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LaBarbera Named MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus of the Month

Published on November 3, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former Charlotte Checkers and current Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Jason LaBarbera is the MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus of the Month for October.

Selected in the third round (66th overall) by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, the 24-year-old LaBarbera was 4-0-0 and led the American Hockey League with a goals-against average of 1.00 and a save percentage of .962 in October.

In 2003-04 with Hartford, LaBarbera was 32-9-9 and set an AHL record with 13 shutouts while his goals against average of 1.60 was second in league history and his save percentage of .936 was the third best in AHL history. He was named as the Most Valuable Player of the American Hockey League while also being selected as the AHL Goaltender of the Year and voted First Team AHL All-Star.

LaBarbera became the fourth ECHL player to be named AHL MVP, joining Eric Boguniecki in 2001-02, Martin Brochu in 1999-2000, and Brad Smyth in 1995-96, and he is the sixth ECHL goaltender to be named AHL Goaltender of the Year, joining Marc Lamothe in 2002-03, Martin Brochu in 1999-2000, Martin Biron in 1998-99, Manny Legace in 1995-96, and Frederic Chabot in 1993-94.

In his first professional season in 2000-01 with Charlotte, LaBarbera was 18-10-7 with a goals against average of 3.20 and a save percentage of .910 in 35 regular season games and 1-1 with a goals against average of 2.09 and a save percentage of .945 in two Kelly Cup Playoff games. In 2001-02 with Charlotte, LaBarbera was 9-3-1 with a goals against average of 2.34 and a save percentage of .924 in 13 regular season games and 2-2 with a goals against average of 3.39 and a save percentage of .910 in four Kelly Cup Playoff games.

The ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 28 teams in the AHL in 2004-05 and is represented in the American Hockey League coaching ranks with five head coaches and 10 assistant coaches, working behind the bench of 15 of teams in 2004-05.

For the 15th season in a row in 2003-04, an ECHL player was a member of the AHL champion team. In addition to eight players, including the Calder Cup Playoffs' Most Valuable Player Wade Flaherty, the ECHL was represented on Milwaukee by Noel and radio announcer Kyle Schultz.

In 2003-04, there were more than 90 players on AHL contracts in the ECHL and more than 220 players played in both the ECHL and the AHL. The ECHL had 425 call-ups, involving 234 players, to the AHL during the 2003-04 regular season.




ECHL Stories from November 3, 2004


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