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ECHL Opens 21st Season On Friday

October 13, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


The ECHL drops the puck for its 21st season on Friday when 14 teams face off in seven games. The Premier 'AA' Hockey League will play 11 games on Saturday and concludes opening weekend with two games on Sunday.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league in North America behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL will play 828 games from coast-to-coast between Oct. 17 and Apr. 4. Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states the league has grown to 23 teams playing in 16 states and British Columbia in 2008-09. The ECHL had 3,756,191 fans in the regular season in 2007-08, marking the fifth straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 years that it has exceeded 3.75 million fans.

Florida and new coach Malcolm Cameron open their 11th season on Friday against Charlotte. The Everblades have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their first 10 seasons and have finished first or second in attendance, including leading the league a record five straight seasons from 2000-05, the last eight years.

The Checkers, who have advanced to the postseason each of the last four years, have had 15 crowds over 9,000 since moving to Time Warner Cable Arena, including a team record 12,256 on Feb. 23. Charlotte will be the last team to play its home opener when it hosts Augusta on Oct. 31.

Augusta will have new uniforms and a new head coach, John Marks, when they host Mississippi on Friday. The Lynx, who have advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs three straight seasons for the first time since 1999-2001, raised their attendance by 10.9 percent last year.

Mississippi, which returned to the ice in 2007-08 after missing two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and had its largest attendance since 2001-02, will host Charlotte in its home opener on Oct. 24.

Trenton will open its 10th season in New Jersey's capital city on Friday when it hosts Johnstown, one of the original five teams in the league. The Chiefs, who are the only team that has played every season in the same city, will play their 21st home opener at Cambria County War Memorial Arena on Saturday when they host Wheeling.

Elmira, which had a league-leading 14 sellouts as an expansion team in 2007-08, will open its second season on Friday when it hosts Reading. The game is a rematch of the North Division Semifinals which the Royals won in six games.

Reading, which lost in seven games to Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati in the North Division Finals, will host Johnstown in its home opener on Oct. 25. The Royals, the City of Reading and the Sovereign Center will host the 17th Annual ECHL All-Star Game on Jan. 21, 2009 and the 12th Annual All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 20, 2009.

Wheeling opens its 17th season when it hosts Cincinnati on Friday, the same day that Phoenix will host Victoria in its home opener.

Cincinnati will raise their Kelly Cup and Brabham Cup championship banners at U.S. Bank Arena on Oct. 25 when they host in-state rival Dayton. Cincinnati had 115 points and 55 wins in 2007-08, the second-most points and wins in the 20-year history of the league behind Louisiana's 116 points and 56 wins in 2001-02. The Cyclones led professional hockey in 2007-08 with a 36.8 percent attendance increase. Cincinnati had a team record crowd of 9,615 for their final regular season home game and a league record standing-room-only crowd of 12,722 watching when the won the Kelly Cup.

Victoria, which reached the Kelly Cup Playoff for the second straight year and posted its first series win, will host Stockton in their home opener on Oct. 24. The Salmon Kings finished first in the West Division in 2007-08 and set team records with 42 wins, 24 home wins, 18 road wins and 91 points.

The last game of opening night will have defending National Conference champion Las Vegas playing at Alaska. The Aces have reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their first five seasons, winning the Kelly Cup in 2006 while reaching the conference finals in 2005 and 2007. The Wranglers, who host Ontario in their season opener on Oct. 23, are the only ECHL team to have three consecutive 100-points seasons.

Dayton opens its 18th season when its hosts Cincinnati on Saturday while Gwinnett hosts Mississippi to begin its sixth season. The Bombers have advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs each of the last two seasons and have raised their attendance the last three years. The Gladiators, who have reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their first five seasons, raised their attendance for the third season while having four crowds of 10,000 or more in 2007-08.

South Carolina opens its 16th season on Saturday when it hosts Augusta. The Stingrays, who had a team record crowd of 10,565 when they hosted the Lynx on Jan. 19, reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs for a record 14th time and won three Game 5s in a row to reach the conference finals.

