ECHL5

Monday, June 29, 2009

Lecavalier comes through in OT; East beats West

Mere moments after hearing he had been traded during the All-Star/trade deadline festivities Vincent Lecavalier sent a message to his former club, firing a crisp pass from Todd Bertuzzi past the sprawling pads of Dan Cloutier. The new Bolt was mobbed on the ice by his Eastern teammates after the come-from-behind 9-8 victory sealed yet another victory for the dominant East, the latest in a string of All-Star and Stanley Cup victories by the conference.

Check the final boxscore here.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Western Youth dominate in ECHL5 Young Stars Game

The ECHL are proud to post the results of the ECHL5 Young Stars Game here.

Taking a page from the legendary "empty arena match" between The Rock and Mankind the ECHL5 ran an empty arena Young Stars Game, forgoing millions of dollars to bask in the adulation and attention of the mass media. The kids of the Western Conference took control of the environment - seemingly used to playing in front of silent and unentertained fans - to almost double up the Eastern children by a final score of 8-5. For more information check out the boxscore.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Team: NY Islanders
Name: Jason Smellie
Birthday: April 12, 1973
Hometown: Stratford, ON

Reporting from the Annual General Managers meetings in Bolton, Ontario, I’m James Duthie of TSN.

Duthie: Alright, let’s get this interview started. How long have you been a league GM?
GM: This is my first year, this has been fantastic.

Duthie: How do you think your team will do this year?
GM: Should win 1 round in the playoffs, Who ever it may be, we may be a underrated underdog that could make waves.

Duthie: Can we expect to see any big moves from your club this season? Are you looking for draft picks, prospects or players for your roster?
GM: Looking to add a LH winger, have lots of young kids that need guidance and leadership.

Duthie: Who do you believe is or will be your franchise player?
GM: Pavel Demitra is my current franchise player. Trying to find the next franchise, either through a trade or draft picks. The Islanders are not afraid of making the necessary moves to make the team better.

Duthie: Which club(s) is or are your biggest rival(s)?
GM: Currently no big rival just want to beat the socks off Chicago, looking to build a rival in this eastern division, should develop one during the playoffs this year.

Duthie: Which clubs do you expect to be cup contenders this season?
GM: NY Rangers, and any of the top 3 in the West. My team has a hard time beating anyone in the west. Even Nashville, as bad as they may be, I went 1-1-1 against them. For the record I beat Chicago every game this season.

Duthie: Which team(s) do you think are the most under-rated & most over-rated?
GM: Phoenix is way over rated, although Calgary is strong they are not to be taken lightly. Everything will change after the trade deadline, the “rental players” will strengthen so many teams. It is going to interesting going to the end of the season.

Duthie: If you could trade for one ECHL player not currently on your team, who would it be?
GM: Alex Ovechkin but who wouldn’t want him, he is so exciting to watch in the NHL, and it seems his passion for the game in genuine. His Rerate will be only be going up in for the next few years.

Duthie: Who is your favourite NHL team? Who are your favourite NHL players?
GM: The Leafs are my favourite team, Matt Sundin before he left the leafs, But liked him since he his Quebec days. I also liked Mike Palmateer and Al Iafrate all had their day in the sun. I like to follow lots of different players Rod Langway, I watch a lot of players on the defense, anyone can score but it takes a special player to run the ice in both zones. They can be both the scapegoat ( Macabe) or the hero ( Mike Green).

Duthie: What are some of your hobbies outside of the ECHL?
GM:: It may seem lame but, I enjoy gardening, Veggies and flowers also trying to work on a pond. Nature is great and has so many rewards if you treat it properly. I have tomatoes, green peas (My 3 girls love them) Greens beans, Cabbage, Onions, Peppers, Sun Flowers yes I know weak, but it brings my family together, as we continue to care for it.

Duthie: Thanks for your time and good luck the rest of this season.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Team: Colorado Avalanche
Name: KP Wee
Birthday: Near World Series time
Hometown: Vancouver BC

Reporting from the Annual General Managers meetings in Bolton, Ontario, I’m James Duthie of TSN.

