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ECHL This Week

Published on February 15, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


February Is Cincinnati's Favorite Time Of Year

On Feb. 2, Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. If the Cincinnati Cyclones had their way, they'd like the famous groundhog to predict three more months of February.

In the last three years, the Cyclones have garnered a 28-5-0 record during the month of February since the 2007-08 season, earning a.848 winning percentage. This February, Cincinnati is enjoying a seven-game win streak that began on Feb. 3 with a 3-2 win over Wheeling.

All-Star Jeremy Smith and Robert Mayer have backstopped the Cyclones for their current streak, splitting time in front of the net with Smith leading the way with a 4-0-0 record, a 1.71 goals-allowed average and a.935 save percentage.

Smith has made 100 saves and allowed only seven goals in four games. The rookie goaltender sits third in the ECHL with a 2.58 goals-allowed average and is fourth with 17 wins in 30 appearances.

Mayer, also a rookie, earned his second career shutout on Feb. 12 when he stopped all 27 shots faced in a 1-0 win at Toledo. He has a 1.67 goals-allowed average and a save percentage of.928 in three games this month and he's posted a 5-0-0 record in his last six games since Jan. 27.

While the goaltending duo have only allowed more than two goals in one game since the streak began - a 6-3 against South Carolina on Feb. 4 - the Cincinnati skaters have outscored their opponents 29-12 since the beginning of February scoring five-or-more goals in four of their seven wins.

Jimmy Kilpatrick has come on strong for the Cyclones with nine points (2g-7a) during the streak, including seven points (1g-6a) in the last four games.

Dustin Sproat registered career highs in Cincinnati's 6-2 win over Johnstown on Feb. 13. He scored his first career hat trick and added an assist for a career-high four points while tallying 10 points (6g-4a) in his last seven games.

There are still six games left in February for Cincinnati and if they can keep their streak going that long, they will tie their February 2007 record when they posted a 13-0 record. During that time, the Cyclones registered an ECHL record 17-game win streak that lasted from Jan. 16 to Feb. 29, 2008.

Toledo Sets New Attendance Record

The Toledo Walleye's sellout crowd of 8,200 fans on Feb. 13 tied their season-high record and also set a new team record for Toledo in the ECHL.

174,390 Walleye supporters have attended 29 home games this year, breaking the previous attendance record for an ECHL team in Toledo of 173,601 set by the Toledo Storm during the 1998-99 season. The Walleye are now just 3,598 fans away from breaking the all-time attendance mark in Toledo history. The Toledo Goaldiggers of the International Hockey League welcomed 177,988 fans during the 1977-78 season.

Along with Toledo's record, two other sellouts over the weekend helped the ECHL increase its sellouts to 32 and raise average attendance to 4,322 per game which is up 6.66 percent from last season. The Elmira Jackals enjoyed their league-leading 10th sellout crowd of the season with 3,986 fans on Feb. 14 while 5,305 Idaho fans watched the Steelheads take a 4-3 shootout win against Utah on Feb. 13.

Elmira has raised its average 12.3 percent to 3,742 per game which is 98.9 percent of capacity at First Arena. The Jackals have had 29 sellouts since joining the ECHL including a league-leading 14 in 2007-08 and five a year ago which tied for the league lead.

To purchase tickets for any ECHL game go to ECHL.com/tickets.shtml. 


Las Vegas and Utah have each passed the 100,000 fan mark since Feb. 1 with Utah welcoming 2,900 fans on Feb. 1, while the Wranglers had 4,183 fans at their game on Feb. 12.

Ontario's average attendance jumped to 6,083 fans per game, which kept them first in the league just ahead of Toledo's 6,013 average attendane. The attendance at Citizens Business Bank Arena is up nearly four percent from their inaugural season in 2008-09 when they ranked second with 5,856 per game and had three sellouts and a team-high attendance of 9,659 on March 7, 2009.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL is the only minor professional hockey league to increase average attendance each of the last two seasons. The Premier 'AA' Hockey League has averaged more than 4,000 fans each of the last five seasons and 17 times in the last 19 years while drawing more than 3 million fans for 16 straight seasons. 


Five returning teams are ahead of their average attendance from 2008-09 led by Cincinnati with 13.2 percent. The Cyclones led minor professional hockey with a 36 percent increase in 2007-08 and ranked second a year ago with a 23 percent increase.

Following Elmira is Utah, which has raised its average attendance by 10.5 percent to 4,031 per game; Kalamazoo raised their average attendance to 3,355 and is up 5.2 percent.

Stockton is third in the league with 5,934 per game while Gwinnett is fourth with 5,3,58 and Bakersfield rounds out the top five with 5,289 per game. The Thunder have led the league in attendance each of their first four seasons and are trying to tie the league record of five seasons set by Florida from 2000-05.

American Conference - East Division

Elmira Jackals * Elmira has the league's top penalty kill with 86.9 percent (233-for-268).

* Wes Cunningham is second among ECHL defensemen with 27 assists.

