Glumac Becomes 295th ECHL Player To Play In NHL

Published on January 31, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. - Former ECHL All-Star Mike Glumac made his National Hockey League debut with St. Louis on Monday and assisted on a second-period goal by Jay McClement in the Blues' 3-2 win against Calgary.

The former Pee Dee right wing is the 295th player to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL. He is the third former ECHL player in the past week, joining Keith Aucoin and Doug O'Brien, to play his first NHL game and the 39th former ECHL player to play his first NHL game this season.

The 25-year-old was recalled from the American Hockey League on Jan. 29 where he has 49 points (23g-26a) in 44 games, earning a selection to the AHL All-Star Game.

In his first professional season in 2002-03, Glumac was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, selected to the ECHL All-Star Game and shared the Plus Performer of the Year award which is presented annually "to the player who leads the league in plus-minus rating at the end of the regular season" after finishing with a plus-minus rating of +37. He led league rookies with 37 goals and tied for the rookie lead with seven game-winning goals while finishing fourth in rookie scoring with 69 points in 69 games.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League has affiliations with 25 of the 30 teams in the NHL and there are over 100 players on ECHL rosters under contract to an NHL team. In addition to United States Olympic team and Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette, there are 12 assistant coaches, 13 referees and five linesmen currently in the NHL who have ECHL experience.

Former ECHL goaltenders have won the NHL Defensive Player of the Week award five times this season with David Aebischer, Chesapeake/Wheeling and Colorado (Jan. 9), Tomas Vokoun, Wheeling and Nashville (Dec. 5), Mike Morrison, Greenville and Edmonton (Nov. 28), Curtis Sanford, Peoria and St. Louis (Nov. 21) and Manny Legace, Richmond and Detroit (Nov. 1).

Chris Holt (Charlotte and New York Rangers), Mike Morrison (Greenville and Edmonton) and Adam Berkhoel (Gwinnett and Atlanta) have all played in both the ECHL and the NHL this season. Chris Beckford-Tseu of Alaska is the backup goaltender for St. Louis while Maxime Daigneault of South Carolina was called up and served as the backup goaltender for Washington on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 and Frederic Cloutier of Pensacola was the backup goaltender for the New York Islanders on Jan. 6 and 7.

There have been 39 players in 2005-06 that have made their first NHL appearance since playing in the ECHL:

Evgeny Artyukhin (Tampa Bay on Oct. 20)
Keith Aucoin (Carolina on Jan. 23)
Adam Berkhoel (Atlanta on Oct. 15)
Derek Boogaard (Minnesota on Oct. 5)
Alexandre Burrows (Vancouver on Jan. 2)
Kevin Colley (New York Islanders on Oct. 27)
Ryan Craig (Tampa Bay on Dec. 17)
Brian Eklund (Tampa Bay on Nov. 8)
Michael Garnett (Atlanta on Oct. 12)
Trevor Gillies (Anaheim on Nov. 6)
Rob Globke (Florida on Dec. 28)
Mike Glumac (St. Louis on Jan. 30)
Jeff Giuliano (Los Angeles on Nov. 5)
Steven Goertzen (Columbus on Oct. 21)
Josh Gratton (Philadelphia on Dec. 15)
Adam Hauser (Los Angeles on Jan. 14)
Eric Healey (Boston on Nov. 25)
Timo Helbling (Tampa Bay on Oct. 5)
Colin Hemingway (St. Louis on Oct. 19)
Chris Holt (New York Rangers on Dec. 3)
Raitis Ivanans (Montreal on Oct. 8)
Greg Jacina (Florida on Nov. 12)
Connor James (Los Angeles on Jan. 7)
Zenon Konopka (Anaheim on Oct. 30)
Chad LaRose (Carolina on Dec. 6)
Jay Leach (Boston on Nov. 5)
Rob McVicar (Vancouver on Dec. 1)
Mike Morrison (Edmonton on Nov. 7)
Doug O'Brien (Tampa Bay on Jan. 29)
Michel Ouellet (Pittsburgh on Nov. 22)
George Parros (Los Angeles on Oct. 5)
Geoff Platt (Columbus on Dec. 2)
Thomas Pock (New York Rangers on Jan. 16)
Nolan Schaefer (San Jose on Oct. 26)
Martin St. Pierre (Chicago on Nov. 4)
David Steckel (Washington on Dec. 31)
Grant Stevenson (San Jose on Nov. 23)
Mark Streit (Montreal on Oct. 8)
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Columbus on Nov. 23)

ECHL Stories from January 31, 2006

• Royals Acquire Nick Vukovic - Reading Royals
• Fields, Gladiators Blank Grrrowl, 5-0 - Atlanta Gladiators
• Kerr Acquired from Reading for Vukovic - Pensacola Ice Pilots
• Stirling rejoins Titans - Trenton Devils
• Deschamps and Olson Return to the Falcons - Fresno Falcons
• Working Womens Wednesday - Dayton Bombers
• Jake Moreland Named ECHL Goaltender of the Week - Stockton Thunder
• ECHL Transactions - ECHL
• Thunder's Moreland Named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender Of The Week - ECHL
• 23rd Chief Makes the Show - Johnstown Chiefs
• Michaud Recalled To Hamilton - Long Beach Ice Dogs
• Glumac Becomes 295th ECHL Player To Play In NHL - ECHL
• Nailers this week - Wheeling Nailers
• ECHL Today - ECHL
• Ice Pilots Pick Up Three out of Four Against Greenville - Pensacola Ice Pilots
• Wranglers Down Steelheads In Shootout, 6-5 - Idaho Steelheads

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