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ECHL Season Opens on Friday

October 14, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


SHREWSBURY, N.J. - The 37th season of the ECHL begins on Friday with eight games, continues on Saturday with 11 games and concludes with four games on Sunday.

The ECHL welcomes two expansion teams for the 2024-25 season, giving the League 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province. The Bloomington Bison host their first game on Saturday against Toledo while the Tahoe Knight Monsters open their inaugural season on Thursday, Oct. 24 against Jacksonville.

Friday's schedule features a pair of rematches from the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs with Norfolk hosting Adirondack and Greenville welcoming Orlando. Other games on Friday's schedule include Trois-Rivières entertaining Maine, Wheeling visiting Maine, Savannah hosting Indy, Iowa welcoming Fort Wayne, Utah visiting Idaho and Wichita hosting Kansas City.

In addition to Bloomington, seven other teams open their home schedule on Saturday with Worcester taking on Reading, Atlanta hosting Indy, Jacksonville entertaining Florida, South Carolina welcoming Orlando, Kalamazoo taking on Cincinnati, Kansas City hosting Wichita and Tulsa welcoming Rapid City.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league that has 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province playing 1,044 games from Oct. 18, 2024 to April 13, 2025. The ECHL is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, and last season welcomed an average of 4,944 fans per game, marking the League's highest per-game average in 26 years. Additionally, between the regular season and Kelly Cup Playoffs, an all-time record of 5,358,907 fans attended ECHL games.

The ECHL has affiliations with 29 teams in the National Hockey League in 2024-25, marking the 28th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

New faces behind the benches

Nine of the 29 ECHL teams will have a new coach in charge as the 2024-25 season gets underway.

B.J. Adams takes over the as the new head coach in Allen, bringing previous head-coaching experience with Erie in the Ontario Hockey League.

Phillip Barski, who was an assistant coach with Greenville from 2020-22, is the first head coach of the Bloomington Bison.

In Greenville, Kyle Mountain takes over for 2023-24 ECHL Coach of the Year Andrew Lord, who has moved on to Halifax of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. It is the first head-coaching assignment for Mountain after serving as the Swamp Rabbits' assistant coach last season.

Another assistant coach assuming the head-coaching role for the first time is Brandon Mashinter in Jacksonville, who succeeds Nick Luukko, who is now an assistant coach for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Reading's Jason Binkley enters his first full season as the club's head coach after serving as the interim head coach during the second half last season. Binkley went 13-16-4 in his 33 games in the interim capacity.

Former ECHL player and assistant coach Jared Staal is the new head coach in Savannah after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach with Charlotte of the AHL.

South Carolina's new head coach is Jared Nightingale, who joins the Stingrays after two seasons as an AHL assistant coach with Rockford, and also has coaching experience in the United States Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League.

The first head coach in Tahoe is Alex Loh, who has won over 100 games as an ECHL head coach in three-plus seasons with Adirondack and Savannah.

Bob Deraney takes over as head coach in Worcester after serving as part of the team's coaching staff since the 2019-20 season. Previously, he was head coach of the Providence College women's hockey team from 1999-2018 and head coach of Worcester State College men's team from 2021-23.

Approaching milestones

Justin Taylor of Fort Wayne begins the season third all-time with 816 games played. He enters the season 43 games shy of passing Sam Ftorek for second place on the ECHL's all-time games played list and 68 behind all-time leader Mike Pelech. Taylor sits ninth all-time with 279 goals and is 21st with 544 points.

Idaho's Matt Register is 14th on the ECHL's all-time games played with 611 while he ranks eighth all-time with 380 assists. With 11 assists, Register would move into fourth-place on the career list. Register needs 10 points to become just the 33rd player in ECHL history to reach the 500-point plateau.

On the coaching front, Florida's Brad Ralph, who is the league's all-time leader with 95 career postseason wins, enters the season fifth all-time with 486 regular-season wins. Ralph is six wins shy of moving into fourth place and is 33 wins away from moving into third all-time.

Tulsa's Rob Murray enters the season tied for fourth all-time with 926 games coached and seventh with 451 wins. Murray is 30 victories away from moving into sixth on the league's all-time wins list.

