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ECHL Officials Support "Hustle For A Cure"

February 1, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that its referees and linesmen will be creating awareness of blood cancers and showing their support of "Hustle For A Cure - The John D'Amico Fund" by wearing decals on their helmets for the remainder of the regular season and the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

"In memory of a personal friend, Hockey Hall of Fame Official John D'Amico, I am pleased to have all ECHL Officials join Officials throughout North America in bringing awareness to blood cancers, thereby showing the desire we all have in finding a cure," said ECHL Director of Officiating Bryan Lewis.

In addition to the Premier 'AA' Hockey League, officials in the National Hockey League, the American Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, USA Hockey, the Ontario Hockey League, the East Coast Athletic Conference, the Greater Toronto Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association and the Mississauga Hockey League will all be wearing the decals on their helmets.

In October 2004, D'Amico was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and shortly thereafter succumbed to the illness. During his illness he made it his objective to educate the public with the hope of promoting research. Following his death, The John D'Amico Fund was established to build greater awareness toward the fight against blood cancers with donations benefiting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLSC), specifically for pediatric research.

As an NHL official, D'Amico worked 1,689 regular-season games, 247 playoff games, 52 Stanley Cup final games and six international hockey series and after leaving the ice in 1987 he became a supervisor of NHL officials. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

For more information on the John D'Amico Fund please visit HustleForACure.org.

ECHL

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL 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 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.

Affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

345 former ECHL players have played in NHL.

16 former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Idaho Steelheads right wing B.J. Crombeen (Dallas on Jan. 19), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Kevin Doell (Atlanta on Jan. 4), former Fresno goaltender Thomas Greiss (San Jose on Jan. 14), former Roanoke Express and 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 Alaska Aces and Pensacola Ice Pilots center Chris Minard (Pittsburgh on Jan. 21), 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 Gwinnett Gladiators and Louisiana IceGators left wing Pascal Pelletier (Boston on Jan. 17), former Reading Royals goaltender Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles on Dec. 6), former Stockton Thunder left wing Liam Reddox (Edmonton on Dec. 7), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Colin Stuart (Atlanta on Dec. 29), former San Diego goaltender Tyler Weiman (Colorado on Oct. 4), former Charlotte Checkers right wing Craig Weller (Phoenix on Oct. 4) and former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik (Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 4).

There were 69 former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters and there have been 200 former ECHL players who have played their first game in the NHL in the past seven seasons.

26 former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2006-07, including two who played in both the ECHL and the 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 for five games as the backup goaltender for Stanley Cup champion Anaheim.

Record 51 former ECHL players played their first NHL game in 2005-06.

ECHL has been represented on last seven Stanley Cup champions.

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.

ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League and for the past 18 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion.

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.
ECHL and its member teams contributed nearly $3 million for charity and relief funds in 2006-07.

Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

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