Duthie: Alright, let’s get this interview started. How long have you been a league GM?
GM: I started in ECHL3, so this marks my third year in this league. However, despite my seniority, I see my team being far inferior to the other teams with newer and/or rookie GMs. That just means I’m likely one of the worst, if not the absolute worst, talent-evaluators in the league. (chuckles)

Duthie: How do you think your team will do this year?
GM: Well, I will be battling Carolina to stay out of the basement in the whole league. There’s no chance in hell we’ll be making the playoffs. Tell you what, if Modano hadn’t scored two goals in the last game, I would have basically put him on the fourth line. I was that close to doing it, with all the losing. But he’s earned himself one more game to be the leader and go out and produce.

Duthie: Can we expect to see any big moves from your club this season? Are you looking for draft picks, prospects or players for your roster?
GM: I don’t intend to make any trades the rest of the season. The only shakeups I see coming are internal. I’ll probably send Modano to the fourth line or increase Sami’s ice time. Owen Nolan’s been a bum this year. Basically I might give ice time to other players and sit the so-called big stars just to see what we can get out of everyone.

Duthie: Who do you believe is or will be your franchise player?
GM: Don’t think we have one here in Denver.

Duthie: Which club(s) is or are your biggest rival(s)?
GM: Well, I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. I don’t—and I don’t encourage my players to do so either—grab the schedule at the start of the year and start circling dates and say “We’ve got to beat THIS team” and that kind of nonsense. Every time you go out on the ice, your goal is to win. If you lose, you’ve wasted your time. So this year, we’ve wasted a lot of time with our performance. You can’t just say so-and-so is your biggest rival because the bottom line is, you don’t just give a 150% effort just because say, you’re facing Team A, and then play just at an 80% ability versus Team B because you don’t perceive B to be a quote-unquote, rival. You give it your all regardless of who your opponent is. So, really, if there are 30 teams in the league, you have 29 rivals. Period. I think only the guys in the media hype up this “rivalry” nonsense. Could I do that just to sell tickets? Sure, but I think it’s just hype and at the end of the day, you have to win as many games as possible, regardless of who the opponent is.

Duthie: Which clubs do you expect to be cup contenders this season?
GM: It’s a crapshoot. Anyone can win. I believe one year Tampa or Chicago won it despite being the seventh seed, and Boston did so a couple years ago. I’d personally root for the Rangers. They seem like an up-and-coming team, and perhaps House can guide his squad to the championship. We’ll have to see.

Duthie: Which team(s) do you think are the most under-rated & most over-rated?
GM: Well, it’s hard to say. It’s all hype, again, created by the media. It would be very stupid of me to label teams as “overrated” too, for the simple fact that GMs’ egos are very fragile in this league. You say a team is overrated, you’ll probably get a phone call from that GM about that. And you guys in the media like to stir things. I could give you ten sentences about why I think a team is struggling, and you’ll probably edit out the nine sentences and replay over and over again the ONE sentence where I say “Team blah blah is really bad right now, aren’t they?” and just run with it. That’s the problem with you media guys. Just play the same clip over and over again and make us look like dummies.

Duthie: If you could trade for one ECHL player not currently on your team, who would it be?
GM: Ovechkin. I think Philly is sitting pretty well right now.

Duthie: Who is your favourite NHL team? Who are your favourite NHL players?
GM: The NHL? The NHL is now defunct. That’s why we bought the damn Cup from them prior to ECHL1, right? If you’re thinking in the past tense, I mean, I’m not a 12-year-old anymore. Young kids, sure, have their “favourite” players. But I think as you become an adult, you realize that these are professional athletes who care only about the almighty buck. It’s all about money. And if I were to wear Player X’s jersey, people might think I have a man-crush on Player X. You know, there’s no point in cheering for anyone. You know?

