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43 Former ECHL Players, 14 Coaches In Stanley Cup Playoffs

Published on April 17, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL has 43 former players and 14 former coaches on 15 of the 16 teams competing in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It is 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.

The ECHL has been represented on the last eight NHL champions and there are 14 former players who have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup: Aaron Downey (Detroit - 2008), Francois Beauchemin and George Parros (Anaheim - 2007), Andrew Hutchinson and Chad LaRose (Carolina - 2006), Ruslan Fedotenko, Nolan Pratt and Andre Roy (Tampa Bay - 2004), Corey Schwab (New Jersey - 2003), Manny Legace (Detroit - 2002), David Aebischer and Nolan Pratt (Colorado - 2001), Krzysztof Oliwa (New Jersey - 2000) and Kevin Dean (New Jersey - 1995). Pratt is the only former ECHL player to have his name engraved twice on the Stanley Cup.

It is the fifth straight year that the ECHL has been represented by at least six coaches including Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau, who led Mississippi to the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, and Pittsburgh interim head coach Dan Bylsma, who played in the ECHL with Greensboro in 1993-94. Other former ECHL coaches in the Stanley Cup Playoffs include Anaheim assistant coach Dave Farrish, who was named ECHL Coach of the Year in 2001-02; Chicago assistant coach Mike Haviland, who won the Kelly Cup in 2003 with Atlantic City and in 2005 with Trenton; Columbus assistant coach Claude Noel, who was the ECHL Coach of the Year in 2003; and Calgary associate coach Jim Playfair, who was ECHL Coach of the Year in 1994-95. Peter Laviolette became the first former ECHL coach to have his name on the Stanley Cup as head coach of Carolina in 2006 and Farrish became the second as an assistant coach with Anaheim in 2007.

There have been 406 players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including a record 51 in 2008-09. Fourteen former ECHL players signed contracts totaling more than $60 million last summer while Alexandre Burrows, who played in the ECHL his first three seasons, signed a four-year extension with Vancouver reportedly worth $8 million.

The ECHL has had 214 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 96 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215 in the first 15 years. There have been 150 ECHL players who have played their first game in the last four seasons for an average of more than 37 per year.

There were eight players who played in the ECHL and the NHL in 2008-09 with 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).

href="http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&id=17676">Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins while former ECHL players Dan Ellis, Jonathan Quick and Tomas Vokoun have all been selected as recipients of the NHL's "Three Stars" award this season.

The first ECHL player to play in the NHL was Johnstown Chiefs goaltender and current New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon, who played his first game with the Quebec Nordiques against Buffalo on Jan. 30, 1990. The 100th player honor is shared by Jean Sebastien Aubin and Manny Legace, who both made their debut on Oct. 21, 1998 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. The 200th player was Brett McLean with the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 10, 2002 and the 300th was David Liffiton with the New York Rangers on Apr. 11, 2006.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League, the ECHL has affiliations with 24 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 12th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams. Seventy-two former ECHL players were on NHL opening-day rosters this season and 333 ECHL players attended 2008 NHL training camps, including 139 who played in the league in 2007-08.

Former ECHL coaches who are head coaches in the NHL are Gordon and Boudreau while Bylsma is the interim head coach for Pittsburgh. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons and won the Kelly Cup 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 were 18 assistant coaches in the NHL in 2008-09 who were players or coaches in the ECHL.

There are 18 former ECHL officials scheduled to work as part of the NHL officiating team 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.

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 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.

