ECHL Week in Review

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -Bakersfield, Idaho and defending Kelly Cup champion South Carolina all extended their winning streaks and continue to lead the ECHL.

Idaho extended its winning streak to five games to improve to 16-3-1 and lead the league with 33 points and a winning percentage of .825. The Steelheads have won a team record and league season high seven road games in a row to improve 11-1-1 on the road. Idaho returns home to host Alaska on Thursday and Friday before traveling to Utah on Saturday.

The Steelheads lead the league with a goals-against average of 2.15 and are tied for second on the penalty kill with 86.0 percent (80-for-93). Idaho is 12-0-1 when it scores first and 8-0-1 in one-goal games.

Idaho‚s Rejean Beauchemin is 6-1-0 with a shutout and leads the league with a goals-against average of 1.86 and a save percentage of .929 while rookie teammate Richard Bachman is second with a goals-against average of 2.12 and tied for fourth with a save percentage of 916. Bachman is 9-2-1 with a shutout and leads the league with nine wins while ranking fourth with 734 minutes.

Evan Barlow of the Steelheads is tied for second among league rookies with five power-play goals and tied for fourth with 10 goals and 20 points.

Bakersfield closed out its six-game home stand with a perfect 6-0-0 record to extend its winning streak to six games and its home winning streak to eight games. The eight consecutive home wins are a league season high and tie the team record set Mar. 14-Apr. 8, 2006 while the six wins in a row are one shy of the team mark set Mar. 4-17, 2007.

The Condors are in first place in the Pacific Division with a 14-6-0 record and are third in the league with 28 points and a winning percentage of .700. Bakersfield, which plays at Stockton on Friday and Saturday, is third in the league on the penalty kill with 86.0 percent (98-for-114) and is tied for third with a goals-against average of 2.85.

Bakersfield‚s Sasha Pokulok leads league defensemen with eight goals while his 14 points tie him for fourth and his three power-play goals tie him for third.

Condors rookie Timo Pielmeier is 4-0-0 with a shootout win, a goals-against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .933 in his last four starts. Pielmeier is 8-4-0 and tied for the league lead in shootout percentage with 1.000 while his eight wins tie him for second and his goals-against average of 2.78 is ninth.

South Carolina has won its last four games to improve to 13-6-4 and move into first place in the South Division with 30 points while Florida is 4-0-1 in its last five games and in second place at 11-7-3 and 25 points. Charlotte is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and in third place at 11-4-2 and 24 points. The Checkers have scored 51 goals in their last 10 games and lead the league with 4.35 goals per game.

The Stingrays play at Gwinnett on Friday before hosting Elmira on Saturday and Sunday while Florida concludes its seven-game road trip with a game at Toledo on Wednesday and games at Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday. Charlotte hosts Gwinnett on Wednesday and Elmira on Friday before traveling to Gwinnett on Sunday.

Jacob Micflikier of the Everblades leads the league with 12 power-play assists and 15 power-play points and is tied for the ECHL lead with 22 assists and 31 points.

Charlotte‚s Doig Scores Game Winner On Penalty Shot In Overtime

Tyler Doig scored the game winner on a penalty shot to give Charlotte a 5-4 overtime win against Gwinnett on Nov. 29.

Since statistical records of penalty shots began being tracked in 1995-96 there has never been a game-winning goal scored on a penalty shot in overtime.

The last time that there was a penalty shot in overtime was in the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs by Tyler Haskins of Utah on Apr. 14, 2008 against Fresno. The last time there was a penalty shot in overtime in a regular season game was Feb. 10, 2008 by Chad Denny of Gwinnett against Columbia.

There have been seven penalty shots in overtime in regular season games since 1995-96.

Elmira Sets League Record With Eight Shots Allowed

The Elmira Jackals set the ECHL record for fewest shots allowed when they held the Trenton Devils to eight shots on goal in a 6-1 win on Nov. 29.

The Jackals broke the record held by Trenton, which held Bakersfield to nine shots on Feb. 17, 2004 and Greenville, which held Arkansas to nine shots on Mar. 7, 2000.

Elmira allowed four shots in the first period, three shots in the second and one in the third as goaltender Michael-Lee Teslak made seven saves.

The ECHL record for fewest shots in a period is zero on 16 different occasions with the most recent being Oct. 25, 2008 by Ontario against Las Vegas.

