
Former ECHL Goaltender Sabourin Named AHL Goaltender Of The Year
April 12, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League has announced that
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Dany Sabourin, who has played in
the ECHL with Johnstown, Las Vegas and Wheeling, has been named the winner
of the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding
goaltender for 2005-06.
Sabourin is 28-14-4 and is second in the AHL with a goals-against average
of 2.30 and is tied for third with a save percentage of .921. One of 11
former ECHL players chosen to the 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, the
25-year-old is third in the league with a team-record 28 wins and is tied
for fourth with three shutouts. Sabourin was voted as a starter for the
ECHL All-Star Game in 2005, but was unable to play after being called up to
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In 2004-05, Sabourin was 19-6-1 and led the league
with a goals-against average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .942 in 27
games with Wheeling while tying for second in the ECHL with a team record
five shutouts. He began his professional career in the ECHL in 2000-01 with
Johnstown and returned to the Chiefs in 2001-02 while playing for Las Vegas
in 2003-04.
Sabourin is the eighth former ECHL goaltender to win the award joining
Jason LaBarbera (2004), Marc Lamothe (2003), Martin
Brochu (2000), Martin Biron (1999), Scott Langkow (1998),
Manny Legace (1996) and Frederic Chabot (1994).
Former Greensboro and current Manitoba goaltender Wade Flaherty,
former Charlotte and current Hartford defenseman Thomas Pock, and
former Florida and current Lowell center Keith Aucoin were all
selected Second Team All-AHL.
Former Greenville and current Norfolk center Martin St. Pierre and
former Charlotte and current Hartford defenseman Daniel Girardi were
both selected to the AHL All-Rookie Team.
Former ECHL players have won the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week
award nine times in 2005-06 with Aucoin (Florida and Lowell), Mike
Ayers (Dayton and Syracuse), Zdenek Blatny (Greenville and
Springfield), Brian Finley (Toledo and Milwaukee), Jamie
Holden (Fresno and Cleveland), Jani Hurme (Columbia and
Portland), Brent Krahn (Las Vegas and Omaha), Lawrence
Nycholat (Jackson and Hershey) and Nathan Robinson (Toledo and
Providence).
There are eight head coaches, 12 assistant coaches and countless other
personnel on the 27 teams in the AHL, including Mike Haviland, who
won the Kelly Cup with Atlantic City in 2002-03 and Trenton in 2004-05 and
moved up to the AHL as head coach of Norfolk. Other former ECHL coaches who
are now head coaches in the AHL are Claude Noel of Milwaukee, Roy
Sommer of Cleveland, Greg Ireland of Grand Rapids, Dave
Allison of Iowa, Scott Gordon of Providence, Bruce
Boudreau of Hershey and David Baseggio of Bridgeport.
For the each of the past three seasons, the ECHL has had more players
called up to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined,
including 2004-05 when over 200 players were involved in 355 call ups,
accounting for almost 80 percent of the AHL roster additions. The ECHL had
425 call ups involving 234 players in 2003-04 and 450 call ups in 2002-03.
The AHL Most Valuable Player Award has been won four times by former ECHL
players, most recently by former Charlotte goaltender Jason
LaBarbera in 2003-04. Other former ECHL players who were named as MVP
of the AHL are Eric Boguniecki in 2001-02, Martin Brochu in
1999-2000 and Brad Smyth in 1995-96.
The AHL Coach of the Year award was won by ECHL coaches four years in a row
from 2001-04 with Noel (2004), Geoff Ward (2003), Bruce
Cassidy (2002) and Don Granato (2001) while current Carolina
Hurricanes and former Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette was the first
ECHL coach to capture the award in 1999.
ECHL Stories from April 12, 2006
- Gladiators to face South Carolina in Division Semi-Finals - Atlanta Gladiators
- Underhill named ECHL goaltender of the year - Alaska Aces
- Falcons activate Curtin - Fresno Falcons
- ECHL Game Of The Week Is Johnstown At Toledo - ECHL
- Steelheads Game Preview, West Division Semi-Finals, Game Two - Idaho Steelheads
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Star Wars Blasts into Condorstown Friday - Bakersfield Condors
- Gwinnett's Campbell Named CCM Vector Most Valuable Player - ECHL
- Chiefs Win; Semi-Final Tickets on Sale Now - Johnstown Chiefs
- Campbell named ECHL MVP - Atlanta Gladiators
- Trio returns from AHL Chicago - Atlanta Gladiators
- Former ECHL Goaltender Sabourin Named AHL Goaltender Of The Year - ECHL
- Former Nailer nets AHL's 2005-06 Baz Bastien Award - Wheeling Nailers
- Alaska's Underhill Is Rbk Hockey Goaltender of the Year - ECHL
- Checkers vs. Stingrays game three tonight - Charlotte Checkers
- 'Blades get two assigned from AHL - Florida Everblades
- Former ECHL Player Fritz Named AHL Man Of The Year - ECHL
- After Four Year Hiatus, Grizzlies Playoff Hockey Returns To E-Center - Utah Grizzlies
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Everblades first round playoff schedule set - Florida Everblades
- Falcons Come from Behind to Take Game One in OT - Fresno Falcons
- Aces take Game Two, 3-1, up 2-0 in series - Alaska Aces
- Secure Your Seats For Extended Playoff Action - Bakersfield Condors
- Wranglers fall 1-0 to Idaho in two overtimes - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Kindle's The Hero As Steelheads Win Marathon, 1-0 Over Wranglers - Idaho Steelheads
- Fresno Takes Game 1 In OT, 4-3 - San Diego Gulls
- Former Grizzly Heisten's Two Goals lead Aces Past Grizzlies 3-1 - Utah Grizzlies
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.