Fifty-one ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Idaho Steelheads right wing Jay Beagle (Washington on Feb. 11), former Wheeling Nailers and ECHL All-Star defenseman Paul Bissonnette (Pittsburgh on Oct. 4), former Stockton Thunder and ECHL All-Star right wing Troy Bodie (Anaheim on Jan. 16), former Bakersfield Condors center Alexandre Bolduc (Vancouver on Nov. 27), former Florida Everblades defenseman Brett Carson (Carolina on Dec. 7), former Idaho Steelheads goaltender Matt Climie (Dallas on Apr.4), former South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Sean Collins (Washington on Dec. 6), former Las Vegas Wranglers and Wheeling Nailers goaltender John Curry (Pittsburgh on Nov. 26), former Greenville Grrrowl goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (Edmonton on Oct. 17), former Johnstown Chiefs center Andre Deveaux (Toronto on Nov. 27), former Dayton Bombers center Philippe Dupuis (Colorado on Dec. 12), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Chris Durno (Colorado on Jan. 18), former Gwinnett Gladiators right wing Pat Dwyer (Carolina on Nov. 2), former South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Jamie Fraser (New York Islanders on Apr. 4), former Columbus Cottonmouths and Tallahassee Tiger Sharks left wing Mitch Fritz (New York Islanders on Oct. 30), former South Carolina Stingrays right wing Andrew Gordon (Washington on Dec. 23), former Augusta Lynx and Mississippi Sea Wolves goaltender Riku Helenius (Tampa Bay on Jan. 30), former Charlotte Checkers center Dwight Helminen (Carolina on Oct. 28), former Florida Everblades and ECHL All-Star center Matt Hendricks (Colorado on Mar. 10), former Las Vegas Wranglers goaltender Brent Krahn (Dallas on Feb. 14), former Trenton Devils right wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (New Jersey on Oct. 22), former Gwinnett Gladiators defenseman Scott Lehman (Atlanta on Dec. 18), former Johnstown Chiefs defenseman Raymond Macias (Colorado on Apr. 1), former Utah Grizzlies defenseman Andrew MacDonald (New York Islanders on Feb. 28), former Charlotte Checkers defenseman Steve MacIntyre (Edmonton on Oct. 15), former Florida Everblades left wing Kenndal McArdle (Florida on Dec. 2), two-time All-Star and former Las Vegas Wranglers goaltender Mike McKenna (Tampa Bay on Feb. 3), former All-Star and Wheeling Nailers center Kurtis McLean (New York Islanders on Jan. 19), former Charlotte Checkers goaltender Al Montoya (Phoenix on Apr. 1), former South Carolina Stingrays and ECHL All-Star goaltender Michal Neuvirth (Washington on Feb. 14), former Johnstown Chiefs defenseman Wes O'Neill (Toronto on Mar. 9), former Columbia Inferno defenseman Phil Oreskovic (Toronto on Mar. 9), former Phoenix RoadRunners and Wheeling Nailers center Cam Paddock (St. Louis on Nov. 14), former Las Vegas Wranglers defenseman Adam Pardy (Calgary on Oct. 9), former Idaho Steelheads left wing Warren Peters (Calgary on Dec. 7), former Charlotte Checkers center Jakub Petruzalek (Carolina on Feb. 5), former Charlotte Checkers defenseman Corey Potter (New York Rangers on Dec. 7), former Augusta Lynx defenseman Kevin Quick (Tampa Bay on Jan. 13), former Utah Grizzlies right wing Joel Rechlicz (New York Islanders on Mar. 4), former Charlotte Checkers, Columbia Inferno and Elmira Jackals defenseman Bryan Rodney (Carolina on Dec. 11), former Gwinnett Gladiators center Jared Ross (Philadelphia on Oct. 11), former Alaska Aces goaltender Marek Schwarz (St. Louis on Oct. 25), former Greenville Grrrowl and Stockton Thunder center Tim Sestito (Edmonton on Nov. 26), former Augusta Lynx defenseman Brett Skinner (New York Islanders on Oct. 27), former Dayton Bombers and Las Vegas Wranglers defenseman Tyler Sloan (Washington on Oct. 21), former Utah Grizzlies and ECHL All-Star center Trevor Smith (New York Islanders on Dec. 31), former Johnstown Chiefs and Mississippi Sea Wolves forward Radek Smolenak (Tampa Bay on Dec. 2), former Las Vegas Wranglers and ECHL All-Star defenseman Tyson Strachan (St. Louis on Dec. 18), former Phoenix RoadRunners goaltender Josh Tordjman (Phoenix on Mar. 8), former Wheeling Nailers right wing Tim Wallace (Pittsburgh on Dec. 10) and former Idaho Steelheads center Tom Wandell (Dallas on Dec. 10).

The ECHL is represented for the eighth consecutive year on the National Hockey League championship team in 2008 by Aaron Downey of the Detroit Red Wings. Downey became the 14th former ECHL player to be a member of the Stanley Cup winner joining Francois Beauchemin and George Parros (Anaheim - 2007), Andrew Hutchinson and Chad LaRose (Carolina - 2006), Ruslan Fedotenko, Nolan Pratt and Andre Roy (Tampa Bay - 2004), Corey Schwab (New Jersey - 2003), Manny Legace (Detroit - 2002), David Aebischer and Nolan Pratt (Colorado - 2001), Krzysztof Oliwa (New Jersey - 2000) and Kevin Dean (New Jersey - 1995). Pratt is the only ECHL player to have his name engraved twice on the Stanley Cup. Peter Laviolette became the first former ECHL coach to have his name on the Stanley Cup as head coach of Carolina in 2006 and Dave Farrish became the second as an assistant coach with Anaheim in 2007.

