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Texas, Cincinnati, Las Vegas Chase Brabham Cup

February 28, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The race for the Brabham Cup is on with Texas leading Cincinnati by six points and Las Vegas by nine points as the weekend begins.

The Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded to the ECHL regular season point champion, who is guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout its participation in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Las Vegas is the defending champion having captured the Brabham Cup in 2006-07 with 106 points, finishing one point ahead of Alaska which finished first in 2005-06 with 113 points, one point in front of Las Vegas. The Aces and Wranglers finished with the second-highest and third-highest point totals in league history in 2005-06. Las Vegas and Alaska are only the second and third teams, respectively, in ECHL history to score 100 points in back-to-back seasons, joining Trenton, which won the Brabham Cup in 2000-01 with 104 points and finished second in 2001-02 with 102 points.

The award is named in recognition of Henry Brabham, who founded the ECHL in 1988-89 with five teams in four states. Brabham, who was the first inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame, owned three of the original five teams, including the legendary Johnstown Chiefs who are celebrating their 20th season in 2007-08. The dedication of the Virginia businessman was crucial to the league surviving to span from coast-to-coast while advancing 350 players and countless coaches, on-ice officials and front office personnel to the National Hockey League.

Texas is 40-6-9 and clinched a berth in the postseason after only 48 games surpassing the ECHL record of 56 games by Louisiana in 2001-02. The Wildcatters play at South Carolina on Friday and at Gwinnett on Saturday and Sunday. Texas is 2-0-1 at Gwinnett and 4-0-1 overall against the Gladiators this season and is 2-0-0 at South Carolina and 3-1-1 overall this year against the Stingrays.

Cincinnati is on the road in California where they visit Stockton on Thursday and Saturday, Fresno on Friday and Bakersfield on Monday. They have won an ECHL record 15 consecutive games, breaking the record of 14 games set by Knoxville from Dec. 28, 1993-Jan. 29, 1994 and tied by Louisiana from Nov. 23-Dec. 22, 2001.

The Cyclones lead the ECHL with a team record 22 home wins while their 40 wins tie them for the league lead with Texas. Cincinnati has won its last six road games, tying the team record set Dec. 15-Jan. 12, 2003, and its last 11 home games, breaking the eight wins set Dec. 22, 1996-Jan. 14, 1997.

Cincinnati leads the ECHL with 212 goals and 4.16 goals per game while Texas is second with 204 goals and 3.71 goals per game and Las Vegas is sixth with 191 goals and 11th with 3.41 goals per game. The Cyclones have allowed a league-low 116 goals and lead the ECHL in goals-against average with 2.27 while Texas has allowed the second-fewest goals with 130 to rank second in goals-against average with 2.36. Las Vegas has allowed the third-fewest goals with 136 and ranks third in goals-against average with 2.43.

Las Vegas is 35-11-10 and on the road for games at Victoria, which leads the West Division with 73 points (34-16-3), on Friday and Saturday. The Wranglers are 19-5-4 all-time against Victoria, which has won three of the last four meetings to improve to 4-3-0 against Las Vegas, including 2-1-0 at home.

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