Attendance Still Ahead Of Last Season

The fifth-largest crowd in Bakersfield history and the fourth sellout of the season in Toledo helped the ECHL average 4,355 per game which is up more than seven percent from the first seven weeks of 2008-09.

The only minor professional hockey league to increase average attendance each of the last two seasons, the Premier ŒAA‚ Hockey League has averaged more than 4,000 fans each of the last five seasons and 17 times in the last 19 years while drawing more than 3 million fans for 16 straight seasons.

To purchase tickets for any ECHL game go to ECHL.com/tickets.shtml.

Six returning teams are ahead of their average attendance from last season led by Cincinnati at 63.1 percent. The Cyclones are fifth in the league with 5,064 per game which is up more than 174 percent from 2006-07. Cincinnati led minor professional hockey with a 36 percent attendance increase from 2006-07 to 2007-08 and ranked second with 23 percent from 2007-08 to 2008-09.

Elmira leads the league with six sellouts and ranks second among returning teams and third overall with a 14.0 percent increase. The Jackals are averaging 3,799 per game which is 100.4 percent of capacity at First Arena. Elmira has had 25 sellouts since joining the ECHL and tied for the league lead in 2008-09 with five sellouts after leading the ECHL the first season in 2007-08 with 14 sellouts.

Toledo moved back into the league lead with 6,111 per game which is up more than 55 percent from 2006-07 when the team played its last season in the Toledo Sports Arena. Stockton is second with 5,995 per game and Ontario is third with 5,761 per game. Stockton has led the ECHL in attendance each of their first four seasons and is trying to tie the league record of five years set by Florida from 2000-05.

Utah‚s average attendance is up 7.7 percent from a year ago while Kalamazoo is averaging 3,357 per game, an increase of more than five percent from last season when they competed in the International Hockey League, and Alaska‚s average is up more than 2.5 percent from a year ago.

National Conference - Pacific Division

Bakersfield Condors
* Bakersfield went 6-0-0 on its six-game homestand and has won eight in a row at Rabobank Arena.
* Marty Raymond won his 200th game behind the Condors' bench on Nov. 28.
* Condors visit Stockton on Friday and Saturday.

Las Vegas Wranglers
* Las Vegas is 4-2-1 in one-goal games.
* Ryan Weston scored his first goal as a Wrangler in 3-2 loss at Bakersfield on Nov. 28.
* Wranglers host Victoria on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Ontario Reign
* Ontario ranks fourth in the league on the penalty kill at home with 87.0 percent (47-for-54).
* Jon Rheault scored a shorthand goal at Victoria on Nov. 27, his first game back from a stint in the American Hockey League.
* Reign visit Utah on Wednesday and Friday and host Victoria on Sunday.

Stockton Thunder
* Stockton ranks second in attendance with an average of 5,995 per game.
* Judd Blackwater is tied for the ECHL lead with six power-play goals.
* Thunder host Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday.

National Conference - West Division

Alaska Aces
* Alaska leads the league with nine shorthand goals.
* John Lammers has three goals and four assists in two games since returning to the Alaska lineup.
* Aces play at Idaho on Thursday and Friday.

Idaho Steelheads
* Idaho is seeking its second six-game winning streak of the season when it plays Alaska on Thursday.
* Ashton Rome had Steelheads' first hat trick of the season in a 5-1 win at Stockton on Nov. 28.
* Steelheads host Alaska on Thursday and Friday and visit Utah on Saturday.

Utah Grizzlies
* Utah is 8-0-0 when scoring first and 7-0-0 when leading after one period.
* Vlady Nikiforov was awarded two penalty shots on the same play during first period against Alaska on Nov. 27, believed to be the first time in professional hockey history it has occurred.
* Grizzlies host Ontario on Wednesday and Friday before hosting Idaho on Saturday.

Victoria Salmon Kings
* Victoria is 5-2-1 in its last eight games.
* David Shantz has an 0.50 goals-against average and a .979 save percentage (47 of 48 shots) in his last two games.
* Salmon Kings play at Las Vegas on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and visit Ontario on Sunday.

American Conference - North Division

Cincinnati Cyclones
* Cincinnati is fifth in the league with an average attendance of 5,064.
* Scott Reynolds leads the league with five shorthand points (2g-3a) after picking up a shorthand assist against Kalamazoo on Nov. 27.
* Cyclones host Kalamazoo on Wednesday and Florida on Friday and Saturday.

