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April 18, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


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South Division Semifinals (Best-of-Five)
Series Opener

#3 Gwinnett Gladiators (44-23-5) at #2 South Carolina Stingrays (47-22-3) 7:05 p.m. ET
- Gwinnett won the last Kelly Cup Playoffs meeting in three games in the 2006 division semifinals.
- South Carolina was 3-1-0 at home this season and is 14-20-4 all-time against Gwinnett.
- Gladiators' Craig Kowalski is 2-0 and leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with a 0.50 goals-against average.
- Stingrays' rookie Marty Guerin has a six-game point streak (5g-3a) dating back to last game of the regular season.
- Game 2 is Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in South Carolina.

South Division Semifinals (Best-of-Five)
Series Opener

#5 Columbia Inferno (33-28-11) at #1 Texas Wildcatters (52-9-11) 7:30 p.m. CT
- Columbia won the last two meetings and was 2-1-0 at Texas this season and is 9-7-2 all-time against Wildcatters.
- Texas leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with three shorthand goals.
- Steve McJannet leads the Inferno in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with four assists and five points in three games.
- Wildcatters' rookie Cleve Kinley leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 10 points (4g-6a).
- Game 2 is Sunday at 4:05 p.m. in Texas.

National Conference Quarterfinals (Best-of-Seven)
Utah Leads Series 2-1

#3 Fresno Falcons (42-22-8) at #6 Utah Grizzlies (32-30-10) 7:05 p.m. MT
- Fresno won 3-0 on Wednesday extending its winning streak at Utah to five games.
- Utah ranks third in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on the power play with 27.3 percent (6-for-22).
- Rookie Oren Eizenman leads the Falcons in the Kelly Cup Playoffs against Utah with three goals.
- Grizzlies' Nathan Lawson is 2-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average in three Kelly Cup Playoff games.
- Game 5 is Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in Utah.

National Conference Quarterfinals (Best-of-Seven)
Las Vegas Leads Series 2-1

#1 Las Vegas Wranglers (47-13-12) at #8 Stockton Thunder (27-40-5) 7:30 p.m. PT
- Las Vegas scored two goals in the final 1:15 of the third period in a 3-2 win at Stockton on Sunday.
- Stockton is out scoring their opponents 6-4 in the third period in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
- Adam Cracknell leads the Wranglers in the postseason with four assists and is tied for the team lead with four points.
- Ryan O'Marra and Jacob Micflikier each scored a goal and had an assist for Stockton in Game 3 against Las Vegas.
- Game 5 is Sunday at 4 p.m. in Stockton.

Watch Games Live on B2 Networks, the "Official Broadband Broadcast Provider" of the ECHL



Kelly Cup Playoff Series In Progress

North Division Semifinals (Best-of-Seven)

#2 Elmira Jackals (41-24-7) vs. #3 Reading Royals (38-26-8)
Series Tied 2-2
Game 1 - Reading 0 at ELMIRA 1
Game 2 - Elmira 4 at READING 5 (OT)
Game 3 - READING 3 at Elmira 2
Game 4 - ELMIRA 5 at Reading 2
Game 5 - Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Elmira



National Conference Quarterfinals (Best-of-Seven)

#1 Las Vegas Wranglers (47-13-12) vs. #8 Stockton Thunder (27-40-5)
Las Vegas Leads Series 2-1
Game 1 - STOCKTON 4 at Las Vegas 2
Game 2 - Stockton 4 at LAS VEGAS 5 (OT)
Game 3 - LAS VEGAS 3 at Stockton 2
Game 4 - Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Stockton



#2 Victoria Salmon Kings (42-23-7) vs. #7 Bakersfield Condors (26-37-9)
Victoria Leads Series 3-1
Game 1 - BAKERSFIELD 2 at Victoria 1 (OT)
Game 2 - Bakersfield 3 at VICTORIA 4
Game 3 - VICTORIA 3 at Bakersfield 2 (OT)
Game 4 - VICTORIA 4 at Bakersfield 1
Game 5 - Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bakersfield



#3 Fresno Falcons (42-22-8) vs. #6 Utah Grizzlies (32-30-10)
Utah Leads Series 2-1
Game 1 - UTAH 6 at Fresno 1
Game 2 - UTAH 4 at Fresno 3 (3 OT)
Game 3 - FRESNO 3 at Utah 0
Game 4 - Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Utah



South Division Semifinals (Best-of-Five)

#1 Texas Wildcatters (52-9-11) vs. #5 Columbia Inferno (33-28-11)
Game 1 - Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Texas

