19105
Hockey is a tough sport and if you trash talk, keep your eyes open.
//www.oursportscentral.com/boards/ ... 1&p=118608
B.C. court sides with player who says fighting is a part of the game
By Dirk Meissner 22 hours ago
VICTORIA, B.C. A minor league hockey player who told a B.C. court that fighting and trash talking are part of the game has been found not guilty of assault causing bodily harm in connection with an on-ice incident last season.
Robin Gomez, a former member of the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings, was charged after Las Vegas Wranglers player Chris Ferraro was punched in the face and knocked unconscious during a game in Victoria last March.
In his ruling Thursday, Provincial Court judge Mike Hubbard said hockey is a sport of implied consent where players can expect physical contact and verbal abuse.
"Hockey would be a better game without the trash talking and the fighting," he said.
Hubbard said he considered the level of rough play and the potential for violence even greater in the ECHL than the National Hockey League.
Crown spokesman Neil Mackenzie said prosecutors decided to press charges in the incident because they believed it went beyond what is considered implied consent in hockey.
"When we reviewed the file it was the Crown assessment that the charge approval standard was met and that Mr. Gomez's action went beyond the scope of any implied consent," he said.
"But ultimately the court wasn't satisfied of that beyond a reasonable doubt."
Mackenzie said the case will be the subject of a review and it was too early to comment on the possibility of an appeal.
Outside court, Gomez, 27, said violence has always been a part of hockey and will likely never be removed from the game.
"I'm just glad this is behind me and I can move on with the rest of my life," he said.
Lawyer Jordan Watt, who teamed up with his father Alexander Watt to defend Gomez for free, said he comes from a family passionate about hockey.
He said assault cases involving hockey players are a grey area of the law and each case is dependent upon its individual facts.
Ferraro testified that he didn't see the punch coming as Gomez hit him when he stepped onto the ice from the players' bench.
During his testimony, Gomez told the judge that fighting is part of hockey and that Ferraro was verbally taunting him as he skated by the Salmon Kings bench.
Gomez was suspended by the league following the incident. He is no longer a member of the Salmon Kings.
He said he's still looking for a team to add him to their roster, and believes he can play hockey professionally for another year or two.
Watt said he and his father took the case in part because they believed the Salmon Kings and the ECHL did not do enough to support Gomez for the game-related charge.
"In our opinion the team basically turned their back on him," said Watt. "My father and I took this case on pro bono, because we believe in the issue, and we fought for him."
Gomez's parents, Moe and Kathy, were in the courtroom when the not guilty verdict was read.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Add News to your Google Homepage
Map
//www.oursportscentral.com/boards/ ... 1&p=118608
B.C. court sides with player who says fighting is a part of the game
By Dirk Meissner 22 hours ago
VICTORIA, B.C. A minor league hockey player who told a B.C. court that fighting and trash talking are part of the game has been found not guilty of assault causing bodily harm in connection with an on-ice incident last season.
Robin Gomez, a former member of the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings, was charged after Las Vegas Wranglers player Chris Ferraro was punched in the face and knocked unconscious during a game in Victoria last March.
In his ruling Thursday, Provincial Court judge Mike Hubbard said hockey is a sport of implied consent where players can expect physical contact and verbal abuse.
"Hockey would be a better game without the trash talking and the fighting," he said.
Hubbard said he considered the level of rough play and the potential for violence even greater in the ECHL than the National Hockey League.
Crown spokesman Neil Mackenzie said prosecutors decided to press charges in the incident because they believed it went beyond what is considered implied consent in hockey.
"When we reviewed the file it was the Crown assessment that the charge approval standard was met and that Mr. Gomez's action went beyond the scope of any implied consent," he said.
"But ultimately the court wasn't satisfied of that beyond a reasonable doubt."
Mackenzie said the case will be the subject of a review and it was too early to comment on the possibility of an appeal.
Outside court, Gomez, 27, said violence has always been a part of hockey and will likely never be removed from the game.
"I'm just glad this is behind me and I can move on with the rest of my life," he said.
Lawyer Jordan Watt, who teamed up with his father Alexander Watt to defend Gomez for free, said he comes from a family passionate about hockey.
He said assault cases involving hockey players are a grey area of the law and each case is dependent upon its individual facts.
Ferraro testified that he didn't see the punch coming as Gomez hit him when he stepped onto the ice from the players' bench.
