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Former Chief McLean Becomes 200th ECHL Player in the NHL

December 10, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. – Former Johnstown center Brett McLean became the 200th East Coast Hockey League player to advance to the National Hockey League when he made his debut on Tuesday in Chicago's 3-2 win at the New York Islanders.

The first ECHL player ever to play in the NHL was also a former Chief, Scott Gordon, who made his NHL debut with the Quebec Nordiques against Buffalo on January 30, 1990. McLean is the 16th former Johnstown player to advance to the NHL, tying the Chiefs with Richmond for the third most players that have advanced. Hampton Roads tops the list with 20 players while Wheeling is second with 19 players.

Selected in the ninth round (242nd overall) by Dallas in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, the 5-10 and 185-pound McLean scored 11 points (4g-7a) in eight regular season games with the Chiefs in 1999-2000. He played the remainder of 1999-2000 with Saint-John in the AHL, scoring 38 points (15g-23a) in 72 regular season games and one assist in three postseason games. Signed as a free agent by Chicago in July, McLean was leading Norfolk in the American Hockey League in scoring with 23 points (7g-16a) when the Blackhawks recalled him on Monday.

The 24-year-old McLean becomes the seventh ECHL player to make his NHL debut in 2002-03, joining Fedor Fedorov, who played for Columbia in the ECHL and Vancouver in the NHL; Vern Fiddler, who played for Arkansas and Roanoke in the ECHL and Nashville in the NHL; Cody Rudkowsky, who played for Peoria and Trenton in the ECHL and St. Louis in the NHL; Curtis Sanford, who played for Peoria in the ECHL and St. Louis in the NHL; and Tim Thomas, who played for Birmingham in ECHL and Boston in the NHL.

There have been 50 former ECHL players that have played in the NHL in 2002-03 and 23 of the 30 teams in the NHL have affiliations with teams in the ECHL. In 2001-02, there were 83 former ECHL players that played in the NHL, including 18 that played in their first NHL game.

Peter Laviolette and Bruce Cassidy are the second and third East Coast Hockey League coaches that have advanced to the National Hockey League. Laviolette, who is in his second season behind the bench with the New York Islanders, coached Wheeling in 1997-98. In his first season with the Washington Capitals, Cassidy coached Jacksonville from 1996-98 and Trenton in 1999-2000. Dave Allison, who coached Richmond from 1990-92, became the first ECHL coach in the NHL when he coached Ottawa for 25 games in 1995-96.

Brian McCutcheon, who was named ECHL Coach of the Year with Columbus (Ohio) in 1996-97, is an assistant coach with Buffalo while Wayne Cashman, who coached Pensacola in 1999-2000, is an assistant coach with Boston. Charlie Huddy, who coached Huntington in 1996-97, is an assistant coach with Edmonton and Barry Smith, who coached Erie in 1995-96, is an assistant coach with Vancouver.

There are 10 referees and three linesmen with ECHL experience currently on the NHL officiating staff and former ECHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Andy Van Hellemond is the Director of Officiating for the NHL. The referees are Harry Dumas, Bob Langdon, Wes McCauley, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Chris Rooney, Jay Sharrers, Jeff Smith, and Ian Walsh while the linesmen are Steve Barton, Brian Mach, and Tim Nowak. McCauley, Pochmara and Smith worked in the ECHL the past two seasons. Nowak has worked 589 games in the NHL beginning in 1993.

In 2002, for the third consecutive year, a former ECHL player was a member of the Stanley Cup Champion team. Detroit's Manny Legace, who played for Richmond in 1996-97, became the fifth ECHL alumnus to hoist the coveted Stanley Cup. David Aebischer, who played for Chesapeake and Wheeling in 1997-98, and Nolan Pratt, who played for Richmond in 1995-96, were members of the 2001 NHL Champion Colorado Avalanche while Krzysztof Oliwa, who played for Raleigh from 1993-96, was a member of the 2000 NHL Champion New Jersey Devils. Kevin Dean, who played for Cincinnati in 1991-92, was the first ECHL alumnus to hoist the Stanley Cup as a member of the 1995 NHL Champion New Jersey Devils.

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in three states, the East Coast Hockey League celebrates its 15th Anniversary Season in 2002-03 with 27 teams in 14 states including the newest market in Lexington, Kentucky. The ECHL will welcome the following new members in 2003-04: Anchorage Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Gwinnett (Georgia) Gladiators, Idaho (Boise) Steelheads, Las Vegas Wranglers, Long Beach Ice Dogs, San Diego Gulls and Texas (Beaumont) Wildcatters. The ECHL also has members in Jacksonville, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Ontario, California and Reno, Nevada that are awaiting completion of arena projects.

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