Bakersfield, which has reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs the last four seasons, will host the newest ECHL member, the Ontario Reign, on Saturday. Ontario will play their first home game on Oct. 25 when they host Las Vegas at the new state-of-the-art Citizens Business Bank Arena, a $130 million multi-purpose facility with 9,736 seats.

Idaho, which has two Kelly Cup championships and a league-leading 38 sellouts in its first five seasons, will host Utah on Saturday. The Grizzlies, who advanced to the conference finals last season, will host Alaska in their season opener on Oct. 24.

Stockton, which has reached the postseason each of the last two seasons, will open the season at home for the first time when it hosts Fresno on Saturday. The Thunder have had 12 sellouts and have led the ECHL in attendance each of their first three seasons. Fresno, which had the largest regular season crowd in the league in 2007-08 with 12,590 on Feb. 9, will host Bakersfield in its home opener on Oct. 24.

Charlotte, Cincinnati, Johnstown and Ontario are each involved in three home openers, their own and two on the road. Charlotte visits Florida on Oct. 17 and Mississippi on Oct. 24 before hosting Augusta on Oct. 31. Cincinnati travels to Wheeling on Oct. 17 and Dayton on Oct. 18 before hosting Dayton on Oct. 25. Johnstown plays at Trenton on Oct. 17 and hosts Wheeling on Oct. 18 before visiting Reading on Oct. 25 while Ontario will play at Bakersfield on Oct. 18 and at Las Vegas on Oct. 23 before playing their first home game on Oct. 25 against Las Vegas.


ECHL Has 17 Returning, Six New Coaches



Seventeen of the 23 coaches in the ECHL return behind the bench for the same team as last season while six begin careers with new teams, including two first-year head coaches who were assistants in the league a year ago.

Chuck Weber, who is in his third season as head coach of Cincinnati, became only the third coach in 20 years to win both the regular season and postseason championship. The Cyclones were 55-12-5 and had 115 points in the regular season and finished with 71 combined wins in the regular season and postseason. The 71 combined wins break the ECHL record of 69 wins by Alaska in 2006 while the 55 wins and 115 points are the second most in league history behind Louisiana's 116 points and 56 wins in 2001-02. Cincinnati set the ECHL record with 17 wins in a row from Jan. 16-Feb. 29, breaking the record of 14 by Knoxville from Dec. 28, 1993-Jan. 29, 1994 and Louisiana from Nov. 23-Dec. 22, 2001.

Glen Gulutzan returns for his sixth season behind the bench in Las Vegas which had 106 points in 2007-08 to become the first team in the history of the league to score 100 points in three consecutive seasons. The Wranglers had 112 points in 2005-06 and won the regular season title with 106 points in 2006-07. Las Vegas finished first in the National Conference for the second year in a row and advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals.

Greg Puhalski is back for his first full season in Wheeling after being hired on Jan. 2. He coached Toledo from 1994-98 and his winning percentage of .692 (89-36-13) in his first two seasons with Toledo is the highest in ECHL history for a coach after two years.

John Marks enters his first season behind the bench in Augusta and his record 15th season in the ECHL, having coached Pensacola in 2007-08, Greenville from 1998-2006 and Charlotte from 1993-98. He has a record of 485-412-93 and leads the ECHL in games (990), wins (485) and losses (412). He was the first coach to lead two different teams to the ECHL title, coaching Charlotte to the Riley Cup in 1996 and Greenville to the Kelly Cup in 2002.

Mark Morrison is in his second full season as head coach in Victoria which finished 42-23-7 in 2007-08 setting team records with 42 wins, 24 home wins, 18 road wins and 91 points. He was selected to coach in the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and led the Salmon Kings to the West Division regular season title and their first Kelly Cup Playoffs series win.

Keith McCambridge returns as head coach of Alaska after going 41-26-5 and advancing to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in his first season in 2007-08.

Malcolm Cameron is in his first season with the Florida Everblades bench after leading Texas to their first back-to-back Kelly Cup Playoff appearances the last two seasons. The Wildcatters set team records for wins, home wins, road wins and points in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Cameron has coached the American Conference in the ECHL All-Star Game the last two years and he has a career ECHL record of 208-107-45.

