2021-22 ECHL Season Thread

[royals119]

I think either Brian "the pro" Gratz or Dave Marlin played that game for Reading.

It was Dave Marlin, with Pat Noecker backing him up. I think the top guy at the time was called up and they didn't want the backup to play because he was playing every night. Marlin was the "ebug of the week", so he got the call.

Gratzy had the unusual distinction of being the only Royals goalie to dress as a skater for the Royals in a game. They were on the road, and between callups and the flu suddenly found they were one skater short of the minimum, but they had three goaltenders. ( if you counted Brian who was really a second assistant coach at that point). Cody Rudkowski wanted to dress as a skater and actually play (he was a pretty good skater for a goalie, and could handle the puck). They could have started Fukufuji in that game and had Gratz as the backup, but the coach didn't want to risk getting his #1 guy hurt in a game they were destined to lose anyway. Gratz didn't even get a shift. He was dressed, and sat on the bench so they didn't have to forfeit. I think they had five forwards and 3 defense who actually played. Everybody had to take turns double shifting.

 

[Roadhog]

Brampton Beast vs. Team India game was a big step for Indian hockey #IceHockeyForIndia

2015 Authentic Team India Brampton Jersey — The Hockey Foundation

 

[JMCx4]

From: The ECHL > News

ECHL officials to officiate at NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City

2 hours ago (September 13, 2021)

The ECHL announced on Monday that eight ECHL on-ice officials, along with Manager of Officiating Operations Stephen Thomson, will work the 2021 NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan from Sept. 16-20. This marks the ninth consecutive tournament that ECHL officials have worked games. ...

ECHL officials who will work during the Prospects Tournament include referees Logan Gruhl, Sam Heidemann, Trevor Wohlford and Jack Young along with linesmen Chad Fuller, Bryan Gorcoff, Matt Heinen and Kirsten Welsh. ...

Read more at: ECHL officials to officiate at NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City

 

[JMCx4]

A little crossover action with the reimagined NWHL ...

Board of Governors approves Tulsa's Transfer of Controlling Interest

16 hours ago (Sep. 14, 2021)

The ECHL announced on Tuesday that the League’s Board of Governors has approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Tulsa Oilers Membership from Steven Brothers Sports Management of Tulsa, LLC to NL Sports, LLC, owned by Andy Scurto. NL Sports’ current holdings include The Premier Hockey Federation (formerly the NWHL), Buffalo Beauts and Minnesota Whitecaps. ...

Read more at: Board of Governors approves Tulsa's Transfer of Controlling Interest

And this business perspective from the local Tulsa World news outlet ...

... Scurto, who is from Saratoga, California, was looking for a hockey team franchise, and the Oilers came up on his list of potential teams.

“I worked with a broker because I was interested in purchasing a team, and they introduced me to anyone that was interested in selling,” Scurto recalled of his search for a team. “I looked at four or five different venues and ended up here.

‘I really liked what I saw. It checked all my boxes. It is in a great facility, we have a great team and a great operations team, and Rodney (Stevens) was looking to divest of one of his teams. It was a perfect match. It is a really solid program and I don’t have to build it from scratch.” ...

 

[LadyStanley]

Critical Dates - 2021-22 Season

Critical dates for upcoming season.

 

[Flukeshot]

Brampton Beast vs. Team India game was a big step for Indian hockey #IceHockeyForIndia

2015 Authentic Team India Brampton Jersey — The Hockey Foundation

I live in Brampton and didn't know that game happened. Pretty cool. Would be fun to see the ECHL take on more events like that.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Critical Dates - 2021-22 Season

Critical dates for upcoming season.

Preseason week is the 14th-16th

 

[JMCx4]

Like HUTCH said ...

ECHL ANNOUNCES PRESEASON SCHEDULE

21 Sep 2021

The ECHL announced on Tuesday its preseason schedule of 19 games taking place from Thursday, October 14 through Saturday, October 16. ...

