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Stanley Cup Playoffs Have 27 ECHL Players, 7 Coaches

April 8, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL has 27 players and seven coaches behind the benches of the National Hockey League teams in the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs. There is an ECHL representative on 15 of the 16 teams with the only team not having a former ECHL player or coach being San Jose.

For the fourth consecutive year, a former ECHL player is a member of the Stanley Cup Champion. In 2003, New Jersey backup goaltender Corey Schwab became the sixth ECHL alumnus to hoist the Stanley Cup joining former ECHL players Manny Legace (Detroit, 2002), David Aebischer and Nolan Pratt (Colorado, 2001), Krzysztof Oliwa (New Jersey, 2000), and Kevin Dean (New Jersey, 1995).

There were 38 ECHL players that played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL in 2003-04. The previous high for ECHL players making their first NHL appearance was 27 players in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. There were 11 players, including eight goaltenders, who appeared in both the ECHL and the NHL in 2003-04, breaking the previous high of five players in 2001-02.

There were 105 ECHL players that played in the NHL in 2003-04 including 31 goaltenders. There were 53 former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters surpassing the record of 50 players set in 2002-03.

There are 13 referees and three linesmen with ECHL experience on the 2003-04 NHL officiating staff. The ECHL has affiliations with 21 of the 30 teams in the NHL in 2003-04 and there was an ECHL player on each of the 30 NHL teams in 2003-04.

ECHL Coaches, Players In Stanley Cup Playoffs

Boston - Assistant Coach Wayne Cashman (Pensacola, 00-01).

Calgary - Assistant Coach Jim Playfair (Dayton, 94-95) and Krzysztof Oliwa (Raleigh, 94-96).

Colorado - David Aebischer (Chesapeake and Wheeling, 97-98), Bob Boughner (Toledo, 91-92), Travis Brigley (Macon, 01-02) and Tom Lawson (Reading, 03-04).

Dallas - Aaron Downey (Hampton Roads, 95-97).

Detroit - Marc Lamothe (Wheeling, 94-95) and Manny Legace (Richmond, 96-97).

Montreal - Francis Bouillon (Wheeling, 96-97) and Michael Ryder (Tallahassee, 00-01 and Mississippi, 01-02).

Nashville - Assistant Coach Peter Horachek (Louisville, 90-91 and Trenton, 01-02), Shane Hnidy (Baton Rouge, 96-97), Jeremy Stevenson (Greensboro, 94-95) and Tomas Vokoun (Wheeling, 95-96).

New Jersey - Corey Schwab (Cincinnati, 91-92).

New York Islanders - Eric Cairns (Birmingham, 94-95 and Charlotte, 95-96).

Ottawa - Assistant Coach Don Jackson (Knoxville, 90-91), Patrick Lalime (Hampton Roads, 94-95) and Chris Neil (Mobile, 99-00).

Philadelphia - Todd Fedoruk (Trenton, 99-00).

St. Louis - Strength Coach Jamie Kompon (Hampton Roads, 89-90; Cincinnati, 90-91 and Winston-Salem, 90-91), Eric Boguniecki (Dayton, 97-98), Reed Low (Baton Rouge, 97-98) and Matt Walker (Peoria, 00-01).

Tampa Bay - Head Coach John Torchetti (Carolina, 88-89; Winston-Salem, 89-91 and Greensboro, 93-95), Brian Eklund (Pensacola, 03-04), Ruslan Fedotenko (Trenton, 99-00), Nolan Pratt (Richmond, 95-96), and Andre Roy (Charlotte, 97-98).

Toronto - Nathan Perrott (Jacksonville, 97-98).

Vancouver - Assistant Coach Barry Smith (Erie, 92-96 and Baton Rouge, 97-2000) and Johan Hedberg (Baton Rouge, 97-98).

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