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Vandermeer Is 348th Player To Play In NHL After ECHL

February 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former ECHL left wing Pete Vandermeer became the 348th player to play in the National Hockey League after playing in the ECHL when he made his debut with the Phoenix Coyotes in a 6-3 loss to Nashville on Sunday.

The game had eight former ECHL players including Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis, who played in the 2004 ECHL All-Star Game and was the Most Valuable Player in the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs. In addition to Ellis, who had 30 saves and improved to 13-5-2 with the win, the Predators had former South Carolina and Reading center Rich Peverley, who had a goal and an assist, former ECHL All-Star Vernon Fiddler, who had an assist, and former Trenton center Jerred Smithson. In addition to Vandermeer, the Coyotes had former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik, who had a goal, former Charlotte right wing Craig Weller, who had an assist, and former Augusta center Joel Perrault, who had an assist.

Vandermeer is the 19th former ECHL player who has played his first NHL game this year and is the 203rd to make his debut in the past seven seasons, including 26 in 2006-07. He is the third player this season to make his debut with Phoenix joining Weller and Winnik, who both skated in their first NHL game with the Coyotes on Oct. 4, 2007.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams.

The 6-foot and 210-pound Vandermeer had 17 points (6g-11a) and 195 penalty minutes in 30 regular season games and three points (2g-1a) and 26 penalty minutes in seven playoff games with Columbus as a rookie in 1996-97. He returned to the ECHL in 1997-98 and had 11 points (4g-7a) and 78 penalty minutes in 20 games with Columbus and seven points (2g-5a) and 165 penalty minutes in 18 games with Richmond. He also played in the AHL in 1997-98 and had six points (4g-2a) and 140 penalty minutes in 30 regular season games and one goal with 13 penalty minutes in four playoff games with Rochester.

In 1999-2000 with Richmond of the ECHL, Vandermeer registered career professional bests in goals (31), assists (25), points (56) and penalty minutes (457) in 58 regular season games while also registering an assist and 20 penalty minutes in three playoff games. He led the league in penalty minutes while leading the team and tying for fourth in the league with 15 power-play goals. Vandermeer played two games for Trenton in 2001-02 and had an assist and two penalty minutes.

Vandermeer has 897 penalty minutes and 92 points (43g-49a) in 128 career regular season ECHL games and 46 penalty minutes and four points (2g-2a) in 10 career ECHL playoff games.

Twenty-six former ECHL players made their NHL debut in 2006-07, including two who played in both the ECHL and NHL as goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji played for Reading and Los Angeles while defenseman Bryan Young skated for Stockton and Edmonton. Dave McKee played for Augusta and dressed five games as the backup goaltender for Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim.

There are 15 coaches in the NHL who have ECHL experience including former Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette, who is head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, and former Mississippi coach Bruce Boudreau, who is head coach of the Washington Capitals.

Former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Florida Everblades center David Brine (Florida on Feb. 2), former Idaho Steelheads right wing B.J. Crombeen (Dallas on Jan. 19), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Kevin Doell (Atlanta on Jan. 4), former Alaska defenseman Zack FitzGerald (Vancouver on Feb. 5), former Fresno goaltender Thomas Greiss (San Jose on Jan. 14), former Roanoke Express and Wheeling Nailers left wing Jason Jaffray (Vancouver on Dec. 12), former Toledo Storm goaltender Drew MacIntyre (Vancouver on Dec. 13), former San Diego Gulls left wing Cody McLeod (Colorado on Dec. 19), former Alaska Aces and Pensacola Ice Pilots center Chris Minard (Pittsburgh on Jan. 21), former Columbia Inferno center Brandon Nolan (Carolina on Dec. 22), former Johnstown Chiefs and Fresno Falcons goaltender Dmitri Patzold (San Jose on Oct. 7), former Gwinnett Gladiators and Louisiana IceGators left wing Pascal Pelletier (Boston on Jan. 17), former Reading Royals goaltender Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles on Dec. 6), former Stockton Thunder left wing Liam Reddox (Edmonton on Dec. 7), former Gwinnett Gladiators left wing Colin Stuart (Atlanta on Dec. 29), former Columbus Chill, Richmond Renegades and Trenton Titans left wing Pete Vandermeer (Phoenix on Feb. 10), former San Diego goaltender Tyler Weiman (Colorado on Oct. 4), former Charlotte Checkers right wing Craig Weller (Phoenix on Oct. 4) and former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik (Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 4).

The ECHL is represented for the seventh consecutive year on the National Hockey League championship team in 2007 with Anaheim assistant coach Dave Farrish, players Francois Beauchemin and George Parros and broadcasters John Ahlers and Steve Carroll.

ECHL
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL is the Premier 'AA' Hockey League and 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 25 teams playing 900 games in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08.

The league officially changed its name to ECHL on May 19, 2003.

The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey League in 2007-08 and for the past 17 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup champion.

In each of the last two seasons there have been more than 225 players who have played in both the ECHL and the AHL and there were over 800 call-ups involving more than 500 players.

In the last five seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with over 2,000 call-ups involving more than 1,000 players since 2002-03.

Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

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