
ECHL Today
March 14, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release
Gwinnett Gladiators (26-27-6) at Charlotte Checkers (30-23-6) 7 p.m.
ET
- Checkers rookie Michel
Leveille has 10 assists and 14 points in his last 10 games.
- Gwinnett's Pat
Bateman has a three-game point streak (1g-4a) and a three-game assist
streak (4a).
- Charlotte's Jeff
Jakaitis is 5-1-3 with two shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.07
in his last nine starts.
- Gladiators' Josh
Johnson is 4-3-0 with a goals-against average of 2.14 against
Charlotte.
Trenton Devils (32-22-6) at Reading Royals (21-37-4) 7:05 p.m.
ET
- Royals rookie Dan
Rudisuela has five assists and nine points in his last five games.
- Trenton leads the ECHL on the power play with 22.0 percent (72-for-327).
- Reading rookie Michael
Ouzas is 2-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.00 in his last two
home starts.
- Devils' Jim
Henkel has a six-game point streak (4g-3a) and a three-game goal streak
(3g).
Wheeling Nailers (31-23-7) at Johnstown Chiefs (34-24-3) 7:05 p.m.
ET
- Johnstown's Petr
Pohl has a five-game point streak (2g-4a).
- Wheeling's Curtis
Darling is 4-2-1 with a goals-against average of 2.56 against
Johnstown.
- Chiefs defenseman Mike
Knight has six points (2g-4a) in his last five games.
- Nailers' Billy
Ryan has a four-game point streak (2g-6a) and 13 points (4g-9a) in his
last nine games.
Elmira Jackals (32-24-5) at Dayton Bombers (28-29-5) 7:30 p.m.
ET
- Elmira's Mike
Sgroi has a three-game point streak (2g-3a) and 14 points (5g-9a) in
his last eight games.
- Rookie Les
Reaney leads the Bombers in the last seven games with five assists and
eight points.
- Bombers rookie Andrew
Fournier has four goals and seven points in his last six games.
- Rookie Colton
Yellow Horn leads the Jackals in the last five games with four assists
and seven points.
Florida Everblades (40-16-4) at Mississippi Sea Wolves (27-28-7) 7 p.m.
CT
- Mississippi's Mathieu
Melanson has a three-game point streak (3g-0a) and 15 points (8g-7a) in
his last 10 games.
- Florida's Kevin
Baker needs two goals to become the ECHL's first 50-goal scorer since
2000-01.
- Sea Wolves' Ryan
Munce is 6-2-1 with a goals-against average of 2.37 in his last nine
starts.
- Everblades' Steve
McJannet has a two-game goal streak (2g) and four points (2g-2a) in his
last five games.
Utah Grizzlies (23-23-16) at Bakersfield Condors (27-29-7) 7 p.m.
PT
- Bakersfield's Yutaka
Fukufuji is 7-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.99 in his last
eight games.
- Grizzlies rookie Rob
Hennigar leads the ECHL in March with nine assists and 13 points in six
games.
- Condors' Andrew
Ianiero has a four-game point streak (5g-4a) and a two-game goal streak
(4g).
- Utah's Tim
Verbeek has six assists and nine points in his last seven games.
Ontario Reign (35-23-4) at Victoria Salmon Kings (32-24-6) 7:05 p.m.
PT
- Salmon Kings' Sean
D. O'Connor has a four-game point streak (5g-2a) and a two-game goal
streak (3g).
- Reign rookie Dale
Reinhardt has five assists and six points in his last four games.
- Victoria's Wes
Goldie has a two-game point streak (2g-0a) and seven points (6g-1a) in
his last nine games.
- Ontario's Jon
Francisco has a three-game point streak (0g-5a) and a three-game assist
streak (5a).
Idaho Steelheads (36-19-4) at Las Vegas Wranglers (28-26-8) 7:30 p.m.
PT
- Las Vegas' Glenn
Fisher is 3-1-0 with a goals-against average of 1.51 at home.
- Steelheads' Rejean
Beauchemin is 4-1-1 with a goals-against average of 2.47 in his last
six games.
- Wranglers' Peter
Ferraro has five assists and nine points in his last nine games.
- Rookie Sean
Garrity has two points (1g-1a) in his first three games with the
Steelheads.
Phoenix RoadRunners (26-29-4) at Alaska Aces (38-21-3) 7:15 p.m.
AT
- Aces defenseman Matt
Shasby has an ECHL season-high 11-game assist streak (15a).
- Daniel
Sisca and John
McNabb lead the RoadRunners in the last 10 games with eight assists and
12 points each.
- Alaska's Kevin
Nastiuk is 4-0-0 with a shutout and a goals-against average of 1.75 in
his last four starts.
- Phoenix rookie Merit
Waldrop has two assists in his last three games.
