Most successful ECHL players that made it to the NHL

[The Blunder Years]

Was thinking about the ECHL and looking at rosters and was surprised by some of the guys playing there. This lead to me wondering who the best and most successful player at the NHL level is that came through the ECHL.

Click to read more...

 

[hototogisu]

Jonathan Quick played a season in the ECHL off the top of my head. Although it's more common for goalies to spend time in the ECHL than skaters. Tim Thomas was another although he played all over.

David Desharnais and Alex Burrows come to mind for skaters who played there.

 

[PsychoticHab]

Braden Holtby
Jonathan Quick
Jaroslav Halak
Alex Burrows

Those are probably the most successful ones. (At least some of them)

 

[tarheelhockey]

Olie Kolzig.

Most will be goalies due to the nature of the depth chart. Burrows is probably the best success story among skaters.

 

[Roboturner913]

Always baffled me that Chris Valicevic never got a shot. Not even a sniff. Guy was the Paul Coffey of the ECHL.

 

[clefty]

Vokoun is another goaltender. Scott Darling.

Outside of a few goons it's hard to think of many skaters. Michael Ryder started off in the ECHL for a bit.

 

[Wood Stick]

Outside of goalies I guess, for Detroit Andrej Nestrasil managed to make the NHL and had some okay time with Carolina.

 

[Samus44]

David Schlemko

Probably quite a few other solid but unheralded dmen too.

 

[Ducks in a row]

Something I found http://www.echl.com/echl-has-76-former-players-on-nhl-opening-day-rosters

Some names are

Jonathan Quick
Brandon Dubinsky
Petr Mrazek
Devan Dubnyk
Mike Hoffman

 

[isles55]

Mark Streit.

 

[lawrence]

Alex Burrows. Dude was never even drafted.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Goalies shouldn't count as it's not uncommon to have some very good goalie prospects play there instead of being the backup in the AHL.

Andrew Macdonald is now making a lot of money after playing some time in the ECHL, although he isn't exactly good outside of one year...

 

[tigervixxxen]

What's the definition of played? One game? A few? Long period of time? Some teams are using the ECHL as more of a AA level for some younger/not top prospects but it's not the career killer its perceived to be. Colorado sent some decent prospects to the ECHL to get playoff experience because they weren't going to get it at the AHL level.

 

[MessierII]

I know Dubnyk played down there. He's a pretty darn good goalie now.

 

[Gnashville]

Vern Fiddler

Lots of Goalies when they were young I assume since it is better to get a few starts in the ECHL than back-up in the AHL

 

[El Cohiba]

Not a stud by any means but Antoine Roussel

 

[Stive Morgan]

Mike Condon played a season for the Wheeling Nailers

 

[Belial]

This is a David Desharnais moment!

 

[biotk]

Andrew Brunette. Drafted 174th after his D+2 season and then spent half a season in the ECHL before moving up to the AHL where he spent the majority of the following 4 seasons. Finally cracked the NHL full-time during his D+8 season. Went on to play over 1000 NHL games, and over 700 NHL points, and a game 7 OT goal in 2003.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Al Montoya and Cam Talbot.

Scott Darling, who has already been mentioned, played two seasons in the SPHL before going to the ECHL. He's probably the only player to ever play that long in the SPHL to go to the NHL.

 

[izzy]

Andrew Brunette. Drafted 174th after his D+2 season and then spent half a season in the ECHL before moving up to the AHL where he spent the majority of the following 4 seasons. Finally cracked the NHL full-time during his D+8 season. Went on to play over 1000 NHL games, and over 700 NHL points, and a game 7 OT goal in 2003.

6th not 8th but still cool

 

[biotk]

6th not 8th but still cool

6th year after he was drafted, but he was passed over two years before finally getting drafted.

 

[alko]

Ruslan Fedotenko - 2 times Stanley Cup winner and the one, who scored the Cup winning goal in 2004.

Braden Holtby

Here you have the full list of 623 NHL alumni (16/17 included).

 

[izzy]

6th year after he was drafted, but he was passed over two years before finally getting drafted.

my bad i actually had the years mixed up that he played fulltime cuz i was using hockeydb on mobile

lol

 

[kaiser matias]

Al Montoya and Cam Talbot.

Scott Darling, who has already been mentioned, played two seasons in the SPHL before going to the ECHL. He's probably the only player to ever play that long in the SPHL to go to the NHL.

Try the only SPHL alumnus to make the NHL. A few fringe NHLers have played there after their stint at the top, but Darling is the only one (or was the first at least) to go the other way.