Kalamazoo Wings
* Kalamazoo was held under three goals for the first time this season in 4-1 loss to Cincinnati on Nov. 25.
* Ben Simon has a six-game point streak (3g-6a).
* K-Wings play at Cincinnati on Wednesday and at Toledo on Friday and Saturday.

Toledo Walleye
* Toledo had its fourth sellout of the season with 7,454 against Florida on Nov. 27.
* J.C. Sawyer leads the team and ECHL defensemen with 14 assists and 21 points.
* Walleye host Florida on Wednesday and Kalamazoo on Friday and Saturday before playing at Wheeling on Sunday.

Wheeling Nailers
* Wheeling is 95.6 percent (22-for-23) on the penalty kill in its last three games.
* Thomas Beauregard is tied for third in the league with 12 goals.
* Nailers play at Johnstown on Wednesday and Friday and host Johnstown on Saturday and Toledo on Sunday.

American Conference - East Division

Elmira Jackals
* Elmira set ECHL record for fewest shots allowed with eight in 6-1 win over Trenton on Nov. 29.
* Defenseman Brennan Turner leads the league in plus-minus rating with +18.
* Jackals play at Charlotte on Friday and at South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday.

Johnstown Chiefs
* Johnstown has the second-best winning percentage (.650) in the American Conference over the last 10 games.
* Rookies Connor Shields (10g-6a) and Troy Schwab (5g-11a) led the team in November with 16 points each.
* Chiefs host Wheeling on Wednesday and Friday before playing at Wheeling on Saturday.

Reading Royals
* Reading has lost 10 straight (0-8-2) at Johnstown dating back to 2008 after losses on Nov. 25 and 28.
* Ryan Cruthers has a four-game point streak (2g-3a) and at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games (5g-11a).
* Royals host Trenton on Saturday between games at Trenton on Friday and Sunday.

Trenton Devils
* Trenton had season-high 42 shots at Reading on Nov. 27 and then set ECHL record for fewest shots with eight at Elmira on Nov. 29.
* Trevor Kell scored the game winner and had three points (1g-2a) in 3-2 win over Elmira on Nov. 28.
* Devils host Reading on Friday and Sunday and play at Reading on Saturday.

American Conference - South Division

Charlotte Checkers
* Charlotte has won six straight games at home.
* Ryan Munce stopped league season-high 55 shots in 5-3 win at Toledo on Nov. 28.
* Checkers host Gwinnett on Wednesday and Elmira on Friday before playing at Gwinnett on Sunday.

Florida Everblades
* Florida is 5-0-2 in its last seven road games.
* Jacob Micflikier is tied for the league lead with 22 assists and 31 points.
* Everblades play at Toledo on Wednesday and at Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday.

Gwinnett Gladiators
* Gwinnett is first in the league on the power play with 23.7 percent (23-for-97).
* Tom Zanoski has a three-game goal-scoring streak (3g) and is tied for third in the league with 12 goals.
* Gladiators play at Charlotte on Wednesday before hosting South Carolina on Friday and Charlotte on Sunday.

South Carolina Stingrays
* South Carolina was 26.0 percent (6-for-23) on the power play and went 4-0-0 last week.
* Matt Fornataro has three-game goal streak (3g) and a three-game assist streak (5a).
* Stingrays play at Gwinnett on Friday before hosting Elmira on Saturday and Sunday.