Kelly Cup Playoff Update
Idaho can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday with a win
AND a win by Utah
OR with an overtime/shootout loss AND a win in regulation by
Utah
ECHL Record Book Look
Most Shutouts By Goaltender, Season
7 - Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Alaska, 2008-09
- Frederic Cloutier, Louisiana, 2001-02
- David Brumby, Jackson, 1999-2000
- Maxime Gingras, Richmond, 1998-99
6 - Alfie Michaud, Peoria, 2004-05
- Matthew Yeats, Texas, 2006-07
Most Shutouts, One Season
11 - Wheeling Nailers, 2003-04
10 - Wheeling Nailers, 2004-05
- Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, 2003-04
- Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
9 - four times, most recent; Alaska Aces, 2008-09
Most Ties, One Season
18 - Mobile Mysticks, 2001-02
16 - Utah Grizzlies, 2008-09
Johnstown Chiefs, 2005-06
15 - South Carolina Stingrays, 2005-06
14 - seven times, most recent; Las Vegas Wranglers, 2006-07
Watch Games Live on B2 Networks, the "Official Broadband Broadcast Provider" of the ECHL
Watch ECHL Games Around The Clock On ECHL TV on B2CableTV.com
Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
* 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.
* ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be
a coast-to-coast league with 21 teams in 16 states and British Columbia in
2008-09.
* The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to
ECHL on May
19, 2003.
* Affiliations with 24 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League
marking 12th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with
at least 20 teams in the NHL.
* 401 former ECHL
players have played in NHL.
* 145 have played their first NHL game in the last four seasons.
* 46 former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former
Idaho Steelheads right wing Jay
Beagle (Washington on Feb. 11), former Wheeling Nailers and ECHL
All-Star defenseman Paul
Bissonnette (Pittsburgh on Oct. 4), former Stockton Thunder and ECHL
All-Star right wing Troy
Bodie (Anaheim on Jan. 16), former Bakersfield Condors center Alexandre
Bolduc (Vancouver on Nov. 27), former Florida Everblades defenseman Brett
Carson (Carolina on Dec. 7), former South Carolina Stingrays defenseman
Sean
Collins (Washington on Dec. 6), former Las Vegas Wranglers and Wheeling
Nailers goaltender John
Curry (Pittsburgh on Nov. 26), former Greenville Grrrowl goaltender
Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (Edmonton on Oct. 17), former Johnstown Chiefs
center Andre
Deveaux (Toronto on Nov. 27), former Dayton Bombers center Philippe
Dupuis (Colorado on Dec. 12), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Chris
Durno (Colorado on Jan. 18), former Gwinnett Gladiators right wing Pat
Dwyer (Carolina on Nov. 2), former Columbus Cottonmouths and
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks left wing Mitch
Fritz (New York Islanders on Oct. 30), former South Carolina Stingrays
right wing Andrew
Gordon (Washington on Dec. 23), former Augusta Lynx and Mississippi Sea
Wolves goaltender Riku
Helenius (Tampa Bay on Jan. 30), former Charlotte Checkers center Dwight
Helminen (Carolina on Oct. 28), former Florida Everblades and ECHL
All-Star center Matt
Hendricks (Colorado on Mar. 10), former Las Vegas Wranglers goaltender
Brent
Krahn (Dallas on Feb. 14), former Trenton Devils right wing Pierre-Luc
Letourneau-Leblond (New Jersey on Oct. 22), former Gwinnett Gladiators
defenseman Scott
Lehman (Atlanta on Dec. 18), former Utah Grizzlies defenseman Andrew
MacDonald (New York Islanders on Feb. 28), former Charlotte Checkers
defenseman Steve
MacIntyre (Edmonton on Oct. 15), former Florida Everblades left wing Kenndal
McArdle (Florida on Dec. 2), two-time All-Star and former Las Vegas
Wranglers goaltender Mike
McKenna (Tampa Bay on Feb. 3), former All-Star and Wheeling Nailers
center Kurtis
McLean (New York Islanders on Jan. 19), former South Carolina Stingrays
and ECHL All-Star goaltender Michal
Neuvirth (Washingtons on Feb. 14), former Columbia Inferno defenseman
Phil
Oreskovic (Toronto on Mar. 9), former Phoenix RoadRunners and Wheeling
Nailers center Cam
Paddock (St. Louis on Nov. 14), former Las Vegas Wranglers defenseman
Adam
Pardy (Calgary on Oct. 9), former Idaho Steelheads left wing Warren
Peters (Calgary on Dec. 7), former Charlotte Checkers center Jakub
Petruzalek (Carolina on Feb. 5), former Charlotte Checkers defenseman
Corey
Potter (New York Rangers on Dec. 7), former Augusta Lynx defenseman Kevin
Quick (Tampa Bay on Jan. 13), former Utah Grizzlies right wing Joel
Rechlicz (New York Islanders on Mar. 4), former Charlotte Checkers,
Columbia Inferno and Elmira Jackals defenseman Bryan
Rodney (Carolina on Dec. 11), former Gwinnett Gladiators center Jared
Ross (Philadelphia on Oct. 11), former Alaska Aces goaltender Marek
Schwarz (St. Louis on Oct. 25), former Greenville Grrrowl and Stockton
Thunder center Tim
Sestito (Edmonton on Nov. 26), former Dayton Bombers and Las Vegas
Wranglers defenseman Tyler
Sloan (Washington on Oct. 21), former Utah Grizzlies and ECHL All-Star
center Trevor
Smith (New York Islanders on Dec. 31), former Johnstown Chiefs and
Mississippi Sea Wolves forward Radek
Smolenak (Tampa Bay on Dec. 2), former Augusta Lynx defenseman Brett
Skinner (New York Islanders on Oct. 27), former Las Vegas Wranglers and
ECHL All-Star defenseman Tyson
Strachan (St. Louis on Dec. 18), former Phoenix RoadRunners goaltender
Josh
Tordjman (Phoenix on Mar. 8), former Wheeling Nailers right wing Tim
Wallace (Pittsburgh on Dec. 10) and former Idaho Steelheads center Tom
Wandell (Dallas on Dec. 10).