#2 South Carolina Stingrays (47-22-3) vs. #3 Gwinnett Gladiators (44-23-5)
Game 1 - Friday at 7:05 p.m. at South Carolina



Kelly Cup Playoff Results

North Division Quarterfinals (Best-of-Three)

#4 Johnstown Chiefs (36-30-6) vs. #5 Dayton Bombers (29-31-12)
Johnstown Wins Series 2-0
Game 1 - Johnstown 3 at DAYTON 1
Game 2 - JOHNSTOWN 5 at Dayton 0


South Division Quarterfinals (Best-of-Five)

#1 Texas Wildcatters (52-9-11) vs. #8 Mississippi Sea Wolves (29-40-3)
Texas Wins Series 3-1
Game 1 - Mississippi 1 at TEXAS 4
Game 2 - Mississippi 2 at TEXAS 5
Game 3 - Texas 3 at MISSISSIPPI 4 (OT)
Game 4 - TEXAS 5 at Mississippi 3

#2 South Carolina Stingrays (47-22-3) vs. #7 Augusta Lynx (32-35-5)
South Carolina Wins Series 3-2
Game 1 - South Carolina 2 at AUGUSTA 5
Game 2 - South Carolina 3 at AUGUSTA 4 (OT)
Game 3 - Augusta 2 at SOUTH CAROLINA 3 (OT)
Game 4 - Augusta 2 at SOUTH CAROLINA 3 (2 OT)
Game 5 - Augusta 1 at SOUTH CAROLINA 3


#3 Gwinnett Gladiators (44-23-5) vs. #6 Charlotte Checkers (34-31-7)
Gwinnett Wins Series 3-0
Game 1 - Charlotte 0 at GWINNETT 4
Game 2 - Charlotte 1 at GWINNETT 4
Game 3 - GWINNETT 2 at Charlotte 1


#4 Florida Everblades (39-25-8) vs. #5 Columbia Inferno (33-28-11)
Columbia Wins Series 3-0
Game 1 - COLUMBIA 3 at Florida 2 (OT)
Game 2 - COLUMBIA 3 at Florida 1
Game 3 - Florida 2 at COLUMBIA 3


National Conference Quarterfinals (Best-of-Seven)

#4 Idaho Steelheads (40-22-10) vs. #5 Alaska Aces (41-26-5)
Alaska Wins Series 4-0
Game 1 - ALASKA 4 at Idaho 1
Game 2 - ALASKA 6 at Idaho 4
Game 3 - Idaho 2 at ALASKA 3 (2 OT)
Game 4 - Idaho 1 at ALASKA 2

North Division Semifinals (Best-of-Seven)

#1 Cincinnati Cyclones (55-12-5) vs. #4 Johnstown Chiefs (36-30-6)
Cincinnati Wins Series 4-0
Game 1 - Johnstown 3 at CINCINNATI 5
Game 2 - Johnstown 1 at CINCINNATI 4
Game 3 - CINCINNATI 4 at Johnstown 2
Game 4 - CINCINNATI 3 at Johnstown 2

Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
- 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.

- 355 former ECHL players have played in NHL.

- 26 former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Peoria Rivermen and Alaska Aces goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu (St. Louis on Feb. 21), former Pensacola Ice Pilots left wing Adam Berti (Chicago on Apr. 4), former Florida Everblades center David Brine (Florida on Feb. 2), former Idaho Steelheads right wing B.J. Crombeen (Dallas on Jan. 19), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Kevin Doell (Atlanta on Jan. 4), former Alaska defenseman Zack FitzGerald (Vancouver on Feb. 5), former Columbia left wing Alex Foster (Toronto on Mar. 18), 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 Wheeling Nailers left wing Joe Jensen (Carolina on Feb. 18), former Dayton and Elmira goaltender Dan LaCosta (Columbus on Mar. 25), 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 Cincinnati Cyclones left wing Greg Stewart (Montreal on Apr. 5), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Colin Stuart (Atlanta on Dec. 29), former Bakersfield Condors, Reading Royals, Texas Wildcatters and Wheeling Nailers goaltender Danny Taylor (Los Angeles on Mar. 29), former Columbus Chill, Richmond Renegades and Trenton Titans left wing Pete Vandermeer (Phoenix on Feb. 10), 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).

- 210 former ECHL players have played their first game in the NHL in the past seven seasons, including 94 since 2005-06.

- Twenty-six 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.

- 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, marking the seventh consecutive season that it has had affiliations with 20 or more teams in the AHL.

- ECHL has been represented on last 18 Calder Cup champions.

- 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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ECHL Stories from April 18, 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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