* Jackals host Reading on Friday and Saturday and Johnstown on Sunday.

Johnstown Chiefs * Johnstown is fifth in home penalty kill with 85.2 percent (115-for-135).

* Rookie Matthew Kang had a career-high three assists in his Chiefs debut on Feb. 9.

* Chiefs host Trenton on Friday and Saturday and play at Elmira on Sunday.

Reading Royals * Reading scored a season-high four power-play goals in a 6-5 win on Feb. 13.

* Ryan Cruthers had a four-point game (2g-2a) and the game-winning goal on Feb. 13.

* Royals play at Elmira on Friday and Saturday.

Trenton Devils * Trenton scored a season-high seven goals in a 7-5 win on Feb. 14.

* Dan Charleston had seven points (3g-4a) in three games last week including four points (2g-2a) at Elmira on Feb. 14.

* Devils play at Johnstown on Friday and Saturday and host Wheeling on Sunday.

American Conference - North Division

Cincinnati Cyclones * Cincinnati is on a season-high seven-game winning streak to improve to 34-17-1.

* Dustin Sproat led the ECHL with five goals in four games last week, including a career-high three power-play goals on Feb. 13.

* Cyclones host Toledo on Wednesday and Wheeling on Friday and Saturday.

Kalamazoo Wings * Kalamazoo is 8-0-1 in its last nine home games.

* Ryan Nie earned his league-leading third shutout and extended his shutout streak against Toledo to 155:27 with a 3-0 win on Feb. 14.

* K-Wings play at Florida on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Toledo Walleye * Toledo recorded its eighth sellout of the season and tied its season high with 8,200 fans on hand against Kalamazoo on Feb. 13.

* Jordan Pearce made 36 saves for his first professional shutout in a 3-0 win on Feb. 13.

* Walleye play at Cincinnati on Wednesday, Charlotte on Thursday and South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday.

Wheeling Nailers * Wheeling is 34.5 percent (10-for-29) on the power play in its last four games.

* Mitch Ganzak leads ECHL defensemen with 31 assists.

* Nailers play at Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday before playing at Trenton on Sunday.

American Conference - South Division

Charlotte Checkers * Charlotte is 8-0-1 in its last nine home games. * Ryan Munce is fourth in the ECHL with a save percentage of.911.

* Checkers host Toledo on Thursday and play at Gwinnett on Sunday.

Florida Everblades * Florida is 19-0-1 when leading after two periods.

* Brandon Buck had a hat trick and four points in two games.

* Everblades host Kalamazoo on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Gwinnett Gladiators * Gwinnett is 15-0-0 when holding opponents to fewer than three goals.

* All-Stars Drew Paris (10g-23a) and Sam Roberts (9g-20a) are first and second among rookie defensemen with 33 points and 29 points, respectively.

* Gladiators host Charlotte on Sunday.

South Carolina Stingrays * South Carolina is 16-9-2 at home and leads the league with 73 points.

* Dylan Yeo is tied for third among ECHL defenseman with 12 goals.

* Stingrays host Gwinnett on Friday and Toledo on Saturday and Sunday.

National Conference - Pacific Division

Bakersfield Condors * Bakersfield is 16-2-1 when scoring first.

* Stephane Goulet had a career-high six points (2g-4a) in a 7-0 win on Feb. 14.

* Condors host Stockton on Friday and Saturday before playing at Ontario on Sunday.

Las Vegas Wranglers * All-Star Adam Miller had four points (1g-3a) in two games.

* Jimmy Spratt recorded a 4-0 shutout victory in his ECHL debut on Feb. 13.

* Wranglers play at Alaska on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Ontario Reign * Ontario is third in the league on the penalty kill at home with 86.1 percent (99-for-115).

* All-Star David Walker is tied for sixth among defensemen with 31 points (5g-26a).

* Reign host Idaho on Friday and Saturday before hosting Bakersfield on Sunday.

Stockton Thunder * Stockton leads the ECHL in road power play with 25 percent (25-for-100).

* Andrew Perugini is tied for the league lead with a save percentage of.921.

* Thunder play at Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday.

National Conference - West Division

Alaska Aces * Alaska has won five straight and eight of its last nine games (8-1-0) at home.

* Nick Mazzolini had five points (3g-2a) in three games last week.

* Aces host Las Vegas on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Idaho Steelheads * Idaho is on a season-long 11-game unbeaten streak (9-0-2). * Mark Derlago is on a career and ECHL season-high 15-game point streak (15g-20a).

* Steelheads visit Ontario on Friday and Saturday.

Utah Grizzlies * Utah has allowed three-or-fewer goals in seven of the last eight games.

* Mitch O'Keefe is 2-1-1 with a goals-against average of 2.21 and a save percentage of.938 in his last four starts.

* Grizzlies host Victoria on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Victoria Salmon Kings * Victoria leads the National Conference with 180 goals.

* Wes Goldie is the Salmon Kings' career leader with 268 regular-season games played and now has 601 regular-season career points (377g-224a).

* Salmon Kings visit Utah on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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