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Former Steelheads Ellis Name MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus Of The Month

November 8, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former Idaho Steelheads and current Nashville Predators goaltender Dan Ellis is the MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus of the Month for October.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native led National Hockey League rookies with a goals-against average of 1.90, a save percentage of .929 and a shutout while going 2-0-0 to help Nashville open the season at 4-7-0.

The 27 year old made his Predators debut on Oct. 10 and stopped all 14 shots after coming on in relief at 8:37 of the second period in a 4-1 loss at St. Louis. He recorded his first NHL shutout in his first start on Oct. 25 making 20 saves in a 3-0 win against Atlanta, and in his next start stopped 24 of 27 shots in a 4-3 win against Buffalo.

Selected in the second round (60th overall) by Dallas in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Ellis has won his last four starts, including picking up his second shutout with 29 saves in a 3-0 win at Vancouver on Nov. 1, and he is second in the NHL with a goals-against average of 1.35 and a save percentage of .952.

Ellis became the 240th player to play in the National Hockey League after playing in the ECHL when he made his debut and made 25 saves for Dallas in a 4-3 win at Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2005.

In his first professional season in 2003-04, Ellis was named the Most Valuable Player of the Kelly Cup Playoffs after leading the postseason with 13 wins and three shutouts. He was 4-1 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 1.95 and a save percentage of .933 in the Kelly Cup Finals as Idaho won the ECHL title in its inaugural season. Ellis was 13-8-1 with a goals-against average of 2.56 and a save percentage of .909 in 23 regular season games with Idaho and was selected to the 2004 ECHL All-Star Game. He also played for Utah of the AHL where he was 5-14-0 with a goals-against average of 2.92 and a save percentage of .909 in 20 games.

Click here to see highlights of Dan Ellis's October games.

The ECHL is the top developmental league for both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. It has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL, and with 26 of the 29 teams in the AHL. There have been 333 former ECHL players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL.

Four former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Johnstown Chiefs and Fresno Falcons goaltender Dmitri Patzold (San Jose on Oct. 7), former San Diego goaltender Tyler Weiman (Colorado on Oct. 4), former Charlotte right wing Craig Weller (Phoenix on Oct. 4) and former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik (Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 4).

The leading distributor of game-worn hockey jerseys and "Official Game-Worn Jersey Source of the ECHL," MeiGray has sold more than 4,000 game-worn ECHL jerseys since the program began in 2002-03, including nearly 1,000 each of the past three seasons.

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