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ECHL Represented At IIHF World Championships In Czech Republic By Laviolette, 30 Players

April 27, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL is represented by 30 players and former Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette, who is the head coach of the United States team, in the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship that began Saturday and continues through May 5 in the Czech Republic.

Thirteen of the 16 teams competing have an ECHL player on their roster including six players on the roster for Latvia and five players on the roster for Japan. Germany, Russia and Ukraine each have three ECHL players on their rosters while Austria and Kazakhstan each have two players. The ECHL has one player on the rosters of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States. The three teams that do not have a former ECHL player are Canada, France and Sweden.

Four players who played in the ECHL in 2003-04 are competing in the World Championships. Goaltender Peter Hirsch, who was 4-8-1 with a goals against average of 2.70 and a save percentage of .904 in 14 games in 2003-04, is on the roster for Denmark while defenseman Kengo Ito, who scored 20 points (4g-16a) in 63 games with Charlotte in 2003-04, is on the roster for Japan. Goaltender Arturs Irbe, who was 10-3-1 with a goals against average of 2.13 and a save percentage of .927 in 14 games with Johnstown, is on the roster for Latvia while goaltender Alex Westlund, who was 2-1-0 with a goals against average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .935 in three games with Trenton in 2003-04, is on the roster for the United States.

ECHL Players in IIHF World Championships

Austria (2) - Andre Lakos (Augusta, 2002-03) and Philllipe Lakos (Jacksonville, 1999-2000; Toledo, 2000-01; Florida and Reading, 2001-02 and Augusta and Arkansas, 2002-03).

Czech Republic (1) - Tomas Vokoun (Wheeling, 1995-96).

Denmark (1) - Peter Hirsch (Bakersfield, 2003-04).

Finland (1) - Antti Laaksonen (Charlotte, 1997-98).

Germany (3) - Jan Benda (Richmond, 1994-95), Olaf Kolzig (Hampton Roads, 1990-92) and Rob Leask (Johnstown 1993-95).

Japan (5) - Chris Bright (Louisville, 1991-93 and South Carolina, 1993-95), Yutaka Fukufuji (Cincinnati, 2002-03), Kengo Ito (Charlotte, 2003-04), Hiroyuki Miura (Wheeling, 1993-94) and Takahito Suzuki (Charlotte, 2002-03).

Kazakhstan (2) - Oleg Kovalenko (Erie, 1993-94) and Vitali Yeremeyev (Charlotte, 2000-01).

Latvia (6) - Aigars Cipruss (Nashville, 1994-96), Arturs Irbe (Johnstown, 2003-04), Arvid Rekis (Peoria, 2000-03), Agris Saviels (Reading, 2002-03), Oleg Sorokin (Jacksonville and Roanoke, 1996-97) and Herbert Vasilijevs (Knoxville, 1996-97).

Russia (3) - Vladimir Antipov (South Carolina, 1999-2000), Andre Bashkirov (Charlotte, 1993-95 and Huntington, 1995-97), and Alexandre Fomitchev (Tallahassee, 2000-01 and Columbus, 2001-02).

Slovakia (1) - Jan Lasak (Hampton Roads, 1999-2000).

Switzerland (1) - Mark Streit (Tallahassee, 1999-2000).

Ukraine (3) - Igor Karpenko (Johnstown, 1998-99), Andrei Sryubko (Toledo, 1996-98) and Oleg Timchenko (Greensboro, 1999-2001; Florida and New Orleans, 2000-01).

United States (1) - Head Coach Peter Laviolette (Wheeling, 1997-98) and Alex Westlund (Dayton, 2000-01; Toledo and Cincinnati, 2001-02; and Trenton, 2003-04).

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