2021 ECHL Preseason Schedule

Thursday, October 14
Indy at Cincinnati 7:35 p.m. ET

Friday, October 15
Reading at Adirondack 7:00 p.m. ET
Worcester at Maine 7:00 p.m. ET (The Colisée in Lewiston, Maine)
Toledo at Kalamazoo 7:00 p.m. ET
Fort Wayne at Wheeling 7:00 p.m. ET
Anyang Halla (Korea) vs. Greenville (at Atlanta)7:30 p.m. ET
Orlando at Florida 7:30 p.m. ET
Tulsa at Wichita 7:00 p.m. CT (Wichita Ice Center)
Iowa at Kansas City 7:10 p.m. CT
Utah at Idaho 7:10 p.m. MT

Saturday, October 16
Cincinnati at Indy 6:00 p.m. ET
Maine at Worcester 6:05 p.m. ET (Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center)
Adirondack at Reading 7:00 p.m. ET
Orlando at Florida 7:00 p.m. ET
Kalamazoo at Toledo 7:15 p.m. ET
Anyang Halla (Korea) at Atlanta 7:30 p.m. ET
Wheeling at Fort Wayne 7:35 p.m. ET
Tulsa at Wichita 7:00 p.m. CT (Wichita Ice Center)
Idaho at Utah 7:00 p.m. MT (Weber Ice Sheet in Ogden, Utah) ...


Read more at: ECHL announces Preseason Schedule

 

[JMCx4]

From: ECHL.com > News

GRIZZLIES NAME KINASEWICH AS HEAD COACH

Utah Grizzlies
28 minutes ago (September 28, 2021)

The Utah Grizzlies have named Ryan Kinasewich as the team's new head coach. He replaces Tim Branham, who was hired as assistant coach by the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles earlier this month.

Kinasewich has served as the Grizzlies' assistant coach for the previous three years, helping lead Utah to appearances in the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2019 and 2021. ...

Read more at: Grizzlies name Kinasewich as head coach

 

[royals119]

From: ECHL.com > News

Another former Royal coaching in the ECHL. Congrats to "ChickenSandwich" as I used to call him.

 

[JMCx4]

From: Field Pass Hockey > ECHL

Three Periods Podcast Episode #11: Komets Head Coach Ben Boudreau

by Matthew Will, Matthew Harding
October 8, 2021

Welcome to the Three Periods Podcast, Field Pass Hockey’s ECHL-centric podcast, presented by PURE Performance!

In episode 11, (we) discuss:

• Head coach of the Kelly Cup Champion Fort Wayne Komets, Ben Boudreau, joins the show
• Just how close the Komets were to sitting out the 2020-21 season
• What recruiting was like for the Komets’ last season, and how things have gone this season
• Matty’s Stat of the Show, which reveals a stat that binds Ben & his dad, Bruce Boudreau, to ECHL lore forever
• Catching up on all the ECHL news as the season continues to close in; FloSports’ big purchase, key player signings, the affiliation slate settled, and history made in Newfoundland
• What games do the guys have circled on the 2021-22 ECHL calendar?
• In honor of the 105th anniversary of the worst defeat in college football history…the guys share the most lopsided hockey game they’ve ever covered or been to? ...

Podcast Player Link at: Three Periods Podcast Episode #11: Komets Head Coach Ben Boudreau

 

[JMCx4]

The 2021-22 ECHL regular season starts in two weeks, with a Canadian flair. Thursday night, October 21st, the new Trois-Rivières Lions will host the almost-homeless Newfoundland Growlers at Colisée Vidéotron to open League play. The rest of the latest schedule can be found here.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The ECHL > ECHL This Week

ECHL season opens Thursday
2 hours ago (October 18, 2021)

The 34th season of the ECHL begins with Opening Night on Thursday when the Newfoundland Growlers visit one of the two new ECHL teams for 2021-22, the Trois-Rivières Lions. Opening Weekend continues with six games on Friday and 13 games on Saturday before concluding with two games on Sunday.

The ECHL’s other new Member, the Iowa Heartlanders, begin their tenure in the league on Friday when they host Kansas City. Other openers on Friday’s schedule include Idaho hosting Utah, Maine taking on Worcester, Norfolk entertaining Reading and Rapid City meeting Tulsa.

Twelve teams open their home schedules on Saturday as Adirondack entertains Newfoundland, Allen welcomes Wichita, Florida hosts Jacksonville, Fort Wayne takes on Wheeling, Indy entertains Cincinnati, Kansas City welcomes Iowa, Kalamazoo meets Toledo, Orlando hosts Atlanta, Reading meets Norfolk, South Carolina takes on Greenville, Utah entertains Idaho and Worcester welcomes Maine.

In addition to Iowa and Trois-Rivières, the ECHL welcomes back 11 teams who did not play during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

Read more at: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/10/echl-season-opens-thursday

 

[JMCx4]

And the League's Division Capsules for each of the 27 teams, to kick off the season ...

