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Victoria becomes training ground for Canucks and Moose

July 18, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC - The Victoria Salmon Kings have entered into an affiliation agreement with National Hockey League and American Hockey League clubs, agreeing to terms with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks and their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, for the upcoming 2006-07 Season.

The Salmon Kings will work in conjunction with Dave Nonis, Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager, and his management, scouting and coaching staffs, as well as the Moose Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Craig Heisinger, and his management, scouting and coaching staffs, in the development of future NHL and AHL players.

The Salmon Kings, which improved from their inaugural season in 2004-05 (35 points) to 61 points in 2005-06, see the partnership with the Canucks and Moose as an important stepping stone to reach the ECHL Playoffs and ultimately the Kelly Cup. The Salmon Kings season finish was one of the best in the league as they earned points in 65% of their final 20 games. They also posted a 4-5-1 regular season record against the Alaska Aces-the eventual 2006 Kelly Cup Champions.

"These two teams will be great partners for the Victoria Salmon Kings," said Dan Belisle, Vice-President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. "This confirms that the changes the Salmon Kings made in the last year, which led to a point increase of seventy-five percent, are being recognized in professional hockey circles."

"We are pleased to announce this new deal with the Salmon Kings," said Steve Tambellini, Vice-President and Assistant General Manager for the Vancouver Canucks. "This partnership establishes a strong local connection between the Canucks and the Salmon Kings and reinforces our commitment to further develop and support hockey in British Columbia. We believe that our relationships with both the Salmon Kings and the Manitoba Moose will greatly benefit the growth of our players."

"We are looking forward to establishing a strong relationship with Dan Belisle, Tony MacAulay, and the rest of the Salmon Kings organization," said Heisinger. "We have a long history of developing young prospects such as Jesse Schultz and Alexandre Burrows into successful AHL and NHL players. We know that trend will continue with the Salmon Kings in Victoria."

Victoria is now among 20 ECHL teams which currently have an affiliation contract.

"Our commitment to our fans and the community is to aggressively pursue success," said Dave Dakers, President of the Salmon Kings, "This affiliation with the Canucks and Moose is an affirmation of the Salmon Kings commitment."

Renew or buy your Salmon Kings tickets and take advantage of the savings and benefits that being a season ticket holder offers. Call today (250) 220-7888. We're ready for hockey. How about you?

ECHL Affiliation Facts

The Premier "AA" Hockey League, the ECHL had affiliations with 25 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League in 2005-06.

There have been 303 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including a record 47 who made their NHL debut in 2005-06.

Since 2000-01, 158 former ECHL players have made their NHL debut.

The ECHL had affiliations with 21 of the 27 teams in the American Hockey League in 2005-06 and for the past 17 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion.

The ECHL had 416 call ups to the AHL, involving 263 players, in 2005-06. The ECHL has had more players called up to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined each of the past four seasons with 1,646 call ups involving almost 1,000 players.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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