Coaches in the North Division returning for their second season are Ian Herbers in Johnstown and Steve Martinson in Elmira. Johnstown advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the third straight season in Herbers first season while Elmira reached the postseason in its inaugural season after finishing second in the division at 41-24-7.

Kevin Colley is in his first season in Utah and is the youngest head coach in the league at 29 years old. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs after leading the postseason with 13 goals and 20 points to help Atlantic City win the title.

Returning for his sixth year in Gwinnett is Jeff Pyle, who is 354-221-69 in eight years as an ECHL head coach, ranking third in career wins and fourth in career games. The Gladiators have won 40 games and advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their first five seasons in Georgia. Pyle was selected to coach three consecutive ECHL All-Star Games from 2004-06 which ties him with Glen Gulutzan, Davis Payne and Chris Cichocki for the most selections.

Derek Wilkinson returns for his fifth full season as head coach of Charlotte while Steffon Walby is back for his second season in Mississippi. Wilkinson is 160-132-26 and has led the Checkers to the Kelly Cup Playoffs each of his first four seasons. Walby led Mississippi to its fifth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance in his first season.

Rick Kowalsky is in his third season as head coach of Trenton while Bill McDonald returns for his second year behind the bench in Dayton. Kowalsky is 65-67-12 in his first two seasons including 36-31-5 and a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2006-07. McDonald, who has coached for more than 20 years, led the Bombers to their second straight and 13th overall Kelly Cup Playoff appearance in 2007-08.

Chris Cichocki is in his fourth season in Stockton while Marty Raymond returns for his fifth full season as head coach in Bakersfield. Cichocki, who has led the Thunder to back-to-back postseason appearances, was selected to coach the ECHL All-Star Game in 2001, 2003 and 2007 tying him with Glen Gulutzan, Jeff Pyle and Davis Payne for the most selections. Raymond is 153-113-39 as head coach and has led the Condors to four consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.

Coaches returning for their sophomore season are Jared Bednar in South Carolina and Brad Church in Phoenix. In Bednar's first season the Stingrays finished second in the South Division and set a team record with 47 wins. South Carolina returned to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for a league record 14th time and won three decisive Game 5s to advance to the conference finals before losing to Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati.

Derek Laxdal in Idaho and Matt Thomas in Fresno return for their fourth season. Laxdal is 125-67-24 in the regular season and 19-14 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs as the Steelheads have won 40 games and reached the postseason each of his first three seasons. Idaho captured the Kelly Cup championship in his second season and was 43-21-8 in 2005-06 to set team records for wins and points (94). The Falcons have reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of Thomas' first three seasons after missing the postseason the first two years after joining the ECHL as an expansion team in 2003-04. After winning its first division title and reaching 100 points for the first time ever, Fresno was one goal away from the Kelly Cup Finals in 2006, losing in double overtime of Game 7 in the conference finals to Kelly Cup champion Alaska.

Jason Nobili, who has been an assistant coach for Florida the last four seasons, takes over in Reading for Karl Taylor who is in his first season as head coach in Ontario. Taylor was head coach in Reading for three seasons and in 2006 he was chosen to coach in the ECHL All-Star Game. During his tenure the Royals were 112-82-22 and advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs two times while having more than 100 call ups to the American Hockey League

Coaches Milestones

Most Career Games Coached
990 - John Marks, Charlotte, 1993-98; Greenville, 1998-2006; Pensacola, 2007-08; August, 2008-present
882 - John Brophy, Hampton Roads, 1989-2000; Wheeling, 2001-03
670 - Jeff Brubaker, Greensboro, 1989-95; Jacksonville 1995-96; Tallahassee, 1998-99; Greensboro, 1999-2001
644 - Jeff Pyle, Mobile, 1998-02; Gwinnett, 2003-present
637 - Frank Anzalone, Nashville, 1991-92; Roanoke, 1993-98; Pee Dee, 1999-2001; Johnstown, 2005-07

Most Career Coaching Wins
485 - John Marks, Charlotte, 1993-98; Greenville, 1998-2006; Pensacola, 2007-08; August, 2008-present
480 - John Brophy, Hampton Roads, 1989-2000; Wheeling, 2001-03
354 - Jeff Pyle, Mobile, 1998-02; Gwinnett, 2003-present
332 - Frank Anzalone, Nashville, 1991-92; Roanoke, 1993-98; Pee Dee, 1999- 2001; Johnstown, 2005-07
317 - Jeff Brubaker, Greensboro, 1989-95; Jacksonville 1995-96; Tallahassee, 1998-99; Greensboro, 1999-2001.



