ECHL ECHL

Nailers Win 10 Straight To Remain Atop ECHL

March 8, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


With a 6-1 win over Johnstown on Sunday, Wheeling extended its winning streak to an ECHL season-high 10 games and its home winning streak to 14 games, tying the league season-high for consecutive home wins. The Nailers have won their last six road games tying the ECHL season high for consecutive road wins. Wheeling needs one point to qualify for the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1997-98 when the Nailers lost in the Northern Conference Finals.

The Nailers are scheduled to play at Reading on March 9, at Atlantic City on March 10 and at Johnstown on March 13 while hosting Atlantic City on March 12 and Peoria on March 14. Wheeling is 2-0-0 at Reading and 6-0-0 overall against the Royals and 2-1-0 at Atlantic City and 3-2-0 overall against the Boardwalk Bullies. The Nailers are 1-3-0 at Johnstown and 3-4-0 overall against the Chiefs and 1-1-1 at home against Peoria and 4-2-1 overall against the Rivermen.

Wheeling is 26-4-2 at home and 45-13-2 overall and leads the ECHL with 92 points. Wheeling is looking to win its fourth Henry Brabham Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the regular-season point champion of the ECHL. Wheeling won the Brabham Cup as the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in 1989-90 and as the Wheeling Thunderbirds in 1992-93 and 1994-95. The 45 wins are the most for the team since 42 wins in 1995-96 and are one win shy of the team record of 46 wins in 1994-95. The 92 points are the most since Wheeling had 83 points in 1997-98 and are five points shy of the team record of 97 points in 1994-95. The team record for winning percentage (.713) and home wins (27) were also set in 1994-95 while the team record for road wins (20) was set in 1995-96.

The Nailers team record for consecutive wins is 11 from February 22 to March 21, 1998 while the team record for home wins in a row is 17 from November 24, 1994 to February 5, 1995 and the team record for consecutive road wins is eight from February 1-26, 1995. The league records for points (116), winning percentage (.806), wins (56), home wins (30) and road wins (26) are all held by the 2001-02 Louisiana IceGators.

Wheeling's 14 wins in a row at home ties the mark set earlier by San Diego, which won 14 straight at home from December 30 to February 21. The 14-game home streak ties the Gulls and the Nailers with four teams for the fourth-longest home winning streak in league history. The third-longest streak is 15 games by the Louisiana IceGators from February 4 to March 5, 2000 while the second-longest streak is 17 games by the Wheeling Thunderbirds from November 24, 1994 to February 5, 1995. The ECHL record for most consecutive home wins is 18 by South Carolina from December 23, 1994-March 19, 1995.


Stingrays Host Kelly Cup Tour Tuesday
Trophy Will Visit Gwinnett Friday, Saturday
The inaugural Kelly Cup Tour makes the last of its three stops in South Carolina on Tuesday when it visits North Charleston, home of the South Carolina Stingrays, who won the inaugural Kelly Cup in 1997 and became the first two-time Kelly Cup Champion in 2001.

The Kelly Cup will visit Gwinnett on Friday and Saturday before traveling to Lafayette, Louisiana on March 19-20.

The Kelly Cup, which has already been hosted by the Wheeling Nailers, the Florida Everblades, the Columbia Inferno and the Florence Pride, will cover 7,543 miles and 10 cities during its 44-day tour that began February 20.

Each of the 31 teams in the ECHL were offered the opportunity to have the Kelly Cup, presented annually to the ECHL Postseason Champion and won in 2003 by Atlantic City, visit their city for appearances at games, schools, sponsors, radio and television stations and community events. The Kelly Cup Tour will end April 2-3 in Atlantic City with the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs scheduled to begin on April 5


Pensacola's Eklund Needs 17 Saves To Tie ECHL Record
With 35 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss to San Diego on March 5, Pensacola's Brian Eklund moved into second place on the ECHL list for most saves by a goaltender in a season. Under contract to Tampa Bay of the National Hockey League, Eklund had nine saves in the first period to move up to fourth place with 1,788 saves. He had 15 saves in the second period to move past Kirk Daubenspeck of South Carolina (1,802 in 2002-03) into third place with 1,803 saves. He made nine saves in the third period for 1,812 to move over Ray LeBlanc of the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (1,808 in 1999-2000) and had two saves in overtime. The ECHL record for saves in a season is 1,831 by Mark Michaud of Hampton Roads in 1993-94.

