News Article: A little 'positiveness'

[meefer]

From Wheeler in the Athletic after the Growlers won their Cup:

"“The Maple Leafs organization is full class through and through. The way they treated us as their ECHL affiliate, you would almost never know. Everything from the day-to-day in how the organization was run was top notch and that starts from the Maple Leafs down to the Marlies and I saw it here in Newfoundland,” Pooley said."

Nothing is promised in sport, but it's nice to see the organizations process is proving to be successful and hopefully providing the Leafs with a pipeline that will be consistently useful and productive as the years go by.

Click to read more...

 

[Stamkos4life]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

 

[7even]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

Alex Burrows is probably the most famous.

The ECHL also hasn't actually been used as a league for anything other than stashing bust prospects who are signed to a contract historically. Leafs are apparently trying to better use their affiliate for actual development.

Quote like that is just a breath of fresh air after how many decades of this organization being money grubbers who only superficially cared about success. Bizarre to actually feel proud of MLSE tbh.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

A lot of good goalies go through there, but in terms of skaters, not much. Burrows was one. Byron Froese became a good AAAA player, which is impressive considering he was an ECHLer for a couple of years before getting there.

 

[VanW27]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

Lots of goalies spend at least a bit of time in the ECHL, skaters not so much, and those that do usually dont last there long before their point totals force a call up to the AHL.

Still important to keep a pipeline of talent flowing to the AHL though.

 

[ShaneFalco]

How dare you try this !

 

[meefer]

How dare you try this !

I know, just horrid stuff

 

[Lauro]

I liked this one too:

Playing in Newfoundland became a bit of a curiosity and captain James Melindy began getting questions from “intrigued” opposing players early on.

“To be treated as well as we are within the Maple Leafs organization, it goes a long way. Players want to hear about it and everyone wants to make this a destination they want to play,” Melindy said.

 

[diceman934]

I liked this one too:

Playing in Newfoundland became a bit of a curiosity and captain James Melindy began getting questions from “intrigued” opposing players early on.

“To be treated as well as we are within the Maple Leafs organization, it goes a long way. Players want to hear about it and everyone wants to make this a destination they want to play,” Melindy said.

James is a class act. He is a Hound as well.

 

[nsleaf]

I liked this one too:

Playing in Newfoundland became a bit of a curiosity and captain James Melindy began getting questions from “intrigued” opposing players early on.

“To be treated as well as we are within the Maple Leafs organization, it goes a long way. Players want to hear about it and everyone wants to make this a destination they want to play,” Melindy said.

Wonder if the players struggle with the language.

• “Whadda y'at?”

• “Where y' longs to?”

• “Who knit ya?”

• “I'm gutfounded. Fire up a scoff.”

• “Long may your big jib draw.”

• “Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at.”

• “It's a mausey/mauzy day.”

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

A lot of goalies as others have mentioned, James Reimer was one of those guys.

An interesting one for the future is Mason Marchment. Played most of a season with Orlando and had a cup of coffee with the Marlies before really getting a shot.

A big problem with the ECHL is that it's underfunded and has a lot of bad owners / staffs. Many of them couldn't give a s**t about developing players for their AHL affiliates and make sure that their favourite guys get to play big minutes. We could see an example soon where Flints former owner is looking to buy a team so his kid can play professional hockey.

Another example would be when the San Francisco Bulls were around 2011-2014, a guy I know went to be the assistant GM because his dad was one of the owners and he thought it would be cool to live there for a bit. He'd neber watched an NHL game in his life before that...

The other issue is the salary cap that the ECHL has. You basically have to fit everybody under an average of a $35,000 USD per year salary and thus stashing a bunch of guys on ELC's down there isn't possible. Even at a minor league salary a lot of guys are making at least $60,000.

 

[Primary Assist]

Great to see. The 24/7 from a few years back left a bad taste in my mouth with Carlyle being a jerk to the technician at the ACC who was fixing the toaster. Hopefully all of those similar personalities have moved on from the organization.

Another limiting factor for the ECHL as a developmental league is the 50 contract limit. It's hard to justify a contract spot for someone who would essentially be of the quality of an amateur try-out for the Marlies. Hopefully the Dube can work his magic and turn the ECHL into something of a strength for the Leafs. Every bit helps, especially when they're playing for league minimum.

 

[TML Dynasty]

I worry about it being a ‘goon league’ and us putting young prospects there. Hopefully the league changes a little too

 

[Mess]

Well Leafs prospects J.J. Piccinich and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev played for the Growlers and in the playoffs.