2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs



Division Semifinals (Best-of-Seven Series)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 3 Seed

Division Finals (Best-of-Seven Series)
Semifinals Winner vs. Semifinals Winner

Conference Finals (Best-of-Seven Series)
Division Winner vs. Division Winner

Kelly Cup Finals (Best-of-Seven Series)
National Conference Champion vs. American Conference Champion

2009 Kelly Cup Playoff Bracket


Kelly Cup Finalists - The Next Year



Key
DNQ - Did Not Qualify
DQF - Division Quarterfinals
DSF - Division Semifinals
DF - Division Finals
CWC - Conference Wild Card
CQF - Conference Quarterfinals
CF - Conference Finals
KCF - Kelly Cup Finals

2007 Finalists - Idaho-Dayton
The Next Year - Idaho 40-22-10 (2nd West, CQF), Dayton 29-31-12 (5th North, DSF)

2006 Finalists - Alaska-Gwinnett
The Next Year - Alaska 49-16-7 (1st West, CF), Gwinnett 41-24-7 (3rd South, DSF)

2005 Finalists - Trenton-Florida
The Next Year - Trenton 31-36-5 (5th North, DQF), Florida 48-20-4 (2nd South, DF)

2004 Finalists - Idaho-Florida
The Next Year - Idaho 42-23-7 (3rd West, DSF), Florida 42-20-10 (2nd South, KCF)

2003 Finalists - Atlantic City-Columbia
The Next Year - Atlantic City 47-19-6 (2nd Northern, DSF), Columbia 44-20-8 (1st Southern, DSF)

2002 Finalists - Greenville-Dayton
The Next Year - Greenville 28-36-8 (5th Southeast, DSF), Dayton 24-38-10 (7th Northwest, DNQ)

2001 Finalists - South Carolina-Trenton
The Next Year - South Carolina 39-26-7 (4th Southeast, CWC), Trenton 46-16-10 (1st Northeast, DF)

2000 Finalists - Peoria-Louisiana
The Next Year - Peoria 45-17-10 (1st Northwest, CF), Louisiana 42-24-6 (1st Southwest, CF)

1999 Finalists - Mississippi-Richmond
The Next Year - Mississippi 35-27-8 (4th Southwest, CQF), Richmond 44-21-5 (2nd Northeast, CQF)

1998 Finalists - Hampton Roads-Pensacola
The Next Year - Hampton Roads 38-24-8 (2nd Northeast, CQF), Pensacola 25-41-4 (8th Southwest, DNQ)

1997 Finalists - South Carolina-Louisiana
The Next Year - South Carolina 41-23-6 (1st Southeast, CQF), Louisiana 43-17-10 (1st Southwest, CF)

Kelly Cup Champs In October
2003-04 - Idaho, 4-4-0
2004-05 - Trenton, 3-1-0
2005-06 - Alaska, 4-1-1
2006-07 - Idaho, 4-1-0
2007-08 - Cincinnati, 2-2-0


2008-09 Conference & Division Alignment

American Conference

North Division
Cincinnati Cyclones
Dayton Bombers
Elmira Jackals
Johnstown Chiefs
Reading Royals
Trenton Devils
Wheeling Nailers

South Division
Augusta Lynx
Charlotte Checkers
Florida Everblades
Gwinnett Gladiators
Mississippi Sea Wolves
South Carolina Stingrays

National Conference

Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors
Fresno Falcons
Las Vegas Wranglers
Ontario Reign
Stockton Thunder

West Division
Alaska Aces
Idaho Steelheads
Phoenix RoadRunners
Utah Grizzlies
Victoria Salmon Kings