During his testimony, Gomez told the judge that fighting is part of hockey and that Ferraro was verbally taunting him as he skated by the Salmon Kings bench.
Gomez was suspended by the league following the incident. He is no longer a member of the Salmon Kings.
He said he's still looking for a team to add him to their roster, and believes he can play hockey professionally for another year or two.
Watt said he and his father took the case in part because they believed the Salmon Kings and the ECHL did not do enough to support Gomez for the game-related charge.
"In our opinion the team basically turned their back on him," said Watt. "My father and I took this case on pro bono, because we believe in the issue, and we fought for him."
Gomez's parents, Moe and Kathy, were in the courtroom when the not guilty verdict was read.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Add News to your Google Homepage
Map
Here is a great goal scorer and team player - Wes Goldie
http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Gol ... story.html
Goldie staying put with Salmon Kings
By Cleve DheensawJuly 7, 2009
The ECHL primarily emphasizes its role as the top Double-A league that moves young pros up to the Triple-A American Hockey League. Yet its the four veterans allowed on each team who usually become the public face of the various teams in their communities.
Wes Goldie, 30, is just that for the Victoria Salmon Kings and yesterday he signed to play his fourth season with the Vancouver Canucks affiliate.
Weve lived and moved all over and now have settled into this city and loved it from Day 1, said Goldie, the all-time leading scorer for the Salmon Kings, who finished last season with an ECHL second-best 48 goals.
We were at a point when our kids [ages 11, eight and seven] needed a place for roots and to call home. Its important for us to be in one place during their school years.
Goldie, a durable sniper out of the major-junior Owen Sound Platers, has played in all 216 regular season and 26 Salmon Kings playoff games over the past three seasons and has scored more than 40 goals in each season. Goldie is the Salmon Kings franchise leader in goals with 131, points with 201, power-play goals with 43, shorthanded goals with 19 and game-winning goals with 17.
The organization is happy with what Im doing for it and were happy in how it has treated me and my family, said Goldie.
The Salmon Kings also announced the re-signing of forward Curtis Billsten. The six-foot-three graduate of the WHL Everett Silvertips had 11 goals and 39 points last season.
Meanwhile, the Salmon Kings traded defenceman and Nanaimo-raised Aaron Brocklehurst to the Gwinnett Gladiators for 2003 Anaheim Ducks draft pick Dirk Southern, a six-foot-one forward entering his fourth season of pro hockey.
http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Gol ... story.html
Goldie staying put with Salmon Kings
By Cleve DheensawJuly 7, 2009
The ECHL primarily emphasizes its role as the top Double-A league that moves young pros up to the Triple-A American Hockey League. Yet its the four veterans allowed on each team who usually become the public face of the various teams in their communities.
Wes Goldie, 30, is just that for the Victoria Salmon Kings and yesterday he signed to play his fourth season with the Vancouver Canucks affiliate.
Weve lived and moved all over and now have settled into this city and loved it from Day 1, said Goldie, the all-time leading scorer for the Salmon Kings, who finished last season with an ECHL second-best 48 goals.
We were at a point when our kids [ages 11, eight and seven] needed a place for roots and to call home. Its important for us to be in one place during their school years.
Goldie, a durable sniper out of the major-junior Owen Sound Platers, has played in all 216 regular season and 26 Salmon Kings playoff games over the past three seasons and has scored more than 40 goals in each season. Goldie is the Salmon Kings franchise leader in goals with 131, points with 201, power-play goals with 43, shorthanded goals with 19 and game-winning goals with 17.
The organization is happy with what Im doing for it and were happy in how it has treated me and my family, said Goldie.
The Salmon Kings also announced the re-signing of forward Curtis Billsten. The six-foot-three graduate of the WHL Everett Silvertips had 11 goals and 39 points last season.
Meanwhile, the Salmon Kings traded defenceman and Nanaimo-raised Aaron Brocklehurst to the Gwinnett Gladiators for 2003 Anaheim Ducks draft pick Dirk Southern, a six-foot-one forward entering his fourth season of pro hockey.
-
mrsummitcitypigskin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:05 pm
ECHL Alaska Aces loses a good coach.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/hocke ... 1-sun.html
Keith McCambridge was ready to take the next step in his coaching career and the Manitoba Moose were happy to provide him with the opportunity.
