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NHL Hires ECHL Officials Skilliter, MacPherson

August 18, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced on Thursday that the National Hockey League has hired Graham Skilliter, who worked as a full-time referee in the ECHL in 2010-11 including Games 1 and 5 of the 2011 Kelly Cup Finals, and Matt MacPherson, who worked as a full-time linesman in the ECHL in 2010-11 including Games 3 and 5 of the Kelly Cup Finals.

In addition to his experience in the ECHL, Skilliter also spent six seasons in the Western Hockey League and has also worked internationally at the World University Games, World Under 17 Challenge and World Junior exhibition games. The 26-year-old also worked NHL Rookie Tournaments in Camrose, Alberta, Kitchener, Ontario and Traverse City, Mich.

"Working professional hockey gave me immeasurable experience," said Skilliter. "With the coaching of Joe Ernst and the ECHL officiating supervisors I was able to progress as an official and a person. The ECHL has helped me get another step closer to my dream of officiating in the NHL. The professionalism, and level of play in the ECHL, is the best habitat for officiating development I know of, and I am proud to have been an ECHL official."

MacPherson has worked in the ECHL for the previous two seasons after working in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2005-09. The 28-year-old officiated at the 2008 and 2009 NHL Rookie Tournament in Kitchener, Ontario in addition to working the 2006 World Under 17 Championship in Regina, Saskatchewan, the 2007 World University Games in Torino, Italy and the 2009 World Under 18 Championship in Fargo, N.D.

"The past 2 seasons in the ECHL have provided me with an invaluable experience, working with professionals at a high level of hockey, and I believe it has prepared me well as I take the next step in my career," MacPherson said. "I would like to thank the entire Officiating Department, in particular Joe Ernst and Bryan Lewis, as well as the great team of supervisors who do a tremendous job working with officials, and take a genuine interest in helping them improve."

"The ECHL is very proud to learn that the National Hockey League has hired both Graham and Matt to their staff for this upcoming season," said ECHL Director of Officiating Joe Ernst. "They have both proven over the course of this past season that they are ready for this next step in their careers and we are proud to have been able to have played a part in their development. We are pleased that the National Hockey League recognizes the ECHL as a top development league for officials to learn what it takes to deal with professionals on an every games basis. We strive to maintain this standard we have set from the officiating side of the ECHL in developing officials for the NHL."

This is the fifth consecutive season that an ECHL referee has been hired by the National Hockey League. David Banfield was hired prior to the 2007-08 season, Ghislain Hebert joined the NHL prior to the 2008-09, Francis Charron was hired prior to the 2009-10 season and Jean Hebert joined the NHL officiating staff prior to the 2010-11 season.

In addition to Skilliter and MacPherson, there are 20 former ECHL officials scheduled to work as part of the NHL officiating team in 2011-12 with referees Banfield, Charron, Ghislain Hebert, Jean Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin St. Pierre and Ian Walsh, and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak, Bryan Pancich and Jay Sharrers.

Barton, Joannette, McCauley, Nowak, O'Rourke, Pochmara, Pollock, Rooney, Sharrers and Walsh all worked in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. O'Rourke and Sharrers worked the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final. It was the fifth year in a row that Barton, McCauley, Nowak, Pollock and Sharrers have worked the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Former ECHL coaches working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals, Jack Capuano of the New York Islanders, Glen Gulutzan of the Dallas Stars, Peter Laviolette of the Philadelphia Flyers, Claude Noel of the Winnipeg Jets and Davis Payne of the St. Louis Blues while former ECHL player Dan Bylsma is head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons winning the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2007-08 becoming the first former ECHL coach to receive the award while Bylsma earned the Coach of the Year Award in 2010-11. There are 25 assistant coaches in the NHL who were players or coaches in the ECHL.

The ECHL has been represented on the last 11 NHL champions including 2011 with Boston Bruins assistant coach Geoff Ward, players Rich Peverley, Michael Ryder and Conn Smythe Award winner Tim Thomas, scout Tom McVie and radio broadcaster Dave Gocher.

The ECHL was represented in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by 34 former players and 19 coaches on the 16 teams competing in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the sixth year in a row that there were at least 30 former ECHL players and the eighth consecutive season that over 25 players with ECHL experience competed in the NHL postseason. It marked the seventh straight year that the ECHL has been represented by at least six coaches.

There have been 467 players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including 23 in 2010-11. There were four players who played in the ECHL and the NHL in 2010-11: Mike Brodeur with Elmira and Ottawa, Thomas McCollum with Toledo and Detroit, Timo Pielmeier with Elmira and Anaheim and Yann Sauve with Victoria and Vancouver.

The ECHL has had 275 players reach the NHL since 2002-03 when it changed its focus to become the primary developmental league for the NHL and the AHL. The ECHL had 97 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215 in the first 15 years. There have been 211 ECHL players who have played their first game in the last six seasons for an average of more than 35 per year.

The first ECHL player to play in the NHL was Johnstown Chiefs goaltender and current Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Scott Gordon, who played his first game with the Quebec Nordiques against Buffalo on Jan. 30, 1990.

Former ECHL broadcasters working in the National Hockey League include John Ahlers and Steve Carroll of the Anaheim Ducks, Tom Callahan of the Nashville Predators, Dave Goucher of the Boston Bruins, Chris Kerber of the St. Louis Blues, Jack Michaels of the Edmonton Oilers, Dave Mishkin of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Bob McElligott and John Michael of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ryan Stanzel and Jeremy Zager, who were both recipients of the ECHL Media Relations Director of the Year award, are working in the communications department for the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. Former ECHL assistant director of communications Joe Siville and Kelly Murray are now with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, respectively, while former ECHL director of communications Jason Rothwell is the creative director for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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