Division Capsules

North Division

ADIRONDACK THUNDER

Location: Glens Falls, New York

Arena (Capacity): Cool Insuring Arena (4,794)

Coach: Peter MacArthur, 3rd Season (75-47-22)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Finals to Florida (4 games to 2)

NHL Affiliate: New Jersey Devils

AHL Affiliate: Utica Comets

2023-24 in review

Record: 43-18-11, 97 points

Division Finish: 1st, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 4th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.35 (7th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.94 (T8th)

Power Play (Rank): 19.5% (16th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 82.4% (5th)

MAINE MARINERS

Location: Portland, Maine

Arena (Capacity): Cross Insurance Arena (5,527)

Coach: Terrence Wallin, 3rd Season (74-59-11)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost North Division Semifinals to Adirondack (4 games to 3)

NHL Affiliate: Boston Bruins

AHL Affiliate: Providence Bruins

2023-24 in review

Record: 32-32-8, 72 points

Division Finish: 4th, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 16th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.47 (5th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.61 (21st)

Power Play (Rank): 20.4% (12th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.3% (17th)

NORFOLK ADMIRALS

Location: Norfolk, Virginia

Arena (Capacity): Norfolk Scope (8,468)

Coach: Jeff Carr, 3rd Season (61-60-12)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost North Division Finals to Adirondack (4 games to 2)

NHL Affiliate: Winnipeg Jets

AHL Affiliate: Manitoba Moose

2023-24 in review

Record: 41-21-7, 88 points

Division Finish: 2nd, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 6th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.55 (4th)

Goals-Against Per Game (Rank): 2.88 (7th)

Power Play (Rank): 22.2% (7th)

Penalty Kill (Rank): 81.7% (T7th)

READING ROYALS

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania

Arena (Capacity): Santander Arena (7,160)

Coach: Jason Binkley, 2nd Season (13-16-4)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Philadelphia Flyers

AHL Affiliate: Lehigh Valley Phantoms

2023-24 in review

Record: 29-35-8, 66 points

Division Finish: 6th, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 23rd

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.75 (25th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.43 (19th)

Power Play (Rank): 15.7% (26th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 83.4% (3rd)

TROIS-RIVIÉRES LIONS

Location: Trois-Rivières, Quebec

Arena (Capacity): Colisée Videotron (4,390)

Coach: Ron Choules, 2nd Season (31-30-8)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost North Division Semifinals to Norfolk (4 games to 2)

NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens

AHL Affiliate: Laval Rocket

2023-24 in review

Record: 31-30-8, 70 points

Division Finish: 3rd, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 15th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.96 (23rd)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.32 (16th)

Power Play (Rank): 18.3% (20th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.2% (T18th)

WHEELING NAILERS

Location: Wheeling, West Virginia

Arena (Capacity): WesBanco Arena (4,700)

Coach: Derek Army, 5th Season (110-112-15)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Central Division Finals to Toledo (4 games to 0)

NHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins

AHL Affiliate: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

2023-24 in review

Record: 38-28-5, 81 points

Division Finish: 3rd, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 12th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.27 (11th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.87 (6th)

Power Play (Rank): 20.5% (T10th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 77.7% (21st)

WORCESTER RAILERS

Location: Worcester, Massachusetts

Arena (Capacity): DCU Center (5,600)

Coach: Bob Deraney, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: New York Islanders

AHL Affiliate: Bridgeport Islanders

2023-24 in review

Record: 32-32-8, 72 points

Division Finish: 5th, North

Overall ECHL Finish: 17th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.92 (24th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.31 (15th)

Power Play (Rank): 16.1% (25th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 77.4% (22nd)

South Division

ATLANTA GLADIATORS

Location: Duluth, Georgia

Arena (Capacity): Gas South Arena (9,119)

Coach: Derek Nesbitt, 2nd Season (23-45-4)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Nashville Predators

AHL Affiliate: Milwaukee Admirals

2023-24 in review

Record: 23-45-4, 50 points

Division Finish: 7th, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 27th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.60 (26th)

Goals-Against Per Game (Rank): 3.67 (T23rd)

Power Play (Rank): 18.4% (19th)

Penalty Kill (Rank): 80.1% (T10th)

FLORIDA EVERBLADES

Location: Estero, Florida

Arena (Capacity): Hertz Arena (7,181)

Coach: Brad Ralph, 9th Season with Florida, 12th Season in ECHL (486-214-79)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Won Kelly Cup championship over Kansas City (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: St. Louis Blues

AHL Affiliate: Springfield Thunderbirds

2023-24 in review

Record: 40-23-9, 89 points

Division Finish: 3rd, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 8th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.11 (T15th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.58 (1st)

Power Play (Rank): 20.3% (13th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 85.3% (T1st)

GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS

Location: Greenville, South Carolina

Arena (Capacity): Bon Secours Wellness Arena (7,044)

Coach: Kyle Mountain, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost South Division Semifinals to Orlando (4 games to 2)

NHL Affiliate: Los Angeles Kings

AHL Affiliate: Ontario Reign

2023-24 in review

Record: 44-34-5, 93 points

Division Finish: 1st, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 5th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.11 (T15th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.94 (T8th)