McCambridge was unveiled as the new assistant coach of the Manitoba Moose yesterday and it will be a homecoming for the man who was born in Thompson.
"I'm very excited to be part of an organization like the Moose," McCambridge said from his home in Alaska. "This is a chance for myself to advance to the next level and it's something I've always wanted to do."
McCambridge, who signed a two-year deal, plus a club option for the third, spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, where he guided them to an 86-50-8 record.
Last season, the Aces reached the Kelly Cup final, losing in Game 7 to the South Carolina Stingrays.
Prior to that, McCambridge spent three seasons as a player/assistant coach with the Aces and one as an assistant under Davis Payne, who is now the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen.
"I was also interested in the coaching side of things while I was playing, it's something I have a passion for," said McCambridge, 35.
"As your career progresses and you play for different coaches, I always made notes and wrote about the positives and about some of the things I didn't like. I knew I wanted to teach the game of hockey."
Moose head coach Scott Arniel narrowed the field down to three individuals before deciding on McCambridge, a strapping defenceman who played 12 seasons as a pro -- including a three-game stint with the Moose in 1999-2000.
"Obviously, he's very energetic and enthusiastic," said Arniel.
"He's a guy that's really willing to put the work in and is driven to succeed. He's pretty eager to take this next step. He played at a lot of different levels and is known for a solid work ethic. He's going to be a good fit for us. And he's a local guy, so he won't be able to complain about the weather because it's going to be better here than where he was."
With Arniel mentioned frequently as a candidate to move on to a head coaching job in the NHL in the near future, it makes sense for the Moose to hire a guy like McCambridge, who could eventually take over as bench boss.
"First and foremost, the thought process is to come in and learn from a great coach in Scott Arniel and my focus is just on being an assistant coach," said McCambridge.
"I definitely have aspirations of being a head coach, both in the American League and NHL levels. Right now, I'm just excited about the chance to be an assistant in Manitoba."
Rick St. Croix will round out the coaching staff as an assistant.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/hocke ... 1-sun.html
Keith McCambridge was ready to take the next step in his coaching career and the Manitoba Moose were happy to provide him with the opportunity.
McCambridge was unveiled as the new assistant coach of the Manitoba Moose yesterday and it will be a homecoming for the man who was born in Thompson.
"I'm very excited to be part of an organization like the Moose," McCambridge said from his home in Alaska. "This is a chance for myself to advance to the next level and it's something I've always wanted to do."
McCambridge, who signed a two-year deal, plus a club option for the third, spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, where he guided them to an 86-50-8 record.
Last season, the Aces reached the Kelly Cup final, losing in Game 7 to the South Carolina Stingrays.
Prior to that, McCambridge spent three seasons as a player/assistant coach with the Aces and one as an assistant under Davis Payne, who is now the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen.
"I was also interested in the coaching side of things while I was playing, it's something I have a passion for," said McCambridge, 35.
"As your career progresses and you play for different coaches, I always made notes and wrote about the positives and about some of the things I didn't like. I knew I wanted to teach the game of hockey."
Moose head coach Scott Arniel narrowed the field down to three individuals before deciding on McCambridge, a strapping defenceman who played 12 seasons as a pro -- including a three-game stint with the Moose in 1999-2000.
"Obviously, he's very energetic and enthusiastic," said Arniel.
"He's a guy that's really willing to put the work in and is driven to succeed. He's pretty eager to take this next step. He played at a lot of different levels and is known for a solid work ethic. He's going to be a good fit for us. And he's a local guy, so he won't be able to complain about the weather because it's going to be better here than where he was."
With Arniel mentioned frequently as a candidate to move on to a head coaching job in the NHL in the near future, it makes sense for the Moose to hire a guy like McCambridge, who could eventually take over as bench boss.
"First and foremost, the thought process is to come in and learn from a great coach in Scott Arniel and my focus is just on being an assistant coach," said McCambridge.
"I definitely have aspirations of being a head coach, both in the American League and NHL levels. Right now, I'm just excited about the chance to be an assistant in Manitoba."
Rick St. Croix will round out the coaching staff as an assistant.
[quote=""mrsummitcitypigskin""]They can emphasize all they want. I'm still not so sure they are the "top" AA
hockey league in America. The IHL & CHL play a pretty good brand of hockey,
with only minimal affiliations. Keeping players in the medium to small markets,
keeps fans coming back to the arena's.[/quote]
The play I've seen in the ECHL is fast skating and hard hitting hockey. The players know they are on display for their NHL teams and are hoping to be called up to the AHL. This is why the ECHL teams only allow 4 veterans per team.