ECHL Time Zones



Eastern
Augusta Lynx
Charlotte Checkers
Cincinnati Cyclones
Dayton Bombers
Elmira Jackals
Florida Everblades
Gwinnett Gladiators
Johnstown Chiefs
Reading Royals
South Carolina Stingrays
Trenton Devils
Wheeling Nailers

Central
Mississippi Sea Wolves

Mountain
Idaho Steelheads
Utah Grizzlies

Pacific
Bakersfield Condors
Fresno Falcons
Las Vegas Wranglers
Ontario Reign
Phoenix RoadRunners
Stockton Thunder
Victoria Salmon Kings

Alaskan
Alaska Aces


2008-09 Critical Dates



Oct. 15
Opening-Day rosters due at 3 p.m. ET

Oct. 17
21st ECHL Regular Season Begins

Nov. 1
ECHL Hall of Fame nominations due

Nov. 30
ECHL Hall of Fame candidate selection

Dec. 21-27
For all players on ECHL rosters as of 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 21, a roster freeze shall apply through 9 a.m. ET on Dec. 27 with respect to waivers, trades and other player assignments

Jan. 20-22
All-Star Break

Jan. 20
12th-Annual All-Star Skills Competition at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa.

Jan. 21
17th-Annual All-Star Game at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa.

Jan. 25
Jersey Reversal

Feb. 1
NHL/AHL player bought out of his contract after this date may not appear on Protected List

Feb. 2
Overseas Deadline at 5 p.m. ET

Mar. 3
National Hockey League Trade Deadline

Mar. 10
American Hockey League Clear Day List

Mar. 13
Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET
Recall/Assignment Deadline

Apr. 1
Amateur Playoff Eligibility Deadline at 5 p.m. ET

Apr. 4
Regular season ends

Apr. 6
Kelly Cup Playoff rosters due at 3 p.m. ET

Apr. 7
Kelly Cup Playoffs begin

Jun. 1
Protected List due

Jun. 13
Future Considerations Trades must be completed

Jun. 15
Season-Ending Roster due


B2 Networks Broadcasts ECHL Games Live



ECHL games can be viewed live online for $7 on B2 Networks, the "Official Broadband Broadcast Provider of the ECHL."

B2 Networks also offers a Power-Play Season Pass for $160 which allows access to every home and away game for an individual team.

Power-Play Season Passes and individual games can be purchased at ECHL.com or B2LiveTV.com.

Games are broadcast using the B2 Triangulation Interactive Player which provides viewers a more complete and interactive viewing experience. In order to utilize the technology, fans will need Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher, a current version of Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 and a high-speed internet connection.

B2 Networks has broadcast ECHL games around the globe for each of the last five years including the Kelly Cup Finals and the ECHL All-Star Game. The first hockey game broadcast by B2 Networks was the Las Vegas Wranglers in February 2004 and the first hockey championship carried by B2 Networks was the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs.


Did You Know?



The ECHL and the American Hockey League are the only two minor professional hockey leagues that are recognized in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association.

The CBA states that any player on an NHL entry-level contract designated for assignment to a minor league must report if assigned to a team in the ECHL or the AHL. A player on an NHL entry-level contract assigned to a minor professional league other than the ECHL or the AHL is not required to report and can request reassignment to a team in the ECHL or the AHL.


ECHL Hall Of Fame



Part of the 20th Anniversary celebration in 2007-08 was the introduction of the ECHL Hall of Fame.

Fans are encouraged to contact their team to propose names for nomination.

The first induction class was honored during the festivities at the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game hosted by the Stockton Thunder and the City of Stockton at Stockton Arena on Jan. 23, 2008. The first class of inductees were league founder Henry Brabham, first league commissioner Patrick J. Kelly, five-time ECHL champion Nick Vitucci and seven-time All-Star defenseman Chris Valicevic.