Premier ŒAA‚ Hockey League Fast Facts
 Watch games live on B2 Networks, the „Official Broadband Broadcast Provider‰ of the ECHL.
 Watch ECHL games around the clock on ECHL TV on B2CableTV.com.
 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.
 424 players have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL including a record 52 in 2008-09.
 16 ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Charlotte Checkers and Reading Royals defenseman Dean Arsene (Edmonton on Nov. 16), former Gwinnett Gladiators and 2006 ECHL All-Star right wing Guillaume Desbiens (Vancouver on Oct. 11), former Cincinnati Cyclones center and 2008 ECHL Most Valuable Player David Desharnais (Montreal on Nov. 25), former Stockton Thunder and 2007 ECHL All-Star goaltender Devan Dubnyk (Edmonton on Nov. 28), former Las Vegas Wranglers, Reading Royals and South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Deryk Engelland (Pittsburgh on Nov. 10), former Idaho Steelheads center Aaron Gagnon (Dallas on Oct. 16), former Victoria Salmon Kings defenseman Shaun Heshka (Phoenix on Nov. 7), former Wheeling Nailers right wing David Laliberte (Philadelphia on Oct. 31), former Wheeling Nailers center Mark Letestu (Pittsburgh on Nov. 14), former Stockton Thunder right wing Colin McDonald (Edmonton on Nov. 27), former Stockton Thunder center Ryan O‚Marra (Edmonton on Nov. 10), former Reading Royals right wing Scott Parse (Los Angeles on Oct. 24), former Charlotte Checkers center Tom Pyatt (Montreal on Nov. 5), former Johnstown Chiefs defenseman Jay Rosehill (Toronto on Oct. 1), former Bakersfield Condors center MacGregor Sharp (Anaheim on Nov. 19), former Idaho Steelheads left wing Francis Wathier (Dallas on Oct. 21) and former Cincinnati Cyclones right wing J.T. Wyman (Montreal on Nov. 24).
 2 players have played in the ECHL and the NHL this season: Kyle Calder with Bakersfield and Anaheim and MacGregor Sharp with Bakersfield and Anaheim.
 The ECHL has had 232 players reach the NHL since 2002-03 when it changed its focus to become the primary developmental league for the NHL and the AHL. The ECHL had 97 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215 in the first 15 years.
 168 ECHL players have played their first game in the last five seasons for an average of more than 32 per year.
 ECHL had a record 78 players on NHL opening-day rosters, surpassing the 71 from a year ago and marking the seventh year in a row that there have been over 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters.
 Every ECHL team has an affiliation with an NHL team and the league has affiliations with 28 of the 30 NHL teams, marking the 13th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
 26 coaches with an ECHL background are working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau and New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders while former ECHL player Dan Bylsma is head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It is the fifth consecutive season that there have been 11 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL. 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.
 20 former ECHL officials are working as part of the NHL officiating team in 2009-10 with referees David Banfield, Francis Charron, Chris Ciamaga, Ghislain Herbert, 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, Bryan Pancich, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak and Jay Sharrers.
 ECHL was represented for the ninth year in a row on the Stanley Cup champion 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. There were 43 former players and 14 former coaches on 15 of the 16 teams competing in the National Hockey League‚s Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the fourth year in a row that there have been at least 30 former ECHL players and the sixth consecutive season that over 25 players with ECHL experience have competed in the NHL postseason.
 Former ECHL and current Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the NHL and was also presented the William Jennings Trophy with teammate Manny Fernandez as the goaltenders finishing the season having surrendered the fewest goals. Thomas was also named First Team All-NHL after registering a career-high 36 wins while leading the NHL with a goals-against average of 2.10 and a save percentage of .933 to help the Bruins finish with the most wins (53) and points (116) since 1971-72.
 ECHL was represented in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game by Mark Streit of the New York Islanders and Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins while former ECHL players Dan Ellis, Jonathan Quick and Tomas Vokoun were all selected as recipients of the NHL‚s „Three Stars‰ award in 2008-09.
 Former ECHL broadcasters working in the National Hockey League include John Ahlers and Steve Carroll of the Anaheim Ducks, Tom Callahan of the Nashville Predators, Dave Goucher of the Boston Bruins, Chris Kerber of the St. Louis Blues, Dave Mishkin of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bob McElligott and John Michael of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Rob Simpson, who is a producer/host for The NHL Network.
 Ryan Stanzel and Jeremy Zager, who were both recipients of the ECHL Media Relations Director of the Year award, are working in the communications department for the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. Former ECHL assistant director of communications Joe Siville and Kelly Murray are now with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, respectively, while former ECHL director of communications Jason Rothwell is the creative director for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
 ECHL has affiliations with 26 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 and in 2008-09 there were 10 times as many call-ups from the ECHL to the AHL than all other professional leagues.
 The ECHL averaged 4,258 fans per game in 2008-09 and is the only minor professional hockey league to increase average attendance each of the last two seasons. It is the fifth consecutive season and the 17th time in the last 19 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans and the league drew over 3 million fans for the 16th year in a row and reached the 3 million mark in the fewest number of games since 2005-06.
 There have been more than 74 million fans who have attended almost 17,000 games since the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states.
 The Ontario Reign, the City of Ontario and Citizens Business Bank Arena will host the 18th Annual ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok Hockey on Jan. 20, 2010 and the 13th Annual All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 19, 2010.
 Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.

 

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