Leading the ECHL averaging 35.6 saves per game, the 6-5 and 210-pound Eklund is 30-15-6 with a 3.06 goals against average and a .921 save percentage appearing in 51 of Pensacola's 58 games. He leads the ECHL with 30 wins and 3,055 minutes and is tied for the league lead with five shootout wins while ranking second in overtime wins with three.

Selected in the seventh round (226th overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Eklund has broken the team record for most saves of 1,783 by Sean Gauthier in 1997-98, and he begins the week needing seven shots to tie the team record of 1,977 also by Gauthier in 1997-98. The 30 wins is the most in Ice Pilots team history and two shy of the all-time team record of 32 wins set by Craig Brown of the Nashville Knights in 1995-96. Maxime Gingras set the Pensacola team records for appearances (57) and minutes (3,381) in 2002-03. Eklund, who was named ITECH HOCKEY ECHL Saver of the Week for November 24-30, became the seventh goaltender in league history score a goal on December 5 at Mississippi.

In his first professional season in 2002-03, Eklund was 10-6-0 with a 3.66 goals against average and a .896 save percentage in 19 games for Pensacola and was 1-0-0 with a 1.00 goals against average and a .974 save percentage in one game with Springfield of the American Hockey League.


ECHL On Record Shutout Pace
There were six shutouts in the ECHL last week bringing the season total to 96 shutouts, three shy of the record 99 shutouts in 2002-03. Through the first 920 games there has been a shutout every 9.6 games compared to a shutout every 9.8 games last season.

Atlantic City's Scott Stirling, Columbia's Josh Blackburn, Columbus' Jason Tapp, Johnstown's Cory Campbell, Louisiana's Derek Gustafson and Wheeling's Nick Boucher and Tyler MacKay are all tied for the league lead with four shutouts.

Wheeling saw its streak of three consecutive home shutouts end on Sunday when Johnstown's Chad Cavanagh scored at 11:53 of the second period. The Nailers tied the ECHL record for consecutive home shutouts set by Chesapeake from March 10-25, 1998. Wheeling did not allow a goal at home for 258:47, beginning January 31 at 9:20 of the first period and ending on Sunday.

Wheeling has nine team shutouts tying it for second in the ECHL record book for most shutouts in a season with Jackson (2002-03), Trenton (2000-01) and Richmond (1998-99). The ECHL record is 10 shutouts set by Louisiana in 2001-02.


Idaho Has Ninth Sellout
Idaho had its ninth sellout of the season and Charlotte drew its largest crowd of the year as the ECHL raised its attendance for the 10th week in a row. Idaho had 5,030 for its game on Saturday against South Carolina and Charlotte drew 8,109 for its game against Dayton on Friday as the league raised its attendance to 3,822, up over four percent from the first 21 weeks of 2002-03.

Fourteen teams have had a sellout and there have been 33 total sellouts in the ECHL in 2003-04. The league record for sellouts in a season is 32 games by the Columbus Chill, who accomplished the feat in 1992-93 and again in 1993-94 en route to a minor league hockey record of 83 consecutive sellouts.