The CHL & IHL have more players that still want to play hockey, but want to settle down in one place and raise a family. There is a need for both types of leagues.
hockey league in America. The IHL & CHL play a pretty good brand of hockey,
with only minimal affiliations. Keeping players in the medium to small markets,
keeps fans coming back to the arena's.[/quote]
The play I've seen in the ECHL is fast skating and hard hitting hockey. The players know they are on display for their NHL teams and are hoping to be called up to the AHL. This is why the ECHL teams only allow 4 veterans per team.
The CHL & IHL have more players that still want to play hockey, but want to settle down in one place and raise a family. There is a need for both types of leagues.
From the CHL to the NHL- Chris Minard
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/ju ... a-journey/
Hockey player had quite a journey
By Paul Harris (Contact)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
From San Angelo to the Stanley Cup.
It seems like the most improbable of journeys, but that’s exactly what Chris Minard pulled off last month when he hoisted the Holy Grail of sports trophies as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
San Angelo last saw Minard in 2004 as an all-star forward with the Saints hockey team. Since then, he’s been on an incredible climb up the hockey ladder, steadily moving up to higher-level leagues.
He finally made it to the top last year, playing in 15 games with the Penguins and tallying his first goal and assist in the NHL.
Then came last month when Pittsburgh upset Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Minard didn’t get to play, but he was on the bench throughout the team’s playoff run.
And when the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Penguins’ 2-1 win, Minard stormed onto the ice with his teammates, celebrating the biggest hockey title in the world.
Not bad for a guy who was playing in West Texas just over five years ago for a team that doesn’t even exist anymore.
“It was pretty much a dream come true,” said Minard, who is now 27 and married with his first child on the way. “Every kid in Canada and every kid who plays hockey, the whole goal is to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup. Even though I didn’t get to play in the playoffs, to be around everybody and the whole atmosphere and get to celebrate with everybody, it was a dream come true.”
Minard arrived in San Angelo in 2003 as a 21-year-old kid with just one season of professional hockey under his belt.
He had only 15 goals in 72 games in his rookie season with Pensacola, Fla., but things would quickly change in San Angelo.
Minard had a breakout season with 39 goals and 36 assists to establish himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players in the Central Hockey League.
His biggest moment came when he scored five goals one night on his first five shots. Shortly after, the Hockey Hall of Fame called and asked to have his stick from that game.
“Obviously, coming to San Angelo, Chris really opened the door for himself,” said former Saints head coach Ray Edwards, who recruited Minard to San Angelo. “He had the 39 goals and the five-goal night, and he sort of put himself on the map. He had every East Coast Hockey League team wanting a two-year deal.
“At that point, I sort of had to let him go branch out.”
Edwards, who is now an assistant coach in the American Hockey League with the San Antonio Rampage (the top farm club for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes), has known Minard since being hosted by his family when Edwards was a 19-year-old junior player and Minard was 7.
Edwards helped Minard land with his first pro team in Pensacola, where Edwards was an assistant, before convincing Minard to follow him to San Angelo for his first head coaching job.
Since then, Edwards could only watch Minard’s rise toward the top.
“Watching Chris develop and now watching him succeed, it’s pretty rewarding,” Edwards said.
Minard admitted he didn’t have huge hopes when he decided to come to San Angelo, which is a long way from his hometown in Owen Sound, Ontario. He just wanted to keep playing hockey.
“I didn’t really think my hockey was going anywhere. I just wanted to have fun and play,” Minard said. “Ray made me a better played and got my attitude in the right direction. It was a fun year and a good group of guys. ... It was a great experience in San Angelo. We loved it, and I still have some fans from there.”
After his big season in San Angelo, Minard had an even bigger season the next year with the Alaska Aces in the ECHL. He scored 49 goals and had 29 assists.
He also had the opportunity to play with NHL star Scott Gomez while in Alaska because of the NHL lockout. That led to Gomez influencing New Jersey Devils’ management to give Minard a training camp shot, where he earned a spot with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, N.Y.
After two seasons in the AHL with the Albany River Rats and Lowell Devils — and another short stint with Alaska — Minard was signed by the Penguins on July 12, 2007, and assigned to their top farm club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
He was called up on Jan. 21, 2008, making his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals.