* There were 72
former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters.
* Twenty-six former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2007-08 including
six who played in both the ECHL and the NHL: Chris
Beckford-Tseu (Alaska and St. Louis), Adam
Berti (Pensacola and Chicago), Joe
Jensen (Wheeling and Carolina), Dan
LaCosta (Elmira and Columbus), Jonathan
Quick (Reading and Los Angeles) and Danny
Taylor (Reading and Los Angeles).
* Record 47 former ECHL players played their first NHL game in 2005-06.
* 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.
* Former ECHL coaches working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce
Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Scott
Gordon of the New York Islanders while former ECHL player Dan
Bylsma is the interim head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 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. Peter Laviolette, who began his coaching career with
the Wheeling Nailers, led Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in
2006.
* There are 18 assistant coaches in the NHL who were players or coaches in
the ECHL.
* There are 18 former ECHL officials scheduled to work as part of the NHL
officiating team in 2008-09 with referees David
Banfield, Chris
Ciamaga, Ghislain
Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan
O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin
St. Pierre and Ian Walsh and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Tim
Nowak and Jay Sharrers. Barton, Joannette, Leggo, McCauley, Nowak, Pollock,
Rooney and Sharrers all worked the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* ECHL has affiliations with 23 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 2,000 call-ups involving
more than 1,000 players since 2002-03.
* Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.
ECHL Stories from March 14, 2009
- Idaho's leading scorer returned from the American Hockey League - Idaho Steelheads
- Reign fall to Salmon Kings in SO - Ontario Reign
- Wranglers Stop Steelheads 3-0 - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Victoria ties game late in regulation, defeats Ontario 4-3 in a shootout - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Grizzlies Win 4-3 In Bakersfield - Utah Grizzlies
- Royals Luck Runs Dry in 'St. Hattrick's Day' Loss to Trenton, 3-1 - Reading Royals
- Blades ride goaltending to 3-2 win over Mississippi - Florida Everblades
- Chiefs drop high scoring affair - Johnstown Chiefs
- Bombers Battle Elmira, Fall 4-2 - Dayton Bombers
- Cincinnati's Salekin Suspended One Game - ECHL
- Wheeling Offense Racks Up 5 Goals in 7 Minute Stretch of 2nd Period - Wheeling Nailers
- Jackals Win 4-2 in Fight Fest - Elmira Jackals
- Devils Move to First Place After Win in Reading, 3-1 - Trenton Devils
- Falardeau and Bayrack net two goals in 4-3 win - Charlotte Checkers
- Gladiators clipped by Checkers in 4-3 loss - Atlanta Gladiators
- Royals Sign Goaltender Beau Erickson - Reading Royals
- Chiefs Receive Garlock From Syracuse - Johnstown Chiefs
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Wranglers Shuffle the Deck, Taylor Returns, Two Rookies Added - Bakersfield Condors
- Bakersfield Brontos vs. Utah Grizzlies - Bakersfield Condors
- Nailers Look To Make It Three Straight Against Chiefs - Wheeling Nailers
- Bombers Bolster Offense, Sign Gervais - Dayton Bombers
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Steelheads Fall In Las Vegas, 4-1 - Idaho Steelheads
- Aces Stretch West Lead to Three - Alaska Aces
- Aces Rally To Top RoadRunners 5-4 In Overtime - Phoenix RoadRunners
- Ianiero turns the trick in Condors comeback, 6-4 - Bakersfield Condors
- Wranglers Pull Away From Steelheads 4-1 - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Reign Top Salmon Kings, 4-3 - Ontario Reign
- Royals Come Up Short In Trenton, 5-3 - Reading Royals
- Grizzlies Fall 6-4 In Bakersfield - Utah Grizzlies
- Salmon Kings Fall To Reign - Victoria Salmon Kings
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.
