Sports stats

ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Net Three All-Stars

December 22, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


BOISE, Idaho - The ECHL announced today that Steelheads' defenseman Darrell Hay and forwards Derek Nesbitt and Francis Wathier have been selected to the National Conference's roster for the 2007 RBK ECHL All-Star Game, which takes place in Boise at Qwest Arena on Wednesday, January 17 at 7 p.m.

The three selections for the club equals the number of all-stars represented by the Steelheads last season, with all three of this year's representatives making their first ECHL all-star appearance. Hay, who is in his seventh pro season and third with the Steelheads, was named as a starter to the team. The Kamloops, British Columbia native currently ranks first among Steelheads' defenseman with 18 points (2g, 16a), which also ties him for seventh among all ECHL blueliners.

Nesbitt, whose 21 assists and 30 points lead the team, is a second-year pro from Egmondville, Ontario. Entering play today, he is tied for seventh in the league in scoring. He also ranks first on the Steelheads in plus/minus (+10) and shots (110), while tying for the team lead with five power play goals. Last season, Nesbitt recorded 69 points for the Gwinnett Gladiators.

One of 13 rookies selected to the National Conference team, Wathier is currently on recall to the Steelheads American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Stars. The 6'4" forward has 13 points (4g, 9a), including one game-winning goal, in 17 games with the Steelheads and one goal and no assists in eight games in Iowa.

"Any time you get players on your team honored, it's obviously a great accomplishment," Steelheads' head coach Derek Laxdal said following the league's announcement. "Our organization views these honors as team awards. A lot of guys put in hard work to help these players get recognized. I'm real proud of the guys selected because their efforts have been rewarded. It will be awesome for them to play in front of their home fans at the all-star game."

The starting lineups are determined in voting by National Conference coaches, team captains, media directors, broadcasters and media members. Coaches also submitted the top prospects from within their conference to determine the final roster with each of the 10 teams having a representative.

Showcasing some of the top prospects in the ECHL, the 2006 All-Star Game had 21 rookies and 35 of the 41 players were playing in their first All-Star Game. Attended by representatives from both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the All-Star Game has produced 28 players who have gone on to the NHL and there were five NHL assistant coaches in 2005-06 who had coached in an ECHL All-Star Game.

Since the Steelheads joined the ECHL in 2003-04, All-Star Games have been played in Peoria, IL (2004), Reading, PA (2005) and Fresno, CA (2006). The 2007 All-Star Game will mark the 15th in league's 18-year history.

The 2006 All-Star Game was televised live for the fifth year in a row and available in more than 80 million homes on The NHL Network, NHL Center Ice and America One, and was rebroadcast twice by OLN, the cable home of the National Hockey League. The audio broadcast was produced by NHL Radio and was available live on XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio service with more than six million subscribers.

The Steelheads will use the festivities to raise money and awareness for Bridges Community School, Idaho's first school serving the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is a brain disorder that affects an individual's ability to communicate, reason, or socially interact with others. The incidences of ASD are rising steadily and have doubled in Idaho since 2004.

Tickets for the All-Star Skills Competition and the game come as a package deal and are on sale now with prices ranging from $15-35. Call 331-TIX, visit www.idahosteelheads.com (using the all-new, print-at-home feature) or visit the Qwest Arena Box Office.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 22, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Idaho Steelheads Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central