Duthie: What are some of your hobbies outside of the ECHL?
GM: I don’t have any. I really need one to keep me going.

Duthie: Thanks for your time and good luck the rest of this season.

Monday, June 1, 2009

All-Star Starting Lineups Announced

The results of ECHL5 All-Star voting have been announced, and while every team will be represented in the big game, the starting lineups for the East and West are now available for viewing, discussion, and derision by clicking here. See you live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

All-Star Voting Underway

ECHL5 All-Star Voting is now underway. All GMs are encouraged to click here to place their votes on who will represent each ECHL team in this year's All-Star game, coming live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

ECHL5 is Underway!

Opening night of the ECHL5 season opened with a busy schedule, with twenty-eight teams of thirty in action. After a long delay, the opening faceoffs brought about excitement and some surprises.

Some of the highlights of opening night were a thrilling 8-7 overtime victory for the New York Islanders over their fellow NY rivals, the Rangers and the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning being drubbed 6-1 by the Washington Capitals.. ECHL’s first female GM, Emily Kiezebrink, notched her first victory, guiding the St. Louis Blues to a 7-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Opening night was also punctuated with a blockbuster three-team trade. Going to Tampa Bay were Michael Nylander and Dan Blackburn from the Bruins. Going to Boston were Al Montoya and prospect Kyle Beach and a 1st round draft pick. Blackburn was then flipped to the Atlanta Thrashers, along with Karel Rachunek, Janne Niinimaa, and Nathan Horton for Alexei Kovalev, Brent Seabrook, Jhonas Enroth, Barret Jackman, and a 1st round draft pick. All three teams suffered a tie or a loss on opening night, and these three teams wasted no time in making changes to their roster.

The puck has dropped on the new season and there promises to be plenty of action in the weeks to come. Get ready for some exciting fantasy action as the march to the Cup begins now.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

ECHL5 Entry and Dispersal Draft Results

January 18th brought about the first ECHL Dispersal Draft and the 3rd live Entry Draft with surprises abounding throughout. The talk of the draft floor was a blockbuster deal that saw two top ECHL goaltenders trade teams; Martin Brodeur's rights heading to Toronto and the rights to two-time Vezina winner Dwayne Rolson heading back to Phoenix in a six-player and three draft pick deal. It was one of three draft day deals that would see picks moving rapidly and teams sliding up and down the board.

The entry draft itself saw GMs head "off the board" unlike ever before with the 2nd overall pick by Tampa Bay becoming the 26th ranked Drew Doughty and 18th ranked Jimmy Howard available all the way until the New York Rangers made him the 42nd overall selection. It seemed those GMs in attendance placed a premium on youth with average skilled 18-year-olds flying off the boards early on.

Players not selected in the Dispersal Draft were immediately granted Unrestricted Free Agency status and will be added to the pool with no teams owning matching rights. Players not selected in the ECHL5 Entry Draft were, however, notified they would be ineligible for ECHL5 play and will be available in the ECHL6 Entry Draft prior to next season.

The final results of the ECHL5 Entry Draft is as follows:

Round One

01 RW Joe Pavelski
02 D Drew Doughty
03 C Steven Stamkos
04 D Luke Schenn
05 RW Nikita Filatov
06 LW Ryan Clowe
07 D Zach Bogosian
08 C Tomas Plekanec
09 LW Milan Lucic
10 LW Colin Wilson
11 D Johnny Oduya
12 G Jhonas Enroth
13 D Tim Gleason
14 D Alex Pietrangelo
15 G Jonas Hiller
16 LW GM Matthias
17 LW Loui Eriksson
18 RW David Backes
19 C Erik Christensen
20 LW Jiri Hudler
21 RW Mason Raymond
22 RW Dan Fritsche
23 D P.K. Subban
24 C T.J. Hensick
25 RW Mikkel Boedker
26 LW Cody Hodgson
27 D Colten Teubert
28 G Chet Pickard
29 LW Daniel Carcillo
30 C Kyle Beach

