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Number of ECHL players in NHL increases to 272

November 7, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former ECHL players Trevor Gillies, Jeff Giuliano and Martin St. Pierre each made their National Hockey League debuts over the weekend and there have now been 272 players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including 16 who have made their debut this season.

The 26-year-old Gillies played for Anaheim on Sunday and had 21 penalty minutes, including a first-period fight with former Louisiana left wing Derek Boogaard, in the Mighty Ducks' 4-3 shootout loss to Minnesota.

The 26-year-old Giuliano played for Los Angeles on Saturday and had one shot in 14 shifts for Los Angeles in the Kings' 3-2 win against Nashville.

The 22-year-old St. Pierre played for Chicago on Friday, winning four faceoffs in 15 shifts, in a 9-1 loss at Dallas and he had one shot in a 2-1 overtime win against Phoenix on Sunday.

In his rookie season in 1999-2000, Gillies had 202 penalty minutes and six assists in 53 games with Mississippi of the ECHL and 38 penalty minutes in eight games with Lowell of the American Hockey League. The 6-3 and 220-pound Gillies has played in the ECHL with Mississippi, Greensboro, Augusta, Richmond and Peoria from 1999-2003, accumulating 1,025 penalty minutes while scoring 16 points (1g-15a) in 210 games. His younger brother, Nathan Gillies, is playing for Charlotte and has two points (1g-1a) and 11 penalty minutes in six games.

In his rookie season in 2002-03, Giuliano scored 30 points (7g-23a) in 38 games with Reading while also playing for Manchester of the AHL where he had 15 points (4g-11a) in 47 regular season games and one goal in three playoff games.

In his first professional season in 2004-05, St. Pierre was selected to the ECHL All-Star Game and had 53 points (14g-39a) and 55 penalty minutes in 45 regular season games, ranking third in assists and ninth in scoring among league rookies, and seven points (2g-5a) and six penalty minutes in seven Kelly Cup Playoff games for Greenville. He also played in the AHL for Edmonton where he scored a goal in his first game and had seven points (4g-3a) in 18 games.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League, the ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 30 teams in the NHL and there is one head coach, 12 assistant coaches, 12 referees and five linesmen working in the NHL in 2005-06 who have ECHL experience.

There have been 16 players in 2005-06 that have made their first NHL appearance since playing in the ECHL: Evgeny Artukhin (Tampa Bay on October 20), Adam Berkhoel (Atlanta on October 15), Derek Boogaard (Minnesota on October 5), Kevin Colley (New York Islanders on October 27), Michael Garnett (Atlanta on October 12), Trevor Gillies (Anaheim on November 6), Steven Goertzen (Columbus on October 21), Jeff Giuliano (Los Angeles on November 5), Timo Helbling (Tampa Bay on October 5), Colin Hemingway (St. Louis on October 19), Raitis Ivanans (Montreal on October 8), Zenon Konopka (Anaheim on October 30), George Parros (Los Angeles on October 5), Nolan Schaefer (San Jose on October 26), Martin St. Pierre (Chicago on November 4), and Mark Streit (Montreal on October 8).

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