Power Play (Rank): 18.0% (22nd)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 81.7% (T7th)

JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN

Location: Jacksonville, Florida

Arena (Capacity): VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (8,500)

Coach: Brandon Mashinter, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost South Division Semifinals to Florida (4 games to 3)

NHL Affiliate: Buffalo Sabres

AHL Affiliate: Rochester Americans

2023-24 in review

Record: 42-23-7, 91 points

Division Finish: 2nd, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 7th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.31 (8th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.71 (2nd)

Power Play (Rank): 20.5% (T10th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 80.1% (T10th)

ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS

Location: Orlando, Florida

Arena (Capacity): Kia Center (9,049)

Coach: Matt Carkner, 3rd Season (68-57-19)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost South Division Finals to Florida (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning

AHL Affiliate: Syracuse Crunch

2023-24 in review

Record: 38-24-10, 86 points

Division Finish: 4th, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 9th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.06 (T19th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.86 (5th)

Power Play (Rank): 15.4% (27th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 85.3% (T1st)

SAVANNAH GHOST PIRATES

Location: Savannah, Georgia

Arena (Capacity): Enmarket Arena (6,876)

Coach: Jared Staal, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Florida Panthers

AHL Affiliate: Charlotte Checkers

2023-24 in review

Record: 30-34-8, 68 points

Division Finish: 6th, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 21st

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.03 (21st)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.38 (18th)

Power Play (Rank): 17.5% (23rd)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.2% (T18th)

SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS

Location: North Charleston, South Carolina

Arena (Capacity): North Charleston Coliseum (7,250)

Coach: Jared Nightingale, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Washington Capitals

AHL Affiliate: Hershey Bears

2023-24 in review

Record: 39-26-7, 85 points

Division Finish: 5th, South

Overall ECHL Finish: 11th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.46 (6th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.03 (11th)

Power Play (Rank): 23.7% (3rd)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 82.0% (6th)

Central Division

BLOOMINGTON BISON

Location: Bloomington, Illinois

Arena (Capacity): Grossinger Motors Arena (7,000)

Coach: Phillip Barski, 1st Season

NHL Affiliate: New York Rangers

AHL Affiliate: Hartford Wolf Pack

CINCINNATI CYCLONES

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Arena (Capacity): Heritage Bank Center (6,955)

Coach: Jason Payne, 4th Season (114-82-20)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Toronto Maple Leafs

AHL Affiliate: Toronto Marlies

2023-24 in review

Record: 31-34-7, 68 points

Division Finish: 6th, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 20th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.28 (T9th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.63 (22nd)

Power Play (Rank): 23.0% (T5th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 76.4% (26th)

FORT WAYNE KOMETS

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Arena (Capacity): Memorial Coliseum (10,500)

Coach: Jesse Kallechy, 2nd Season (35-30-7)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Edmonton Oilers

AHL Affiliate: Bakersfield Condors

2023-24 in review

Record: 35-30-7, 77 points

Division Finish: 5th, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 14th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.11 (T15th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.14 (13th)

Power Play (Rank): 23.2% (4th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 79.7% (12th)

INDY FUEL

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Arena (Capacity): Fishers Event Center (7,500)

Coach: Duncan Dalmao, 4th Season (93-55-13)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Central Division Semifinals to Wheeling (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: Chicago Blackhawks

AHL Affiliate: Rockford IceHogs

2023-24 in review

Record: 39-25-8, 86 points

Division Finish: 2nd, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 10th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.19 (13th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.07 (12th)

Power Play (Rank): 20.9% (9th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.7% (15th)

IOWA HEARTLANDERS

Location: Coralville, Iowa

Arena (Capacity): Xtream Arena (4,878)

Coach: Derek Damon, 3rd Season (49-73-22)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Minnesota Wild

AHL Affiliate: Iowa Wild

2023-24 in review

Record: 27-37-8, 62 points

Division Finish: 7th, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 26th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.58 (27th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.47 (20th)

Power Play (Rank): 18.1% (21st)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 76.9% (23rd)

KALAMAZOO WINGS

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Arena (Capacity): Wings Event Center (5,113)

Coach: Joel Martin, 3rd Season (67-67-10)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Central Division Semifinals to Toledo (4 games to 0)

NHL Affiliate: Vancouver Canucks

AHL Affiliate: Abbotsford Canucks

2023-24 in review

Record: 38-30-4, 80 points

Division Finish: 4th, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 13th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 2.97 (22nd)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.82 (4th)

Power Play (Rank): 18.6% (18th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 83.1% (4th)

TOLEDO WALLEYE

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Arena (Capacity): Huntington Center (7,431)