Round Two

31 D Erik Karlsson
32 RW Zach Boychuk
33 G Thomas McCollum
34 D Jake Gardiner
35 LW Joshua Bailey
36 RW Viktor Tikhonov
37 C Joe Colborne
38 LW Brett Maclean
39 RW Teddy Purcell
40 D Tyler Myers
41 G Jimmy Howard
42 RW Dustin Byfuglien
43 C Ryan Kesler
44 C Tyler Ennis
45 G Jaroslav Halak
46 C Tyler Kennedy
47 RW Jordan Eberle
48 LW Daniel Winnik
49 D Luca Sbisa
50 D Jeff Petry
51 LW Artem Anisimov
52 D Logan Pyett
53 D Paul Ranger
54 RW Jeff Tambellini
55 C Nikolai Kulemin
56 C Nathan Gerbe
57 RW Mikhail Grabovski
58 D Keith Yandle
59 LW Clarke MacArthur
60 C Brian Boyle

Round Three

61 D John Carlson
62 LW James Neal
63 LW Fabian Brunnstrom
64 D Anton Stralman
65 D Andrew Campbell
66 D Jonathan Ericsson
67 LW Anton Gustafsson
68 C Jori Lehtera
69 G Jacob Markstrom
70 D Michael Del Zotto
71 LW Mattias Tedenby
72 C Greg Nemisz
73 C Zack Smith
74 D Tyler Cuma
75 D Cody Goloubef
76 D Marc-Andre Bourdon
77 RW Zac Dalpe
78 D Tomas Kundratek
79 RW Jimmy Hayes
80 C Justin Daniels
81 G Jake Allen
82 G Marco Cousineau
83 C Daultan Leveille
84 RW Steve Quailer
85 C Corey Trivino
86 C Scott Winkler
87 D Eric Mestery
88 C Luke Adam
89 LW Josh Brittain
90 C Philip McRae

The final results of the ECHL5 Dispersal Draft is as follows:

Round One

01 D Mark Streit (OV77, $925,000)
02 RW Antti Miettinen (OV76, $875,000)
03 C Paul Gaustad (OV76, $875,000)
04 G Dan Ellis (OV78, $975,000)
05 LW Curtis Glencross (OV74, $775,000)
06 D Jan Hejda (OV75, $825,000)
07 G Jason LaBarbera (OV75, $825,000)
08 D Paul Martin (OV74, $775,000)
09 G Pekka Rinne (OV74, $775,000)
10 D Dennis Wideman (OV73, $725,000)
11 RW Ryan Shannon (OV73, $725,000)
12 C Chris Kelly (OV74, $775,000)
13 RW Colton Orr (OV72, $675,000)
14 C Maxime Talbot (OV74, $775,000)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Kovalev Lashes Out at Nashville

ATLANTA GA--It seems as though Alexei Kovalev will be marking the games against his former team, the Nashville Predators, on the calender.

"I was relegated to the third line with promises of a Cup ring," he said tersely after training camp was over for the day. "I couldn't get used to the revolving door. I know the Nashville trades have settled down. What I'm upset about is the trade to Atlanta. I have a no trade claus that kicks in in two weeks. I was looking forward to settling in one place after Columbus dealt me. Then I get traded again. What a gong-show!"

The veteran right winger wiped the sweat off his face before continuing. "Why offer me a no trade claus when my name was being offered in trades? It's not making any sense. So yeah, I'll be looking forward to the games against Nashville."

Despite the verbal assault on Nashville, most of which could not be published due to language reasons, Kovalev made it very clear he does not have any regrets about being in Atlanta.

"This management seems dedicated to winning," he said. "I spoke with both Justin and Trevor at great length about my role here, why I was brought here. They both promised me lots of ice time. I have a lot to give, I think. Bringing in young players like O'Marra and Seabrook shows they want to win and prepare for the future. Guerin is a competitor and I know all about Jackman. I'm expected to be a leader. I may not have a letter yet... the captains haven't been voted on yet... but they made it very clear...I'm here to help lead the way.

