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Doell Becomes 341st Player To Play In NHL After ECHL

January 5, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing and 2004 ECHL Rookie of the Year Kevin Doell became the 341st player to play in the National Hockey League after playing in the ECHL when he made his NHL debut with the Atlanta Thrashers against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Doell is the second former Gwinnett player to play his first NHL game in the past week joining Colin Stuart, who made his debut with the Thrashers on Dec. 30. The Gladiators are the ECHL affiliate of the Thrashers of the NHL and the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

In addition to Doell and Stuart, there have been 10 former ECHL players who have played their first NHL game this season: former Roanoke Express and former Wheeling Nailers left wing Jason Jaffray (Vancouver on Dec. 12), former Toledo Storm goaltender Drew MacIntyre (Vancouver on Dec. 13), former San Diego Gulls left wing Cody McLeod (Colorado on Dec. 19), former Columbia Inferno center Brandon Nolan (Carolina on Dec. 22), former Johnstown Chiefs and Fresno Falcons goaltender Dmitri Patzold (San Jose on Oct. 7), former Reading Royals goaltender Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles on Dec. 6), former Stockton left wing Liam Reddox (Edmonton on Dec. 7), former San Diego goaltender Tyler Weiman (Colorado on Oct. 4), former Charlotte right wing Craig Weller (Phoenix on Oct. 4) and former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik (Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 4).

In his first professional season in 2003-04, Doell led ECHL rookies with 33 goals and seven game-winning goals while ranking third among league rookies with 74 points in 63 games, earning him selection to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, and he had seven points (1g-6a) in 13 games in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. He also played in the AHL with Chicago where he had two points (1g-1a) in eight regular season games while also playing one playoff game.

In 2004-05, the 27 year old had 15 points (6g-9a) in 11 regular season games and three points (2g-1a) in eight Kelly Cup Playoff games with Gwinnett and 12 points (4g-8a) in 45 regular season games with Chicago.

There have been 196 former ECHL players who have played their first NHL game in the past six seasons. Twenty-six former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2006-07, including two who played in both the ECHL and NHL as goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji played for Reading and Los Angeles while defenseman Bryan Young skated for Stockton and Edmonton. Dave McKee played for Augusta and dressed five games as the backup goaltender for Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League, the ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

There are 15 coaches in the NHL who have ECHL experience including former Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette, who is head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, and former Mississippi coach Bruce Boudreau, who is head coach of the Washington Capitals.

The ECHL is represented for the seventh consecutive year on the National Hockey League championship team in 2007 with Anaheim assistant coach Dave Farrish, players Francois Beauchemin and George Parros and broadcasters John Ahlers and Steve Carroll.

ECHL
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL is the Premier 'AA' Hockey League and 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 25 teams playing 900 games in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08.

The league officially changed its name to ECHL on May 19, 2003.

The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League in 2007-08 and for the past 17 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup champion.

In each of the last two seasons there have been more than 225 players who have played in both the ECHL and the AHL and there were over 800 call-ups involving more than 500 players.

In the last five 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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