Berthiaume & Murphy on the ECHL 15th Anniversary Team

Published on March 22, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Greensboro Generals News Release


Greensboro, NC — The Greensboro Generals of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) are thrilled to announce that a pair of their players have been named to the ECHL 15th Anniversary Team. Goaltender Daniel Berthiaume (BERTH-ee-oom) and right wing Jay Murphy have both been named to the Second Team for all-time best players in the league as voted on by coaches, players, front office personnel, and media from the first 15 years of the ECHL.

Berthiaume, 37, and Murphy, 31, both have had and continue to have storied careers in the ECHL. Berthiaume ranks second all-time in the ECHL with 173 victories and 314 games played. He is also second all-time in minutes played with 18,023, and 20-plus win seasons with five, including 26 victories with the Generals this season, which is tied for his best season in the ECHL. The native of Longueuil, Quebec has posted a career record of 173-98-30 in his eight years in the ECHL, with a 2.75 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Among those 173 wins was a stretch in the 1994-95 season when Berthiaume set the ECHL record with 13 consecutive victories. Berthiaume has also played in 32 ECHL post-season games, holding a 15-17 record, with a 2.73 goals against average and .912 save percentage. Now completing his 17th year of pro hockey, Berthiaume played parts of eight seasons in the National Hockey League prior to coming to the ECHL.

Murphy has also been a model of consistency in his nine seasons in the ECHL. In 436 career ECHL games, the native of Buffalo, New York has scored 264 goals and 254 assists for 518 points, including a high of 55 goals and 83 points in the 1999-2000 season. Murphy's bread and butter throughout his career, however, has been in the post-season. Murphy ranks second all-time in ECHL post-season goals with 45, games with 85, and penalty minutes with 308. He's also third all-time with 82 career post-season points. Among his other accolades are a ECHL record-tying eleven shorthanded goals in the 1998-99 season and the EHCL Plus Performer of the Year in 2000-01, recording a +32 rating that season. Murphy's only ECHL championship came in his rookie season of 1994-95 with the Richmond Renegades. After spending the previous six seasons with the Louisiana IceGators, Murphy currently has 40 points (17g, 23a) in 37 games in his first season as a General.

Despite all the accolades, including this distinguished honor, there is one astonishing fact that both Berthiaume and Murphy share. In their 17 combined seasons in the ECHL, neither player has ever played in the ECHL all-star game.

Including Berthiaume and Murphy, a total of 15 people were named to the 15th Anniversary Team, with twelve players, two coaches, and one President/GM. Of the remaining 13 people, five of them have strong ties to Greensboro, with four of them being named to the First-Team. Goaltender Nick Vitucci played for the ECHL's Greensboro Monarchs from 1990-92, defenseman Chris Valicevic played for the Monarchs from 1993-95, center Darryl Noren was with the Monarchs from 1990-95, and right wing Phil Berger played for both the Monarchs (1989-95) and the Greensboro Generals (1999-2000). The other person on the 15th Anniversary Team associated with Greensboro is Pat Kelly, who was named as the President/GM of the team. He played for the first professional hockey team Greensboro ever had, suiting up for the Eastern Hockey League's Greensboro Generals in the 1959-60 season, playing with the Generals until 1964. The current Commissioner Emeritus of the ECHL, Kelly had his number 5 retired by the Generals into the Greensboro Hockey Hall of Fame last season.

The Generals next game is on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 at the Roanoke Express, with Berthiaume getting the chance to get his personal ECHL high in victories against his former club. Following that contest, the Generals finish the regular season next week with five games, including four at the Greensboro Coliseum. The home games are on Tuesday at 7:00 against the division leading Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, Wednesday at 7:00 versus Roanoke, Friday at 7:30 against the Charlotte Checkers, and Saturday night at 7:30 against the Lexington Men O' War. All games can be heard on AM-950 WPET and www.greensborogenerals.com. Fans can also receive the latest Generals information at www.greensborogenerals.com.

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



ECHL Stories from March 22, 2003


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