Career Regular Season Assist Leaders
 1. 460 - Chris Valicevic, 1993-2002 (590 games)
2. 457 - Louis Dumont, Mississippi, 1994-Present (622 games)
3. 391 - John Spoltore, 1995-2001 (341 games)
4. 390 - Darryl Noren, 1990-2000 (549 games)
5. 370 - Dave Seitz, South Carolina, 1996-Present (489 games)


Nailers' Jaffray, Ice Dogs' Graham Score 4 Goals
Wheeling's Jason Jaffray and Long Beach's Nolan Graham each scored four goals on March 7 becoming the fourth and fifth players to have four-goal games in the ECHL in 2003-04, joining Florida's Brian McCullough (February 13), Alaska's Jordan Cameron (February 14) and Gwinnett's Kevin Doell (February 20). Trenton's Mathieu Brunelle scored an ECHL season-high five goals on January 31.

Jaffray's four-goal game was the first hat trick by Wheeling, which had a player score two goals in a game 26 times this season, since Mark Major scored three goals on February 15, 2002 in a 4-3 loss at Peoria.

In the first 920 games of the season there have been 63 hat tricks, including five four-goal games and one five-goal game, and there have been 15 days with multiple hat tricks. There have been 11 days with two hat tricks, three days with three hat tricks and one day with six hat tricks. The six hat tricks on February 14 tied the ECHL record was set on October 23, 1993 and tied on February 26, 1994 and February 23, 1996.

Atlantic City, Columbus, Las Vegas and Peoria have not allowed a hat trick while Bakersfield has allowed a league-high seven hat tricks. Idaho leads the ECHL with five hat tricks while Peoria ranks second with four hat tricks. Dayton and Johnstown are the only teams that have not had a player score three goals in a game this season.



2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Format
WILD CARD GAME
(One-Game Playoff)
(April 5)

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northern Division Wild Card Game
No. 5 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed
(Winner becomes No. 4 Seed in Northern Division Semifinals)

DIVISION SEMIFINALS
(Best-of-Five Series)
(April 6-15)

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northern Division Semifinals
 No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southern Division Semifinals
 No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Central Division Semifinals
 No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Pacific Division Semifinals
 No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

DIVISION FINALS
(Best-of-Five Series)
(April 16-25)

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northern Division Finals
 Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southern Division Finals
 Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Central Division Finals
 Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Pacific Division Finals
 Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed

CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-Five Series)
(April 27-May 8)

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Championship
 Northern Division Champion vs. Southern Division Champion

2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs Western Conference Championship
 Central Division Champion vs. Pacific Division Champion

2004 KELLY CUP FINALS
(Best-of-Seven Series)
(May 10-23)

Eastern Conference Champion vs. Western Conference Champion




Northern Division
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
 * Scott Stirling is 28-10-4 and leads the ECHL with a 1.78 goals against average.
* Jon Cullen leads ECHL rookies with 39 assists, 63 points and 27 power play points (11g-16a).
* Atlantic City hosts Wheeling on Wednesday before traveling to Wheeling on Friday and Reading on Saturday.

Cincinnati Cylones
 * Garrett Prosofsky leads the team with 18 goals, 24 assists and 15 power-play points (7g-8a).
* Cyclones are 9-2-0 when leading after the first period and 10-12-3 in one-goal games.
* Cincinnati travels to Alaska on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Dayton Bombers
 * Jason Deskins has seven points (2g-5a) in his last five games and is tied for the ECHL lead with five shorthand goals.
* Miguel Delisle is tied for the ECHL rookie lead with 11 power-play goals.
* Dayton hosts Trenton on Friday and Saturday and Toledo on Sunday.

Johnstown Chiefs
 * Steve Hildenbrand has a seven-game home goal streak (9g) and 16 points (9g-7a) in his last 10 games.
* David Currie earned his third shutout of the season in a 4-0 win against Atlantic City on Saturday.
* Johnstown travels to Reading on Friday before hosting Wheeling on Saturday and Trenton on Sunday.

Peoria Rivermen
 * Tyler Rennette tallied nine points (1g-8a) in three games last week.
* Adam Edinger has a seven-game point streak (5g-7a) and is +8 since February 24.
* Peoria hosts Trenton on Tuesday before traveling to Toledo on Friday and Saturday and Wheeling on Sunday.