Coach: Pat Mikesch, 2nd Season (48-14-9)

2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Western Conference Finals to Kansas City (4 games to 2)

NHL Affiliate: Detroit Red Wings

AHL Affiliate: Grand Rapids Griffins

2023-24 in review

Record: 48-14-9, 105 points

Division Finish: 1st, Central

Overall ECHL Finish: 2nd

Goals Per Game (Rank): 4.07 (3rd)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.94 (T8th)

Power Play (Rank): 25.2% (2nd)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 81.7% (T7th)

Mountain Division

ALLEN AMERICANS

Location: Allen, Texas

Arena (Capacity): Credit Union of Texas Event Center (6,200)

Coach: B.J. Adams, 1st Season

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Mountain Division Semifinals to Idaho (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: Utah HC

AHL Affiliate: Tucson Roadrunners

2023-24 in review

Record: 33-35-4, 70 points

Division Finish: 3rd, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 18th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.24 (12th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.83 (26th)

Power Play (Rank): 20.2% (14th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.2% (T18th)

IDAHO STEELHEADS

Location: Boise, Idaho

Arena (Capacity): Idaho Central Arena (5,006)

Coach: Everett Sheen, 5th Season (178-82-17)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Mountain Division Finals to Kansas City (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: Dallas Stars

AHL Affiliate: Texas Stars

2023-24 in review

Record: 48-20-4, 100 points

Division Finish: 2nd, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 3rd

Goals Per Game (Rank): 4.21 (2nd)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.36 (17th)

Power Play (Rank): 28.5% (1st)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 79.2% (14th)

KANSAS CITY MAVERICKS

Location: Independence, Missouri

Arena (Capacity): Cable Dahmer Arena (5,800)

Coach: Tad O'Had, 5th Season (151-106-31)

2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Kelly Cup Finals to Florida (4 games to 1)

NHL Affiliate: Seattle Kraken

AHL Affiliate: Coachella Valley Firebirds

2023-24 in review

Record: 54-12-6, 114 points

Division Finish: 1st, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 1st

Goals Per Game (Rank): 4.24 (1st)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 2.81 (3rd)

Power Play (Rank): 21.3% (8th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 79.3% (13th)

RAPID CITY RUSH

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota

Arena (Capacity): The Monument (5,119)

Coach: Scott Burt, 4th Season (99-97-20)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Calgary Flames

AHL Affiliate: Calgary Wranglers

2023-24 in review

Record: 30-38-4, 64 points

Division Finish: 6th, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 24th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.28 (T9th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.89 (27th)

Power Play (Rank): 17.3% (24th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 78.4% (16th)

TAHOE KNIGHT MONSTERS

Location: Stateline, Nevada

Arena (Capacity): Tahoe Blue Center (4,200)

Coach: Alex Loh, 1st Season with Tahoe, 5th Season in ECHL (102-106-29)

NHL Affiliate: Vegas Golden Knights

AHL Affiliate: Henderson Silver Knights

TULSA OILERS

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Arena (Capacity): BOK Center (17,096)

Coach: Rob Murray, 8th Season with Tulsa, 14th Season in ECHL (451-361-114)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Lost Mountain Division Semifinals to Kansas City (4 games to 0)

NHL Affiliate: Anaheim Ducks

AHL Affiliate: San Diego Gulls

2023-24 in review

Record: 30-33-9, 69 points

Division Finish: 4th, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 19th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.08 (18th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.24 (14th)

Power Play (Rank): 18.8% (17th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 76.8% (24th)

UTAH GRIZZLIES

Location: West Valley City, Utah

Arena (Capacity): Maverik Center (10,207)

Coach: Ryan Kinasewich, 4th Season (108-96-12)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: Colorado Avalanche

AHL Affiliate: Colorado Eagles

2023-24 in review

Record: 31-36-5, 67 points

Division Finish: 5th, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 22nd

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.15 (14th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.67 (T23rd)

Power Play (Rank): 20.0% (15th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 74.4% (27th)

WICHITA THUNDER

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Arena (Capacity): INTRUST Bank Arena (13,400)

Coach: Bruce Ramsay, 6th Season with Wichita, 7th Season in ECHL (189-184-48)

2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

NHL Affiliate: San Jose Sharks

AHL Affiliate: San Jose Barracuda

2023-24 in review

Record: 27-35-10, 64 points

Division Finish: 7th, Mountain

Overall ECHL Finish: 25th

Goals Per Game (Rank): 3.06 (T19th)

Goals-Against Average (Rank): 3.76 (25th)

Power Play (Rank): 23.0% (T5th)

Penalty Killing (Rank): 76.7% (25th)




ECHL Stories from October 14, 2024


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