“That first game was so unreal, so nerve-wracking,” Minard said. “A lot of things are going through your head. ... After that first game, it’s ‘How can I stay an NHL player?’”
Minard recorded his first NHL point on Feb. 26, 2008, with an assist against the New York Islanders. Two weeks later, on March 12, Minard scored his first NHL goal, beating Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.
He finished the season back in Wilkes-Barre, but he was called up again last season for 20 games, tallying one goal and two assists.
Then came the Penguins’ thrilling playoff run at the end of the season. Because Minard didn’t record enough regular-season appearances and never had a shift during the playoffs, his name isn’t on the Stanley Cup, but he was still a part of a championship team.
Edwards said Minard’s story should be an inspiration to any player toiling away in the minor leagues.
“The Double-A level, it seems like a long way away from the National Hockey League, and it is,” Edwards said. “But the philosophy is you always want to get better and you want to develop. You have goals, and everyone’s goal at that level — I don’t care if it’s a dream or far away or whatever — the goal is to play at the highest level. Chris is one of those guys now. He’s done that.
“There’s not many from the CHL, but there’s one right there.”
Last week, Minard signed a $500,000 free-agent contract with the Edmonton Oilers. He hopes his star will only keep rising.
“My goal is to become an everyday regular NHL player,” Minard said. “Obviously, I’ve been there. The hard part is staying there. That’s my goal now, getting another opportunity at the NHL level, taking full advantage of it and being able to stay there.”
Ray Edwards update
Minard’s former coach and good friend, Ray Edwards, has also done well for himself since his last game in San Angelo.
After being named the CHL Coach of the Year in 2004 and guiding the Saints to the playoffs again in the team’s final season in 2005, Edwards was forced to find a new job when the Saints folded.
“The day we left, there wasn’t a dry eye in the car,” Edwards said. “That was our first home that we’d bought, and the people there were so great. We had a lot of success there, and it was a lot of fun.”
Edwards landed in Albuquerque, N.M., and led the Saints’ former rivals, the New Mexico Scorpions, to the third round of the playoffs in 2007. That helped him earn a job as an assistant coach that offseason in the American Hockey League with the San Antonio Rampage, the top farm club for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes.
“Obviously, I never made it to the NHL as a player, and that’s a goal (as a coach),” Edwards said. “But I love developing these kids and I love coaching. I just want to continue to grow and develop and help out this organization, just do what I can to sort of help their goal of winning a Stanley Cup. I’m sure the other stuff will take care of itself.”
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/ju ... a-journey/
Hockey player had quite a journey
By Paul Harris (Contact)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
From San Angelo to the Stanley Cup.
It seems like the most improbable of journeys, but that’s exactly what Chris Minard pulled off last month when he hoisted the Holy Grail of sports trophies as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
San Angelo last saw Minard in 2004 as an all-star forward with the Saints hockey team. Since then, he’s been on an incredible climb up the hockey ladder, steadily moving up to higher-level leagues.
He finally made it to the top last year, playing in 15 games with the Penguins and tallying his first goal and assist in the NHL.
Then came last month when Pittsburgh upset Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Minard didn’t get to play, but he was on the bench throughout the team’s playoff run.
And when the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Penguins’ 2-1 win, Minard stormed onto the ice with his teammates, celebrating the biggest hockey title in the world.
Not bad for a guy who was playing in West Texas just over five years ago for a team that doesn’t even exist anymore.
“It was pretty much a dream come true,” said Minard, who is now 27 and married with his first child on the way. “Every kid in Canada and every kid who plays hockey, the whole goal is to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup. Even though I didn’t get to play in the playoffs, to be around everybody and the whole atmosphere and get to celebrate with everybody, it was a dream come true.”
Minard arrived in San Angelo in 2003 as a 21-year-old kid with just one season of professional hockey under his belt.
He had only 15 goals in 72 games in his rookie season with Pensacola, Fla., but things would quickly change in San Angelo.
Minard had a breakout season with 39 goals and 36 assists to establish himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players in the Central Hockey League.
His biggest moment came when he scored five goals one night on his first five shots. Shortly after, the Hockey Hall of Fame called and asked to have his stick from that game.
