Two Jackals Selected To ECHL All-Star Game

December 31, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


The ECHL announced on Thursday that two Elmira Jackals rookies have been selected to the American Conference roster for the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario. Justin Donati, who leads the ECHL in scoring, has been selected as a starter and Maxime Gratchev, tied for second among ECHL rookies in scoring, has been selected to the team as well.

Donati tops the ECHL with 30 assists and 44 points in 2009-2010. He has collected two individual awards this season, having been named the Reebok Hockey ECHL Rookie of the Month for October, and the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for Nov. 9-Nov. 15.

Gratchev is second in the ECHL in scoring among rookies with 30 points (13g-17a). He recorded his first professional hat trick on Sunday against Wheeling, and is tied for third on the team with a +8.

The two rookies collaborated to post ECHL single-game highs for points, goals, and assists for 2009-2010 on Nov. 14 at Gwinnett in an 11-3 Jackals victory. Donati and Gratchev became the first two Jackals to record six points in a game since the team joined the ECHL. Donati had four goals in the game while Gratchev notched six assists, both single-game records for the Jackals since the start of the 2007 season.

The 2010 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok Hockey and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario will be hosted by the Ontario Reign at Citizens Business Bank Arena and played on Jan. 20, 2010 while the 2010 ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will be held on Jan. 19, 2010.

There are 11 rookies on the American Conference roster and 19 of the 21 players are making their first appearance in an ECHL All-Star Game.

There have been 58 players from the All-Star Game who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 33 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects who move up to a higher level.

The starting lineups are determined in voting by American 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 12 teams having a representative.

The third class will be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame on Jan. 20, 2010 during a luncheon ceremony at the Hilton Ontario Airport, the official host hotel of the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario. The featured speaker at the ECHL Hall of Fame luncheon will be Hockey Hall of Fame member and Los Angeles Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille.

Tickets for the luncheon are $40 each or a table with seven tickets can be purchased for $250. The Ontario Reign is offering a special ticket package that includes a ticket to the ECHL Hall of Fame luncheon, the All-Star Skills Competition, the Fan Fest at Dave & Busters and the ECHL All-Star Game for only $75. To purchase tickets visit OntarioReign.com/team/allstar or telephone the Ontario Reign at (909) 941-7825.



ECHL Stories from December 31, 2009


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