Former ECHL Coaches and Players In Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Anaheim Ducks (Bakersfield Condors) - Assistant coach Dave Farrish (Louisiana, 2000-04 and Pensacola, 2004-05), video coach Joe Trotta (Peoria, 2000-01), Francois Beauchemin (Mississippi, 2001-02), Troy Bodie (Stockton, 2006-07), Sheldon Brookbank (Mississippi, 2001-02), Jean-Philippe Levasseur (Augusta, 2007-08) and George Parros (Reading, 2003-04).

Boston Bruins - Assistant coach Geoff Ward (Arkansas, 1999-2000), Shane Hnidy (Baton Rouge, 1996-97 and Florida, 2004-05), Michael Ryder (Tallahassee, 2000-01 and Mississippi, 2001-02) and Tim Thomas (Birmingham, 1997-98).

Calgary Flames (Las Vegas Wranglers) - Associate coach Jim Playfair (Dayton, 1994-95), director of goalie development Jaime McLennan (Richmond, 1991-92), Matt Keetley (Las Vegas, 2008-09), Adam Pardy (Las Vegas, 2005-06), Warren Peters (Idaho, 2003-05) and Andre Roy (Charlotte, 1997-98).

Carolina Hurricanes (Florida Everblades) - Brett Carson (Florida, 2006-07), Joe Corvo (Hampton Roads, 1998-99), Patrick Dwyer (Gwinnett, 2004-05), Dwight Helminen (Charlotte, 2004-05), Chad LaRose (Florida, 2003-04), Justin Peters (Florida, 2006-08) and Bryan Rodney (Charlotte, 2006-07; Columbia, 2006-08 and Elmira, 2007-08).

Chicago Blackhawks (Gwinnett Gladiators) - Assistant coach Mike Haviland (Trenton, 1999-2001 and 2004-05 and Atlantic City, 2001-04), video coach Ryan Stewart (Greenville, 1998-2002 and 2003-04 and Florida, 2002-03), assistant coach John Torchetti and Matt Walker (Peoria, 2000-01).

Columbus Blue Jackets (Johnstown Chiefs) - Assistant coach Claude Noel (Roanoke, 1990-91, Dayton, 1991-93 and Toledo, 2002-03), Daniel Lacosta (Dayton, 2006-07 and Elmira, 2007-08) and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Dayton, 2004-05).

Montreal Canadiens (Cincinnati Cyclones) - Francis Bouillon (Wheeling, 1996-97), Jaroslav Halak (Long Beach, 2005-06), Glen Metropolit (Pensacola, 1996-97) and Greg Stewart (Cincinnati, 2006-07).

New Jersey Devils (Trenton Devils) - Jay Leach (Mississippi, 2001-02; Augusta, 2002-03; Long Beach, 2003-04 and Trenton, 2003-05) and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (Trenton, 2006-08).

New York Rangers (Charlotte Checkers) - Video coach Jerry Dineen (Winston-Salem, 1990-92 and Raleigh, 1991-92), Daniel Girardi (Charlotte, 2005-06), Scott Gomez (Alaska, 2004-05) and Stephen Valiquette (Hampton Roads, 1998-99 and Trenton 1999-2000).

Philadelphia Flyers (Mississippi Sea Wolves) - Martin Biron (South Carolina, 1997-98), Daniel Carcillo (Wheeling, 2005-06), Riley Cote (Dayton, 2003-04) and Jared Ross (Gwinnett, 2005-06).

Pittsburgh Penguins (Wheeling Nailers) - Interim head coach Dan Bylsma (Greensboro, Ruslan Fedotenko (Trenton, 1999-2000).

San Jose Sharks (Phoenix RoadRunners) - Goaltending coach Corey Schwab (Cincinnati, 1991-92), assistant coach Jay Woodcroft (Jackson, 1999-2000) and Jody Shelley (Johnstown, 1998-2000).

St. Louis Blues (Alaska Aces) - Brandon Crombeen (Idaho, 2005-07), D.J. King (Alaska, 2005-06) and Tyson Strachan (Las Vegas, 2007-08).

Vancouver Canucks (Victoria Salmon Kings) - Alexandre Burrows (Greenville, 2002-03; Baton Rouge, 2002-03 and Columbia, 2003-05) and Jason LaBarbera (Charlotte, 2000-02).

Washington Capitals (South Carolina Stingrays) - Head coach Bruce Boudreau (Mississippi, 1996-99) and Dave Steckel (Reading, 2004-05).

Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
- 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.
- 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 21 teams playing in 16 states and British Columbia in 2008-09.
- The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
- ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League and for the past 19 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 2,000 call-ups involving more than 1,000 players since 2002-03.
- Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

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