Reading Royals
 * Kent Davyduke has posted goals in seven of his last 11 games (9g-4a).
* Reading 21-3-4 at home outscoring its opponent 97-47 in 28 games.
* Royals host Wheeling on Tuesday, Johnstown on Friday and Atlantic City on Saturday.

Toledo Storm
 * Morten Ask has a nine-game point streak (5g-8a) and leads the team with 50 points (20g-30a).
* Marco Charpentier (4g-3a) and Morten Ask (2g-5a) each have seven points in their last five games.
* Toledo hosts Peoria on Friday and Saturday before traveling to Dayton on Sunday.

Trenton Titans
 * Chris Houle is 2-1-1 in his last four games and ranks fourth in the ECHL with a .929 save pct.
* Matt Zultek ranks second in the ECHL with 15 power-play goals.
* Trenton travels to Peoria on Tuesday, Dayton on Friday and Saturday and Johnstown on Sunday.

Wheeling Nailers
 * Nailers are 10-0-0 and have outscored their opponents 37-14 in their last 10 games.
* Tyler MacKay is 7-0-0 with a 0.83 goals against average and three shutouts in his last seven games.
* Wheeling travels to Reading on Tuesday, Atlantic City on Wednesday and Johnstown on Saturday while hosting Atlantic City on Friday and Peoria on Sunday.


Southern Division
Charlotte Checkers
 * Dusty Jamieson has four goals and three assists in his last five games.
* Konrad McKay has a seven-game home assist streak (7a) dating back to February 14.
* Charlotte hosts Louisiana on Wednesday and Friday and Roanoke on Sunday.

Columbia Inferno
 * Alex Burrows has an 11-game point streak (7g-10a) dating back to February 7.
* Inferno leads the ECHL in scoring with 3.89 goals per game.
* Columbia hosts Greensboro on Friday and Pensacola on Saturday.

Florence Pride
 * Allan Sirois scored two goals on Sunday giving him 149 in a Pride uniform, breaking Dany Bousquet's record of 148.
* Florence is 16-for-17 (94.1 percent) on the penalty kill in the last four games.
* Pride travels to Greenville on Tuesday and Augusta on Saturday while hosting South Carolina on Friday and Louisiana on Sunday.

Florida Everblades
 * Brian McCullough ranks second in the ECHL with 35 goals and 76 points.
* Jeff Maund is 10-3-1 with a 2.39 goals against average in 15 home games.
* Florida hosts Greenville on Friday and Saturday.

Greensboro Generals
 * Mike Bayrack has 16 points (10g-6a) in his last 10 games and is tied for third in the ECHL with 32 goals.
* Jamie Hodson is 10-8-0 with two shutouts and ranks second in the ECHL with a .932 save pct.
* Greensboro travels to Columbia on Friday and Gwinnett on Saturday.

Greenville Grrrowl
 * Greenville is 7-7-0 when leading after the first period and 3-11-5 in one-goal games.
* Grrrowl are 1-9-0 and have been outscored 36-17 in their last 10 games.
* Greenville hosts Florence on Tuesday before traveling to Florida on Friday and Saturday.

Roanoke Express
 * Carl Mallette has a nine-game point streak (6g-9a) dating back to February 17.
* David Belitski is 4-0-0 with a 2.25 goals against average in his last four games.
* Roanoke travels to Charlotte on Saturday.

South Carolina Stingrays
 * Stingrays' road power play ranks second in the ECHL with 23.8 percent (36-for-151).
* Kirk Daubenspeck is 4-0-0 with a 1.96 goals against average in his last four games.
* South Carolina hosts Augusta on Tuesday and Louisiana on Saturday while traveling to Florence on Friday.


Central Division
Augusta Lynx
 * Terry Marchant (5g-8a) and Louis Goulet (6g-7a) each have 13 points in their last 10 games.
* Jason Saal is 8-4-3 with a 2.43 goals against average and a shutout in 15 home games.
* Augusta travels to South Carolina on Tuesday before hosting Florence on Saturday and Pensacola on Sunday.

