ECHL Utah Grizzlies

2009-2010 Utah Grizzlies Season Recap

Published on April 26, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


Finishing with their top division finish since 1999-2000 and their second best winning percentage since 2002, the Grizzlies used 45 skaters, 23 total rookies and five goaltenders on their way to the second round of the playoffs against the Idaho Steelheads.

Tough Draw

Since joining the ECHL in 2005-2006, the Grizzlies have been eliminated in the postseason each year by the eventual conference champion. Barring an upset in the conference finals to Stockton, Idaho will be the fourth-straight conference champion to eliminate Utah in the playoffs.

Advancing In The Postseason

The Grizzlies are currently in their first stretch since 1996-97 of advancing to the second round of the playoffs two times in three seasons. It is also the first time since 1997-98 that they have qualified for the playoffs in three-straight years.

Lighting The Lamp

The Grizzlies finished third in the ECHL scoring 260 goals for an average of 3.61 goals-per-game. 260 goals in the 72-game ECHL season is the most the Grizzlies have scored since they tallied 265 goals in 82 IHL games in 1999-00. 3.61 goals-per-game is the most scored by the team since moving to Utah from Denver in 1995-96.

Winning Games

34 wins for Utah is their second highest total since 2002-2003 and their second-highest winning percentage since 1999-2000.

Comparing Kevin Colley

Kevin Colley, who at 31, remains the youngest coach in the ECHL is 62-57-25 in two seasons as Grizzlies Head Coach. He joins former Grizzlies and NHL Head Coaches Don Hay and Butch Goring as the only other two coaches in Grizzlies history to lead the team to the playoffs in their first two seasons. Colley joins Butch Goring and Jason Christie as the only coaches in team history to lead the club past the first round of the playoffs.

Attendance

E-Center attendance this season was up nearly 13-percent over last season with the club drawing 9,304 Friday, November 20 and 10,020 on January 29 for their largest crowds of the season and their two largest crowds in the last seven years.

2009-2010 Timeline

October 16, 2009: Grizzlies rally out of 3-1 second period deficit to beat Las Vegas 5-3 on opening night. Ryan Kinasewich totals three goals and one assist and ties Chris Taylor with the most goals in Grizzlies history at 111.

October 24, 2009: Kinasewich tallies two goals to take sole possession of the team's all-time lead in goals.

November 14, 2009: Kinasewich totals three goals and two assists to overtake Chris Taylor as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the organization.

December 30, 2009: Ryan Kinasewich, AJ Perry and Vic Bartley are named ECHL All-Stars.

January 30, 2010: Grizzlies score two late third period goals to defeat Las Vegas 3-1 and start a 10-1-0-2 E-Center stretch to finish the regular season.

February 13, 2010: Grizzlies go 2-1-0-3 through Victoria and Boise; coming from behind in four of six games to earn seven of 12 points traveling to the two hottest teams in the west.

March 12-April 3, 2010: Grizzlies take at least two of three games the final four weekends of the season to secure the fourth seed in the conference and home-ice advantage in the first round against Las Vegas.

March 19, 2010: Mikko Koskinen, the first goaltender selected in the 2009 NHL entry draft, is assigned to Utah by the Islanders and stops 36 of 38 shots in his Utah debut as the Grizzlies beat Stockton 5-2. Koskinen finished the regular season 6-0 with Utah and 8-1 overall with the Grizzlies.

April 1, 2010: Ryan Kinasewich is named to the ECHL's First Team.

April 9, 2010: Ryan Kinasewich is named the only runner-up in the league's MVP voting.

April 10, 12, 2010: Utah scores eight of the final nine goals in their first round playoff series against Las Vegas to battle back from a two-one series deficit and win three games to two.

April 23, 2010: Season comes to an end with 4-1 second round loss to Idaho at the E-Center.

Check out the Utah Grizzlies Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from April 26, 2010


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.

OurSports Central