"One thing I appreciate... they both never promised a Cup yet. They told me this year could have some growing pains yet. I appreciate the honesty...but I think we'll be tougher than people think. Justin wouldn't say anything, but I think there could be some more promising changes coming. This is really exciting for the Atlanta franchise."

Kovalev had one more arrow to shoot at the Nashville franchise.

"As long as I'm a Thrasher, may the Predators never drink from the Cup," he said before disappearing into the Atlanta locker room.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Atlanta Hot on the Trigger for ECHL5

ATLANTA GA--The Atlanta Thrashers served notice to the rest of the league this past week. They are not content with the status quo.

"I know there have been several definitions of rebuilding thrown around, but we had a chance to bolster key positions," Thrashers assistant general manager Trevor Samson said at a recent press conference. "We have obtained two right wingers who can score. We strengthened our blue line. We have added a prospect that will help us for years to come. Rebuilding means just that in Thrasherland... we are rebuilding."

The Atlanta Thrashers have been busy in the trade market so far this offseason. Their first move was to send long serving right winger and captain Scott Walker to Minnesota for right wing Bill Guerin and a draft pick. Their second was to send three draft picks to Nashville for right wing Alexei Kovalev, defenseman Barret Jackman, and defensive bluechip prospect Nick Ross. Neither GM would comment on further transactions.

"There may be more coming, there may not be," general manager Justin Halbersma remarked. "You guys like to blow up every move we make here. So until further notice, there will be no leaks on future trade negotiations. We needed to boost our scoring. We lost 18 one-goal games last season. We tied eight more and lost three in OT. That's 41 points we gave up over the course of last year. Convert even half of those to wins, we're contending for the postseason.

"Guerin and Kovalev both give us punch from the right side. Scott will be missed, but if there's any consolation, it's that we got two quality players to fill in his absence. We also solidified our defense. Jackman will be a huge boost to us right away. Nick will have his nine game tryout with the big club but he may end up in the minors after that nine games... the spot is his to lose.

"I know many will criticize us for giving up three draft picks. I expect that... as a GM, you best have a thick skin and not worry about what others think of your roster moves. But as a GM, it's my job to build a winner. I'm not saying we're right away Cup contenders, but Billy, Alex, Barret, and Nick all give us a better chance than we had even at the end of last season."

Both Alexei Kovalev and Bill Guerin were at the press conference, wearing their familiar numbers on Thrasher jerseys. Both seemed excited at the idea of joining a rebuilding club.

"Atlanta presents a challenge," Guerin said. "All through my career, I have embraced a challenge. This is a young team that missed the postseason. Both Alex and I were brought in to right the ship. It's exciting times for Atlanta fans."

"It's going to be different," Kovalev commented. "I'm looking forward to all the playing time I can handle. Mike (coach Mike Landry) met with me and said I'm going to expect all the minutes I can handle. Far cry from being a third liner in Nashville. With that comes expectation. I have to produce."

Neither Jackman or Ross could attend, as both were taking care of personal matters back in Nashville. Our cameras were allowed inside the Atlanta dressing room where we saw the four new jerseys displayed at their new stalls. Guerin was uncomfortable.

"Fisher wears 13 and I haven't had a chance to talk with him," he commented. "If I have to switch numbers, I will. I'm hoping I can keep my number, but if not, that's life. Mike and I are friends. There will not be a problem. Ross will have the same situation with Prusek...both wear 80. We'll see...you grow attached to numbers."

Coach Mike Landry smiled when he was asked about the numbers. "Hockey players are superstitious," he said with a grin. "Everything will be done to accomodate everyone."

There is a huge expectation this season to beat last year's woeful performance. There are a few holes, but it seems as though fans in Atlanta are beginning to get excited. Season ticket sales have steadily increased after the announcements of the trades.

