Thunder Receive ECHL Team Award Of Excellence

Published on July 2, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that the Stockton Thunder have been selected as the 2008-09 recipient of the ECHL Team Award of Excellence. The Thunder also won the award in 2006-07.

The award recognizes the ECHL organization that executes a well-round business plan including, but not limited to, sales, marketing, media relations and merchandising while also distinguishing themselves in their community, on and off the ice.

Stockton led the league with 6,218 per game and 223,854 fans in 2008-09 becoming the first team to lead the ECHL in attendance four years in a row since Florida led the league for a record five straight years from 2000-05. The Thunder have had 13 capacity crowds at the 9,737-seat Stockton Arena in their first four seasons.

The Thunder raised $550,000 for charity in 2008-09 surpassing the record $400,000 in 2007-08 and increasing their three-year total to more than $1.1 million. The third-annual "Thunder Goes Pink" drew almost 18,000 fans, including a sellout crowd of 9,737, and raised more than $40,000 for the American Cancer Society - Stockton Field Office and the St. Joseph's Foundation - Breast Cancer Services. "Easy Being Green" was introduced to raise awareness of eco-friendly measures with a hockey twist and more than 14,000 fans and over $13,000 was raised during the "Green Weekend".

ECHL Award of Excellence Winners

Year Team
2008-09 Stockton Thunder
2007-08 Gwinnett Gladiators
2006-07 Stockton Thunder
2005-06 Alaska Aces
2004-05 Pensacola Ice Pilots
2003-04 Florida Everblades and Johnstown Chiefs

Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
- The ECHL celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08 and is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
- ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league with 20 teams in 15 states and British Columbia in 2009-10.
- The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
- ECHL had affiliations with 24 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League in 2008-09 marking the 12th consecutive year for affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
- 407 former ECHL players have played in NHL.
- 151 former ECHL players have played their first NHL game in the last four seasons.
- Record 52 former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2008-09 and eight players played in both the ECHL and the NHL: goaltenders Matt Climie (Idaho and Dallas), Riku Helenius (Elmira, Mississippi and Tampa Bay), Michal Neuvirth (South Carolina and Washington) and Marek Schwarz (Alaska and St. Louis), defensemen Wes O'Neill (Johnstown and Colorado), Raymond Macias (Johnstown and Colorado) and Kevin Quick (Augusta, Elmira and Tampa Bay) and right wing Joel Rechlicz (Utah and New York Islanders).
- There were 72 former ECHL players on NHL opening-day rosters.
- ECHL has been represented on last nine Stanley Cup champions including 2009 with Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, player Ruslan Fedotenko, equipment managers Dana Heinze and Dave Zeigler, athletic trainers Chris Stewart and Scott Adams and scout Derek Clancey.
- Former ECHL coaches working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders while former ECHL player Dan Bylsma is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons winning the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2007-08 becoming the first former ECHL coach to receive the award. Peter Laviolette, who began his coaching career with the Wheeling Nailers, led Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006.
- There are 15 assistant coaches in the NHL who were players or coaches in the ECHL.
- Eighteen former ECHL officials worked in the NHL in 2008-09 with referees David Banfield, Chris Ciamaga, Ghislain Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin St. Pierre and Ian Walsh and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak and Jay Sharrers. Barton, Joannette, Leggo, McCauley, Nowak, Pollock, Rooney and Sharrers all worked the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League and for the past 20 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion. - In the last six seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with over 2,500 call-ups involving more than 1,300 players since 2002-03.
- Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

ECHL Stories from July 2, 2009

• Royals Kaye Named ECHL Executive Of Year - ECHL
• Royals' GM Gordon Kaye Selected ECHL Executive of Year - Reading Royals
• Condors sign d-man and tough winger - Bakersfield Condors
• Salmon Kings Extend Qualifying Offers To Seven Players - Victoria Salmon Kings
• Chiefs Extend Qualifying Offers To Eight Players - Johnstown Chiefs
• Idaho makes qualifying offers to five players - Idaho Steelheads
• Thunder Receive ECHL Team Award Of Excellence - ECHL
• Checkers Extend Qualifying Offers To Eight Players - Charlotte Checkers
• Stingrays Extend Qualifying Offers to Eight Players - South Carolina Stingrays
• Cincinnati Cyclones Submit Qualifying Offers On Six - Cincinnati Cyclones

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