ECHL Makes Rules Enforcement Video Available Online
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that the video presentation explaining the new standard of rules enforcement being adopted in 2006-07 can now be viewed on the league's official web site at www.ECHL.com/Rule_Book.shtml.
ECHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Rod Pasma traveled to the National Hockey League office in Toronto to develop the video, which is narrated by NHL Senior VP & Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom, for a new standard of officiating under the one-man referee system.
"We encourage our fans to watch this video as the new standard of rules enforcement will change how the game is played in the ECHL," said Pasma.
ECHL coaches watched the video at their annual meeting, and each coach received copies of the video with instructions to show and review it with their players during training camp. It was also shown to the Board of Governors at their Preseason Meeting on Sept. 28.
ECHL on-ice officials will view and receive a copy of the video at the annual On-Ice Officials Training Camps, scheduled for Oct. 6-8 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa. and Oct. 13-15 at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Calif.
Fans can also view the NHL video "The New Standard of Rule Enforcement 2006-07," which is also narrated by Walkom, on ECHL.com.
ECHL
The league officially changed its name to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
The Premier 'AA' Hockey League, the ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League in 2006-07. 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 in 2005-06. There have been 158 players who have played in the NHL after the ECHL in the past five seasons and there were 13 former ECHL coaches behind the benches of NHL teams in 2005-06.
The ECHL was represented for the sixth consecutive year on the National Hockey League championship team, including Carolina Hurricanes head coach Peter Laviolette, who is the first ECHL coach to win the Stanley Cup.
The ECHL has affiliations with 22 of the 27 teams in the American Hockey League in 2006-07 and for the past 17 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion. 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.
The ECHL raised its average attendance for the third straight year in 2005-06 drawing 3,934,794 for 900 games which is an average of 4,372 per game, an increase of more than nine percent from 2004-05 and the largest per-game average since 1999-2000. Six teams surpassed 200,000 and nine teams averaged 5,000 per game for the first time since 1999-2000 as the league welcomed 39 sellout crowds and 13 of the 22 returning teams raised their average attendance from a year ago.
The Idaho Steelheads and the City of Boise will host the 15th Annual ECHL All-Star Game presented by Rbk Hockey on Jan. 17 and the 10th Annual ECHL All-Star Skills Competition presented by Rbk Hockey on Jan. 16 at Qwest Arena.
In 2005-06 the ECHL and its member teams contributed more than $2.3 million for charity and relief funds, including those benefiting victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while also making thousands of appearances by players, coaches, team personnel and mascots at schools, hospitals, libraries and charity functions.
Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at www.ECHL.com.
Four weeks of shooting at an empty net can get old fast, which is why the arrival of rookie goaltender David Shantz at Germain Arena this week was met with smiles by the veteran Florida Everblades.
Grizzlie roster lists a new goalie, some familiar faces
There will be new goalies and a new captain, yet to be determined, but the local guy, two of the top scorers and a couple of the best defensemen are back for a second year with the Utah Grizzlies.
And popular forward Justin Cox will play for a fifth season in Utah after missing last season, Utah's first at the AA level in the ECHL.
Utah's training-camp roster was released late Tuesday afternoon, and the club will hold its first practice at 10 a.m. Friday at West Valley City's Acord Ice Center. All Grizzly practices are open to the public.
The captain, Louis Dumont, is not coming back, nor are goalies Alfie Michaud or Justin Eddy.
But coach Jason Christie has returned ECHL-leading goalscorer Ryan Kinasewich, who had 38 markers to tie for the league title and set a franchise record.
With 17 players under contract, and more coming from the NHL and AHL affiliates, the Titans will open training camp Saturday night at Lavino Field House.
New coach Rick Kowalsky's first camp will start on the campus at The Lawrenceville School with a 7 p.m. practice.
The Gwinnett Gladiators increased their toughness by a factor of two with the signing of Blue Bennefield and Joel Stepp on Tuesday.
Both are familiar — and popular — names to hockey fans in Gwinnett.
Bennefield was a crowd favorite in the Gladiators inaugural season, especially as he racked up 38 points and 222 penalty minutes in 72 games. The 27-year-old is back in black and maroon after bouncing around a bit for the last two seasons.
Bennefield, a lively addition to the locker room to be sure, spent 2004-05 with Victoria of the ECHL and split last year between the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League and the American Hockey League Lowell Lock Monsters. He appeared in 12 games with Lowell and had two goals, two assists and 35 penalty minutes, and also had a team-high 273 penalty minutes in 53 games with Adirondack.
The Johnstown Chiefs unveiled special third jerseys on Tuesday, then announced the names of 14 players to wear them.
The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning assigned those players to the Chiefs’ training camp that opens on Saturday at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. Last season’s 17-win goaltender Morgan Cey and netminder Gerald Coleman, who has NHL experience with the Lightning, were on the list.
Rookie forward Maxime Boisclair had back-to-back 100-point seasons with Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, scoring 130 points last season. Former Tampa fifth-round draft pick Stanislav Lascek had 135 points last season with Chicoutimi.
The Toledo Storm is bringing back its eighth-leading scorer who has averaged 16 goals and 42 points in a three-year ECHL career.
Center Jeff Attard, who tallied 39 points (17 goals and 22 assists) last season, will be back for the Storm when it opens Oct. 20 at the Sports Arena. Attard, 6-2 and 205 pounds, had fi ve goals and six assists on the power play.
When Francois-Pierre Guenette of Laval, Que., came to Halifax to play major-junior hockey in the QMJHL with the Mooseheads, he became simply "F.P."
"It was easier for the English people," smiled Guenette, whose dream of making it to the NHL continues through famously-English Victoria with the Salmon Kings of the ECHL.
Under contract to the Vancouver Canucks, the 2003 seventh-round draft pick begins his second season in the Canucks farm system in the ECHL. Now, however, that's not with the Columbia Inferno of South Carolina after the Canucks switched their ECHL affiliation over the summer to the more logical Victoria location.
Gathered in the grass beside the Wendler Middle School track one morning in early July, about a dozen teenaged distance runners, sinewy of body and giddy of spirit, laughed and stretched casually before heading out for an easy run on nearby trails.
In Lane 1 of the track, a couple of thin, middle-aged runners slowly, stoically ran 400-meter lap after 400-meter lap.
ECHL news 10/04
ECHL news 10/04
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