• North Division Capsules

• South Division Capsules

• Central Division Capsules

• Mountain Division Capsules

 

[JMCx4]

Good vibes for one of the two new teams this season ... Lions inaugural game is sold-out

The IA Heartlanders' ticket sales are reportedly brisk for their home opener as well, with a Friday night start hosting KC as part of a home-and-home weekend. But I doubt they will be seeing full houses very often, especially with the team partnering for several local game broadcasts. "Try Before You Buy" is a dicey marketing strategy for minor pro hockey in a new market. Good luck to them.

 

[JMCx4]

Week #1 has come 'n' gone, so it's time for the League's summaries ...

• NORTH DIVISION WEEKLY - OCT. 25
• SOUTH DIVISION WEEKLY - OCT. 25
• CENTRAL DIVISION WEEKLY - OCT. 25
• MOUNTAIN DIVISION WEEKLY - OCT. 25

And the weekend's video highlights, for those who hate to read ...

• ECHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK - OCT 21-24 2021

• ECHL SAVES OF THE WEEK - OCT 21-24 2021

 

[JMCx4]

 

[JMCx4]

What can you say on this play ... but "OOF!"

 

[JMCx4]

Another defensive breakdown for the Lions ...

 

[JMCx4]

From: FloHockey.tv > Articles > ECHL

Reading Royals' Matthew Strome Tries To Keep Hot Hand

The 22-year-old helped pace the ECHL through its opening weekend with a remarkable two goals and four assists showing.

Oct 29, 2021 by Mike Ashmore

Silly as it may seem on the surface, it’s not entirely ridiculous to ask Reading Royals forward Matthew Strome if this kind of scoring pace is sustainable.

Close, but not entirely.

The 22-year-old helped pace the ECHL through its opening weekend with a remarkable two goals and four assists showing in his team’s home-and-home series split with the Norfolk Admirals.

“I mean, I hope I can average three points a game,” Strome said through a dry chuckle. “That would be pretty impressive.” ...

Read and See more at:
Reading Royals' Matthew Strome Tries To Keep Hot Hand - FloHockey

 

[JMCx4]

Monthly peek (Part 1) at the League standings ...

 

[JMCx4]

And Part 2 to kickoff November ...

 

[JMCx4]

ECHL Players of the Month for October 2021 ...

Orlando's Luchuk named Warrior Hockey/ECHL Player of the Month

Player of the Month​

03 Nov 2021

Aaron Luchuk of the Orlando Solar Bears has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Player of the Month for October. It is the second time in his career that he has received the monthly honor.

Luchuk scored four goals and added four assists for eight points in three games during the opening month of the ECHL season.

The 24-year-old tallied at least two points in each of his three games, and had a four-point game (3g-1a) in a 5-4 overtime win over Jacksonville on Oct. 31, which included the fastest hat trick in Solar Bears’ history (12:07).

A native of Kingston, Ontario, Luchuk is tied for second in the ECHL with eight points and is tied for third with four goals. ...

Idaho's Aksiantsiuk named Howies Hockey Tape/ECHL Rookie of the Month

Rookie of the Month​

03 Nov 2021

Idaho Steelheads’ forward Yauheni Aksiantsiuk has been named the Howies Hockey Tape ECHL Rookie of the Month for October.

Aksiantsiuk scored four goals, added five assists and was a +6 in five games during the opening month of the ECHL season.

The 20-year-old had at least two points in four of his five games in October. He posted three points (1g-2a) on Oct. 29 against Rapid City and scored a pair of goals on Oct.30 against the Rush, including the overtime game-winning goal just seven seconds into the extra session, which is tied as the fourth-quickest overtime goal in ECHL regular-season history.

Under a National Hockey League contract with Dallas, Aksiantsiuk leads the ECHL with nine points and is tied for third with four goals. ...

Newfoundland's Petruzzelli named Warrior Hockey/ECHL Goaltender of the Month

Goaltender of the Month​

03 Nov 2021

Keith Petruzzelli of the Newfoundland Growlers has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for October.

Petruzzelli went 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .972 in two appearances during the opening month of the ECHL season.

The 22-year-old turned aside 35 of the 36 shots he faced in both of his appearances in October - a 3-1 win at Trois-Rivières on Oct. 22 and a 4-1 victory over the Lions on Oct. 26.

A native of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Petruzzelli ranks fourth in the league in save percentage and is tied for fourth in goals-against average. ...

 

[Atlantian]

Big game in the South today. For what I believe to be the first time in their history, the Gladiators erased a 4 goal deficit to win in regulation 7-5 against Greenville. Down 4-0 after 1, the Gladiators scored 5 straight to come back into the game.

 

[JMCx4]

My favorite "Is There An Editor In The House?" hockey headline of the weekend, courtesy of Field Pass Hockey ... Nailers Drop 30th Home Opener