Time will show the fruit of the Thrashers' labours.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Changes Promised in Thrasher-Land

ATLANTA GA--Atlanta Thrashers general manager Justin Halbersma looked up from the mass of papers littering his desk in Philips Arena and turned to look out over the skyline of downtown Atlanta.

“This new season promises changes,” he said. “New assistants, new coaching staff, and I’m hoping the players bring a whole new attitude this year.”

It was a nightmare season for the Thrashers in ECHL4, a season that saw them plummet to 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference. Rather than muddle through the existing troubles, Halbersma elected instead to blow up the roster, shedding salary and bringing in some much needed draft picks.

“As I said last season, we were flush against the cap, we were losing, we were aging, and we had no help on the horizon,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “This off-season gave me plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong last year. This rebuilding won’t be a one-season process. We may not make the playoffs next year, either. My hope is that we will be better and competitive. We may not be the most skilled team, but we don’t want to give away two points to every other team, either.”

The off-season saw Halbersma go on a rampage in the front office. Assistant general manager Sarah Buckley was appointed to assistant coach to Laura Albrecht in their farm system. In her place comes newly appointed assistant Trevor Samson, who will assist Halbersma in the GM duties.

Rather than speak on the new additions, Halbersma provided the Associated Press with the new front office and coaching structure of the Atlanta Thrashers:

President/General Manager: Justin Halbersma
Assistant GM: Trevor Samson
Head Coach: Mike Landry
Assistant Coach: Charlie Aalders
Assistant Coach: Danny Grant
Goaltending Coach: Charles Grant
Head Scout: Mike Hamlin
Director of Player Development: Pete Hamlin
Director of Hockey Operations: Emily Kiezebrink

A media blackout was imposed on the new staff until further notice.

“We have lots of work to do,” Halbersma said, the excitement in his voice very apparent. “We have RFAs to sign and UFAs to pursue. We have an entry draft to prepare for and a dispersal draft to look over. The players under contract will be arriving at camp any day now. Again I ask the loyal fans…be patient. We will be a contender soon.”

Saturday, January 3, 2009

ECHL Returns with ECHL5

It seemed almost fitting after a season when the Tampa Bay Lightning won almost everything there was to win that the first contest of ECHL5 would find them on the losing end of the draft lottery. In a surprising turn of events the draft ball to fall out was #752, meaning with only 8.1% chance of doing so, the Edmonton Oilers would move from 5th to 1st overall in the entry draft taking place next Sunday, January 11th. Perhaps the only team to lose out more than the Lightning are the unfortunate Atlanta Thrashers who traded the 5th overall pick to Edmonton last April to bring Jan Hrdina and Anson Carter to the Peach State, neither of whom remains in Atlanta.

The final draft order for the ECHL5 Entry Draft is as follows:

Round One

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

Round Two

31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

Round Three

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90

Thursday, January 1, 2009

ECHL Returns with ECHL5

An uncharacteristically short ECHL off-season didn't stop the GMs from pleading for its return, and return it will as the ECHL Commissioners Office announced the pre-season would officially begin immediately. The following timeline leads towards a January 25th launch of games:

January 1: League files launched, RFA contract bids provided to GMs, trading opens
January 9: Deadline to sign RFAs (unsigned RFAs are added to the UFA pool)
January 11: Live prospect draft and non-playoff team dispersal draft
January 12: UFA list made available for contract bids to all GMs
January 19: Deadline to bid on UFAs; bids provided to GMs for matching or declining
January 21: Deadline to match bids on UFAs
January 25: First games of the ECHL5 season

January 11th will not only be the ECHL's third live draft, but we're adding in something new this year. Many of you have alerted us to players that have made it relatively big in the NHL but were never in the top 90 draft picks for ECHL drafts. Rather than add them to the UFA list as we did last year we will be offering a special dispersal draft for non-playoff teams from ECHL4. This is in an effort to introduce a bit more parity as the league has begun to split down the middle, leaving some teams (I'm looking at you, Western Conference) with literally no chance to compete. You'll each receive at least one reasonable player to assist your efforts.

Read old news items.