“Obviously, coming to San Angelo, Chris really opened the door for himself,” said former Saints head coach Ray Edwards, who recruited Minard to San Angelo. “He had the 39 goals and the five-goal night, and he sort of put himself on the map. He had every East Coast Hockey League team wanting a two-year deal.
“At that point, I sort of had to let him go branch out.”
Edwards, who is now an assistant coach in the American Hockey League with the San Antonio Rampage (the top farm club for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes), has known Minard since being hosted by his family when Edwards was a 19-year-old junior player and Minard was 7.
Edwards helped Minard land with his first pro team in Pensacola, where Edwards was an assistant, before convincing Minard to follow him to San Angelo for his first head coaching job.
Since then, Edwards could only watch Minard’s rise toward the top.
“Watching Chris develop and now watching him succeed, it’s pretty rewarding,” Edwards said.
Minard admitted he didn’t have huge hopes when he decided to come to San Angelo, which is a long way from his hometown in Owen Sound, Ontario. He just wanted to keep playing hockey.
“I didn’t really think my hockey was going anywhere. I just wanted to have fun and play,” Minard said. “Ray made me a better played and got my attitude in the right direction. It was a fun year and a good group of guys. ... It was a great experience in San Angelo. We loved it, and I still have some fans from there.”
After his big season in San Angelo, Minard had an even bigger season the next year with the Alaska Aces in the ECHL. He scored 49 goals and had 29 assists.
He also had the opportunity to play with NHL star Scott Gomez while in Alaska because of the NHL lockout. That led to Gomez influencing New Jersey Devils’ management to give Minard a training camp shot, where he earned a spot with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, N.Y.
After two seasons in the AHL with the Albany River Rats and Lowell Devils — and another short stint with Alaska — Minard was signed by the Penguins on July 12, 2007, and assigned to their top farm club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
He was called up on Jan. 21, 2008, making his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals.
“That first game was so unreal, so nerve-wracking,” Minard said. “A lot of things are going through your head. ... After that first game, it’s ‘How can I stay an NHL player?’”
Minard recorded his first NHL point on Feb. 26, 2008, with an assist against the New York Islanders. Two weeks later, on March 12, Minard scored his first NHL goal, beating Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.
He finished the season back in Wilkes-Barre, but he was called up again last season for 20 games, tallying one goal and two assists.
Then came the Penguins’ thrilling playoff run at the end of the season. Because Minard didn’t record enough regular-season appearances and never had a shift during the playoffs, his name isn’t on the Stanley Cup, but he was still a part of a championship team.
Edwards said Minard’s story should be an inspiration to any player toiling away in the minor leagues.
“The Double-A level, it seems like a long way away from the National Hockey League, and it is,” Edwards said. “But the philosophy is you always want to get better and you want to develop. You have goals, and everyone’s goal at that level — I don’t care if it’s a dream or far away or whatever — the goal is to play at the highest level. Chris is one of those guys now. He’s done that.
“There’s not many from the CHL, but there’s one right there.”
Last week, Minard signed a $500,000 free-agent contract with the Edmonton Oilers. He hopes his star will only keep rising.
“My goal is to become an everyday regular NHL player,” Minard said. “Obviously, I’ve been there. The hard part is staying there. That’s my goal now, getting another opportunity at the NHL level, taking full advantage of it and being able to stay there.”
Ray Edwards update
Minard’s former coach and good friend, Ray Edwards, has also done well for himself since his last game in San Angelo.
After being named the CHL Coach of the Year in 2004 and guiding the Saints to the playoffs again in the team’s final season in 2005, Edwards was forced to find a new job when the Saints folded.
“The day we left, there wasn’t a dry eye in the car,” Edwards said. “That was our first home that we’d bought, and the people there were so great. We had a lot of success there, and it was a lot of fun.”
Edwards landed in Albuquerque, N.M., and led the Saints’ former rivals, the New Mexico Scorpions, to the third round of the playoffs in 2007. That helped him earn a job as an assistant coach that offseason in the American Hockey League with the San Antonio Rampage, the top farm club for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes.
“Obviously, I never made it to the NHL as a player, and that’s a goal (as a coach),” Edwards said. “But I love developing these kids and I love coaching. I just want to continue to grow and develop and help out this organization, just do what I can to sort of help their goal of winning a Stanley Cup. I’m sure the other stuff will take care of itself.”
Last edited by Lazer on Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: cleaning up
Reason: cleaning up
