Stockton's Irwin Named In Glas Co ECHL Player Of The Week

Published on March 14, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. - Joel Irwin of the Stockton Thunder is the In Glas Co ECHL Player of the Week for Mar. 6-12.

The 5-foot-10 and 185-pound Irwin scored nine points (3g-6a) as Stockton went 3-1-0 for the week, including a team record three-game winning streak, and improved to 5-1-0 in its last six games.

Irwin began the week scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist in a 7-1 victory at Phoenix on Mar. 8. In a 5-4 shootout win at Long Beach on Mar. 10, he scored a power-play goal to tie the game 3-3, he assisted on the game-tying goal to force overtime, and then converted his attempt in the shootout. He closed out the week assisting on two power-play goals and a shorthand goal in a 5-1 win at Bakersfield.

The 31-year-old is 19th in the ECHL with a team-leading 59 points in 56 games. He leads Stockton with 38 assists and is second on the team with 21 goals and 27 power-play points (7ppg-20ppa).

Irwin began his professional career in 1998-99 appearing in three games for Richmond of the ECHL and he played his first full professional season in 1999-2000 with Greensboro. In his seventh full professional season, Irwin has 272 points (113g-159a) and 296 penalty minutes in 338 regular season games and six points (4g-2a) and two penalty minutes in nine Kelly Cup Playoff games for Richmond, Greensboro, Pee Dee and Stockton. He was chosen to play in the ECHL All-Star Game in 2000-01 when he had a career-high 40 assists and 63 points in 68 games for Greensboro.

The native of Kamloops, British Columbia played four years at Ferris State University from 1995-99 where he had 111 points (48g-63a) and 210 penalty minutes in 150 games. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1995-96 and was team captain in 1998-99.

On behalf of Joel Irwin, a case of pucks will be donated to a Stockton, California area youth hockey organization by In Glas Co, the exclusive puck supplier for the ECHL. In Glas Co has donated over 14,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities since it began sponsoring the award in 2000-01.

Runners Up: Brandon Nolan, Columbia (2gp-2g-4a-6pts) and Sean Collins, Wheeling (2gp-4g-1a-5pts).

Also Nominated: Justin Maiser (Alaska), Brian Passmore (Augusta), Mathieu Brunelle (Bakersfield), Mike Bayrack (Charlotte), Reggie Berg (Florida), Brad Bonello (Greenville), Jon Awe (Gwinnett), Kurt MacSweyn (Idaho) Dan Tudin (Las Vegas), Joe Dusbabek (Phoenix), Shay Stephenson (Reading), Jesse Bennefield (San Diego), Evan Schwabe (South Carolina), Mike James (Toledo) and Scott Bertoli (Trenton).

ECHL Stories from March 14, 2006

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• ECHL Transactions - ECHL
• Campbell Called up to AHL Lowell - Atlanta Gladiators
• Irwin Named ECHL Player of the Week, Moreland Honored - Stockton Thunder
• Tormey returns from AHL - Trenton Devils
• Injury-plagued Gulls make more moves - San Diego Gulls
• Stockton's Irwin Named In Glas Co ECHL Player Of The Week - ECHL
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