Columbus Cottonmouths
 * Cottonmouths' penalty kill ranks second in the ECHL with 88.0 percent (243-for-276).
* Joel Martin is 3-0-0 with a 1.72 goals against average in his last three games.
* Columbus hosts Texas on Friday and Saturday.

Gwinnett Gladiators
 * Kevin Doell is tied for the ECHL rookie lead with 24 goals and ranks third with 58 points.
* Trevor Prior is 6-2-1 with a 2.84 goals against average in his last nine games.
* Gwinnett hosts Louisiana on Tuesday, Pensacola on Friday and Greensboro on Saturday.

Louisisna IceGators
 * Frederic Cloutier is 4-0-0 with a 1.50 goals against average in his last four games.
* IceGators rank second in the ECHL in goals allowed with 2.34 goals per game.
* Louisiana travels to Gwinnett on Tuesday, Charlotte on Wednesday and Friday, South Carolina on Saturday and Florence on Sunday.

Mississippi Sea Wolves
 * Louis Dumont (30g-43a) and Steffon Walby (26g-47a) are tied for fourth in the ECHL with 73 points.
* Sea Wolves rank third in the ECHL in scoring with 3.58 goals per game.
* Mississippi travels to Pensacola on Tuesday and hosts Texas on Thursday.

Pensacola Ice Pilots
 * Corey Neilson is tied for third in the ECHL with 48 assists and leads league defensemen with 64 points.
* Brian Eklund leads the ECHL with 30 wins, 1,814 saves and 3,055 minutes.
* Pensacola hosts Mississippi on Tuesday before traveling to Gwinnett on Friday, Columbia on Saturday and Augusta on Sunday.

Texas Wildcatters
 * Ryan Fultz tallied his first hat trick of the season in Sunday's 5-4 shootout win against San Diego.
* Davis Parley ranks second in the ECHL with 1,420 saves and is tied for second with three over time wins.
* Texas travels to Mississippi on Thursday and Columbus on Friday and Saturday.


Pacific Division
Alaska Aces
 * Lance Mayes is 4-1-1 with a 1.46 goals against average and a shutout in six home games.
* Chris Lipsett tallied his first hat trick of the season in a 3-0 win against Bakersfield on March 3.
* Alaska hosts Cincinnati on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Bakersfield Condors
 * Joe Watkins earned his first shutout of the season with a 3-0 win at Alaska on March 2.
* Jason Ralph has a six-game home assist streak (6a) dating back to February 10.
* Bakersfield hosts Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday.

Fresno Falcons
 * Mike Brusseau earned his first shutout of the season with a 1-0 win against Las Vegas on Sunday.
* Kris Porter has a game-winning goal and five points (2g-3a) in three games in March.
* Fresno travels to San Diego on Friday and Saturday.

Idaho Steelheads
 * Blair Allison is 10-2-3 with a 2.09 goals against average and a shutout in 16 home games.
* Jan Kopecky leads the team with 21 goals, 46 points and 17 power-play points (6g-11a).
* Idaho hosts Long Beach on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Las Vegas Wranglers
 * Defenseman Dave Cousineau is tied for the ECHL rookie lead with 11 power-play goals.
* Marc Magliarditi is 4-1-1 with a 2.72 goals against average in his last six games.
* Las Vegas travels to Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday.

Long Beach Ice Dogs
 * Nolan Graham's four goals in Sunday's 7-4 win against Bakersfield was the first hat trick of the season for Long Beach.
* Alex Kim has a three-game road goal streak (3g) dating back to February 21.
* Long Beach travels to Idaho on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and hosts San Diego on Sunday.

San Diego Gulls
 * Mark Pederson has leads the league with 38 goals and has 46 points (27g, 19a) in his last 33 games.
* Gulls lead the ECHL on the power play with 26.7 percent (39-for-176).
* San Diego hosts Fresno on Friday and Saturday and travels to Long Beach on Sunday.

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