 

[The Iceman]

ECHL is a pipeline to the NHL for coaches. Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, EX Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau, Bylsma, Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette and Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden, Dave Lewis.

Tons of goalies. BIG name guys, Halak, Kuemper, Mike Smith, Jack Campbell, Dubnyk, Aaron Dell, Martin Jones, Louis Domingue, Neuvirth, Quick, Holtby, Hutton, Darling, Mrazek, Grubauer, Khudobin, Koskinen, Talbot, Reimer, Stalock, DeSmith, Sparks, Copley, Kolzig, Brossoit.

And forwards and D that are mostly bigger grinders or small guys.
Hendriks, Dubinsky, Glendening, Nick Jensen, Nate Thompson, Kyle Clifford, Jordie Benn, Tom Pyatt, Gourde, Conacher, Girardi, Beagle, Holl, Engelland, Reaves, Ben Chiarot.

Having a ECHL looks to be a useful effort to fill out the bottom 6 in your lineup and give a young goalie some professional experience.


ECHL has 66 former players, 42 coaches on NHL Opening Day Rosters

 

[biotk]

Some good names listed of NHL players who played in the ECHL. But I think the best example has been missed. Andrew Brunette, after being drafted 174th OA following his D+2 season, played 27 games in the ECHL during his first pro season. He eventually played over 1100 NHL games - which included an 83 point season.

 

[janesy12]

Wonder if the players struggle with the language.

• “Whadda y'at?”

• “Where y' longs to?”

• “Who knit ya?”

• “I'm gutfounded. Fire up a scoff.”

• “Long may your big jib draw.”

• “Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at.”

• “It's a mausey/mauzy day.”

I know these are always used in media as famous NL sayings, but in my 31 years I've never heard anyone say any of these in their day to day life lol.
The Long May Your Big Jib Draw statement is from a Screech In ceremony.

The rest however, I say on a regular basis lol. Another is "Yes By", and it can be used for anything. Including yes or no.

"Few beer tonight and watch the Leafs er wha?"
"Yes by"

"Gotta work tonight, can't watch the Leafs."
"Yes by"

It's a confusing language lol.

 

[RantanenRavin]

I know these are always used in media as famous NL sayings, but in my 31 years I've never heard anyone say any of these in their day to day life lol.
The Long May Your Big Jib Draw statement is from a Screech In ceremony.

The rest however, I say on a regular basis lol. Another is "Yes By", and it can be used for anything. Including yes or no.

"Few beer tonight and watch the Leafs er wha?"
"Yes by"

"Gotta work tonight, can't watch the Leafs."
"Yes by"

It's a confusing language lol.

Be that as it may, it's still English

 

[Tarmore]

I think this is great. With the Leafs being known now treating their guys in the ECHL first class it should allow them to attract better ECHL level players. These types of players will never play for the Leafs but help keep the Growlers a winning team. This helps players develop and will in turn help develop good AHL level players (all no contract players) that help the AHL with the same affect.

 

[nuck]

Does the ECHL evn produce very many nhl players? Honest question. I cant name one but maybe that's just me.

Almost none. If you look at players that lacked the skating for the AHL they go from 4th line to ECHL gunslingers. Developmentally it should be a strong place for goalies though because the league has a lot of good shooters and high danger shots are what you want your young keeper to see. The ECHL has a weekly salary cap of $13,470 for 20 players and a minimum salary of $500 per week so I am not sure any club could populate a team with high end prospects and still be compliant. I believe there is exemption for demoting pros from higher leagues (they are considered loaned and subject to the terms of their own contracts) with AHL deals being under the salary cap limits, and presumably NHL deals not. I am guessing the signing bonus on players from the higher leagues are not subject to the cap, but maybe some else can confirm.

If you look at players that are sent back to Junior for an overage year, ECHL might be a better environment for them to learn at a higher level. It could be more of a n NHL development league than it is, but the salary cap to keep it competitive seems to work against that. Theoretically a deep organization might be able to seed an ECHL team with some cheap legitimate prospects as a gap year between Junior and the AHL.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Garrett Sparks too.

 

[Tak7]

I've watched quite a bit of ECHL hockey in Brampton and Toledo.

It's a very, very low standard of hockey. Not entirely surprised that there's very little consistent progression from the ECHL to the NHL level historically. I doubt that really changes, either.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

ECHL has 66 former players, 42 coaches on NHL Opening Day Rosters

66/700 ?