ECHL fans will be able to visit the Hall of Fame around the clock as it will be housed online, opening as part of the ECHL Network in conjunction with the ceremonies in January. The inductees will also be recognized at both the ECHL office in Princeton, N.J. and in the ECHL section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

Hall of Fame members will be selected in four categories: Player, Developmental Player, Builder, and Referee/Linesman. Players must have concluded their career as an active player for a minimum of five playing seasons, though not continuous or full seasons. Development Players must have began their career in the ECHL and went on to a distinguished career in the NHL, playing a minimum of 260 regular season games in the NHL, AHL and ECHL. Builders may be active or inactive whereas Referee/Linesman must have concluded their active officiating career for a minimum of three playing seasons.


Player Milestones



Kimbi Daniels is 1 assist away from 300 ECHL assists ranking him 23rd all-time.

Kenton Smith is 24 games away from 500 ECHL games, he would be the 27th player to play in 500 ECHL games. He is 8 points away from 200 ECHL points.

Travis Lisabeth is 43 games away from 500 ECHL games, he would be the 27th player to play in 500 ECHL games.


2008-09 New Rules



Consistent with the National Hockey League, the following changes have been made for the 2008-09 season:

When the puck hits the goal frame, goal post or crossbar and goes out of play, regardless which team shot the puck, the ensuing faceoff shall take place at one of the end zone faceoff spots in the zone where the puck went out of play.

When players are penalized at a stoppage of play so as to result in penalties being placed on the penalty time clock to one team, the ensuing faceoff shall be conducted at one of the two faceoff spots in the offending team's end zone with the following exceptions:

1. When a penalty is assessed after the scoring of a goal, the faceoff will be at center ice.
2. When a penalty is assessed at the beginning or end of a period, the faceoff will be at center ice.
3. When the defending team is about to be penalized in the attacking zone beyond the outer edge of the end zone faceoff circle, the faceoff will be in the neutral zone.
4. When the team not being penalized ices the puck, the faceoff will be in the neutral zone outside the blue line of the team icing the puck.

Any player who shoots the puck directly over the glass from his defending zone will be assessed a minor penalty for delay of game.

The ice will be dry-scraped with the Zamboni prior to the shootout, using the same guidelines and procedure set forth by the National Hockey League.

Teams may sign up to two players, who have concluded their season and who are without any obligation to their amateur club, to Amateur Tryout Agreements, pending approval by the Professional Hockey Players' Association.

The third aggressor game misconduct will result in an automatic two-game suspension. The automatic suspension will increase by two games for each subsequent aggressor game misconduct.

The linesman may stop play and report what he witnessed to the referee when it is apparent that an injury has resulted from a high stick that has gone undetected by the referee. The referee will make the final decision as to whether a penalty shall be assessed.

Between-period intermissions can be no less than 15 minutes and no longer than 18 minutes, at the home team's option.

Pregame warm-up time will be shorted from 20 minutes to 16 minutes.


Fast Facts About The Premier 'AA' Hockey League



The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.

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.

The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League, marking the 12th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

Former ECHL coaches working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals, Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders and Peter Laviolette of the Carolina Hurricanes. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons winning the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2007-08 becoming the first former ECHL coach to receive the award. Laviolette, who began his coaching career with the Wheeling Nailers, led Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006. There are 15 assistant coaches in the NHL who were players or coaches in the ECHL.

There have been 357 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, and 101 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL in the last four seasons, including a record 47 in 2005-06, and there were 72 former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters.

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.

ECHL has affiliations with 25 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 2,300 call ups involving more than 1,200 players. In each of the last three seasons there have been more than 225 players who have played in both the ECHL and the AHL in the same season.

For the fifth straight year and the 11th time in the last 12 years, the ECHL had more than four million fans attend its games in 2007-08 and averaged 4,174 fans per game.

The total attendance for the regular season and the Kelly Cup Playoffs is twice as many fans as the total attendance for the WNBA, Arena Football League and Major League Soccer and four times greater than total attendance for both the National Lacrosse League and af2.

There have been more than 66 million fans who have attended over 15,000 games since the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states.

The Reading Royals, the City of Reading and the Sovereign Center will host the 17th Annual ECHL All-Star Game on Jan. 21, 2009 and the 12th Annual All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 20, 2009.

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

Check out the ECHL Statistics



ECHL Stories from October 13, 2008


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.


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