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Northern Conference All-Stars Named

December 18, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. – The East Coast Hockey League on Wednesday announced the Northern Conference starting lineup and roster for the 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game.

The 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game will be played at 7:30 p.m. ET on January 21. The game and the skills competition on January 20 will be hosted by the Florida Everblades at TECO Arena in Estero, Florida.

The starting lineups were determined in voting by Northern Conference coaches, team captains, media relations directors, team broadcasters and newspaper writers. Coaches also submitted the top prospects from within their conference that determined the final roster with each of the 14 teams in the Northern Conference is represented.

2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game Northern Conference Starters

Goaltender – Scott Stirling, Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Defense – Simon Tremblay, Reading Royals
Defense – Ryan Gaucher, Cincinnati Cyclones
Forward – Jason Jaffray, Roanoke Express
Forward – Tyler Rennette, Peoria Rivermen
Forward – Kevin Colley, Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies

It marks the second time that Stirling has been selected as a starter, having stopped 10 of 13 shots in the Northern Conference's 9-5 loss at Little Rock, Ark. in 2001. Named ECHL Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year in 2001, Stirling is 9-2-3 and tied for the ECHL lead with two shutouts while ranking seventh with a 2.55 goals against average.

Colley is making his second straight start, having started in 2002 in place of Dayton's Ben Keup, who missed the game because of a broken wrist. The 25-year-old Colley is tied for ninth in the ECHL with 37 points (17g-20a). Joining Colley and Stirling from the Boardwalk Bullies will be forward Scott Matzka, who is second on the team with 29 points (10g-19a).

Tremblay is making his second consecutive appearance and first start, having scored two points (1g-1a) in the Northern Conference's 7-6 loss at Trenton, N.J. in 2002. The 24-year-old Tremblay ranks fifth among ECHL defensemen with 20 assists and 24 points. Joining Tremblay from the Royals will be forwards Brian McCullough and Brad Rooney. Under contract to Manitoba of the American Hockey League, McCullough is making his second appearance, having scored a hat trick in the Northern Conference's 9-5 loss at Little Rock, Ark. in 2001. McCullough leads the ECHL in scoring with 44 points and is tied for fifth with 26 assists. In his second professional season, the 23-year-old Rooney leads the ECHL with 28 assists and is tied for fourth in scoring with 41 points.

It marks the second appearance for Gaucher, who scored a goal in the Southern Conference's 8-6 loss at Greenville, S.C. in 2000. Assigned to Cincinnati by Cleveland of the AHL, Gaucher is tied for third among ECHL defensemen with 28 points and ranks fourth with 22 assists.

Under contract to Norfolk of the AHL and in his first professional season, the 21-year-old Jaffray leads ECHL rookies with 19 goals, seven power-play goals, 24 assists and 43 points and overall he ranks second in goals and points.

Selected in the second round (40th overall) by St. Louis in the 1997 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Rennette leads the ECHL with 20 goals and is tied for the lead with four shorthand goals. The 23-year-old Rennette is tied for second in the ECHL with nine power-play goals and four game-winning goals and is tied for 16th in scoring with 32 points.

A trio of rookies - defenseman Jon Zion, goaltender Dan Lombard and forward Jamie Herrington - will represent the Richmond Renegades. Currently on loan to Cincinnati of the AHL, the 21-year-old Zion is fourth among ECHL rookies with 17 assists and 13th in scoring with 21 points while ranking sixth among ECHL defensemen in scoring. The 22-year-old Lombard is 7-3-0 with one shutout and ranks eighth in the ECHL with a 2.57 goals against average. In his first professional season, the 24-year-old Herrington is tied for second among ECHL rookies with two shorthand goals and ranks sixth in scoring with 25 points (11g-14a).

A pair of first-year professionals – forwards Chris McNamara and Zenon Konopka – will represent the Wheeling Nailers. Under contract to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, the 21-year-old Konopka is second among ECHL rookies with 20 assists and third in scoring with 28 points. The 24-year-old McNamara is tied for 11th among rookies with 22 points (7g-15a).

Representing the Lexington Men O' War will be rookie goaltender Mike Smith, who is under contract to Dallas of the NHL after being selected in the fifth round (161st overall) by the Stars in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Smith, who became the sixth goaltender in ECHL history to score a goal on October 26 against Dayton, is 6-5-2 with one shutout and ranks third in the ECHL with a 2.36 goals against average.

The first Japanese player to score a point and only the third Japanese player to play in the ECHL, Takahito Suzuki will represent the Charlotte Checkers. Suzuki is tied for the lead among ECHL rookies with seven power-play goals while ranking third with 12 goals and is tied for 13th with 21 points.

First-year professional Chris Ianiero will represent the Dayton Bombers. Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (154th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, the 21-year-old forward is second on the team with eight goals and tied for fourth with 15 points.

Playing his first full professional season, forward Nick Parillo will represent the Toledo Storm. Parillo is tied for second among ECHL rookies in plus-minus (+15) and is tied for seventh in scoring with 24 points (10g-14a).

In his first professional season, defenseman Pierre-Luc Courchesne will represent the Johnstown Chiefs. The 21-year-old Courchesne has seven goals, including four power-play goals and 13 points.

Representing the Greensboro Generals will be defensemen Kurt Drummond, who is tied for 14th among ECHL defensemen with 17 points (2g-15a).

Completing the blue line will be Trenton's David Schneider, who in his first full professional season is tied for 18th among ECHL defensemen with 16 points (5g-11a).

Atlantic City's Mike Haviland and Toledo's Claude Noel are the coaches for the Northern Conference while Arkansas' Chris Cichocki and Florida's Gerry Fleming are the coaches for the Southern Conference. Cincinnati equipment manager Mark Mills and Peoria athletic trainer Greg Eberle were chosen to represent the Northern Conference and Pee Dee equipment manager Damion Parmelee and Columbia athletic trainer Dave Zeis were selected to represent the Southern Conference. Florida athletic trainer Todd Wisocki, who worked the 2002 ECHL All-Star Game, and Florida equipment manager John Jennings were also chosen to work the game.

For tickets to the 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game telephone (239) 948-7825 or log on to www.ticketmaster.com.

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