2014–15 ECHL season

2014–15 ECHL season
League ECHL
Sport Ice hockey
Duration October 17, 2014 – April 11, 2015
Regular season
Brabham Cup Toledo Walleye
Season MVP Jeff Jakaitis (South Carolina)
Top scorer Chad Costello (Allen)
Playoffs
Eastern champions South Carolina Stingrays
  Eastern runners-up Toledo Walleye
Western champions Allen Americans
  Western runners-up Ontario Reign
Playoffs Playoffs MVP Greger Hanson
Kelly Cup
Champions Allen Americans
  Runners-up South Carolina Stingrays

The 2014–15 ECHL season is the 27th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule will run from October 17, 2014, to April 11, 2015,[1] with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams in 20 states and one Canadian province will each play a 72-game schedule. The league was significantly expanded just before the season in October 2014 after a merger with its longtime rival, the Central Hockey League.[2]

League business

Team changes

New affiliations and changes

ECHL team New affiliates Former affiliates
Alaska Aces Minnesota Wild (NHL)
St. Louis Blues (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)		 Calgary Flames (NHL)
Abbotsford Heat (AHL)
Allen Americans San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Worcester Sharks (AHL)		 Unaffiliated in CHL
Brampton Beast Unaffiliated from CHL
Colorado Eagles Calgary Flames (NHL)
Adirondack Flames (AHL)		 Independent
Elmira Jackals Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
Rochester Americans (AHL)		 Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Binghamton Senators (AHL)
Evansville IceMen Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Binghamton Senators (AHL)		 Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Springfield Falcons (AHL)
Fort Wayne Komets Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)		 Independent
Indy Fuel Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)		 Expansion team
Kalamazoo Wings Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Springfield Falcons (AHL)		 St. Louis Blues (NHL)
Missouri Mavericks Chicago Wolves (AHL) since 2011 in CHL
Orlando Solar Bears Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)
Quad City Mallards Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)		 Wild affiliation in CHL since 2013
Rapid City Rush Unaffiliated from CHL
Reading Royals Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)		 Washington Capitals (NHL)
Hershey Bears (AHL)
South Carolina Stingrays Washington Capitals (NHL)
Hershey Bears (AHL)
Toledo Walleye Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Tulsa Oilers Unaffiliated from CHL
Wichita Thunder Unaffiliated from CHL

Annual Board of Governors meeting

The annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting was held at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in June 2014. Conferences were significantly re-aligned in light of recent team changes. In the Eastern Conference, the three-team Atlantic Division was eliminated while the Mountain Division in the Western Conference was eliminated to make way for a new Midwest Division. The Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings were moved to the Western Conference to compete in the Midwest Division with the Colorado Eagles and expansion Indy Fuel.[6] This was significantly revised after the CHL merger in October 2014, with the newly created Midwest Division eliminated in favor of a Central Division consisting of the former CHL teams. Along with Indy, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo were moved back to the Eastern Conference.[2]

The ECHL Board of Governors also re-elected Gwinnett Gladiators president Steve Chapman as chairman and approved changes to the icing rule similar to those previously implemented by the National Hockey League.[6]

All-star game

The annual ECHL All-Star Classic was held on January 21, 2015, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The format for the 2015 All-star Game featured the Orlando Solar Bears taking on the ECHL All-stars.[7] The ECHL All-stars won the game with a score of 8-4 and the game had the largest ECHL all-star game attendance since 2000.[8]

2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs format

At the end of the regular season the top four teams in each division will qualify for the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The first two playoff rounds will be played entirely within the divisions, with the divisional playoff champions facing each other in the conference championships. The Kelly Cup final will pit the Eastern Conference champion against the Western Conference champion. All four rounds will be a best-of-seven format.[6]

Standings

Due to the merger with the Central Hockey League, the league's conference alignment changed on October 9, 2014, moving the Colorado Eagles to the Pacific Division and moving the seven former CHL squads into the Western Conference as the Central Division. The Midwest Division dissolved, with its remaining teams joining the North Division. To make room for the four Midwest teams, the Reading Royals and Elmira Jackals left the North Division for the South, which was then renamed the East Division.[2]

Final Regular Season Standings[9]

Eastern Conference
North Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA PTS
z – Toledo Walleye (DET) 72 50 15 5 2 281 182 107
x – Fort Wayne Komets (COL) 72 48 18 2 4 251 200 102
x – Kalamazoo Wings (CBJ/VAN) 72 36 30 3 3 226 233 78
x – Wheeling Nailers (MTL/PIT) 72 37 33 1 1 210 213 76
Cincinnati Cyclones (FLA/NSH) 72 31 30 2 9 195 212 73
Indy Fuel (CHI) 72 31 30 4 7 197 221 73
Evansville IceMen (OTT) 72 15 48 6 3 169 271 39
East Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA PTS
y – Florida Everblades (CAR/TB) 72 49 16 2 5 267 208 105
x – South Carolina Stingrays (BOS/WSH) 72 45 20 1 6 224 163 97
x – Reading Royals (PHI) 72 45 21 4 2 259 210 96
x – Orlando Solar Bears (TOR) 72 37 25 6 4 236 215 84
Greenville Road Warriors (NYR) 72 39 29 1 3 216 215 82
Elmira Jackals (BUF) 72 32 33 0 7 186 217 71
Gwinnett Gladiators (ARZ) 72 20 45 3 4 174 263 47

Western Conference
Central Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA PTS
y – Allen Americans (SJ) 72 48 14 6 4 292 203 106
x – Rapid City Rush (Ind.) 72 37 28 2 5 218 206 81
x – Quad City Mallards (MIN) 72 37 28 4 3 205 186 81
x – Tulsa Oilers (Ind.) 72 37 29 3 3 248 244 80
Wichita Thunder (Ind.) 72 32 31 2 7 213 240 73
Missouri Mavericks (AHL-CHI) 72 28 35 5 4 192 231 65
Brampton Beast (Ind.) 72 23 46 3 0 181 298 49
Pacific Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA PTS
y – Idaho Steelheads (DAL) 72 48 18 2 4 258 187 102
x – Ontario Reign (LA/WPG) 72 43 19 4 6 239 184 96
x – Colorado Eagles (CGY) 72 41 23 4 4 236 209 90
x – Utah Grizzlies (ANA) 72 37 27 5 3 213 219 82
Alaska Aces (MIN/STL) 72 35 30 3 4 237 233 77
Bakersfield Condors (EDM) 72 26 38 3 5 202 265 60
Stockton Thunder (NYI) 72 21 49 1 1 199 296 44

 x  - clinched playoff spot,  y  - clinched regular season division title,  z  - Brabham Cup (regular season) champion

Postseason

Division Semifinals[10] Division Finals Conference Finals Kelly Cup Finals
            
N1 Toledo Walleye 4
N4 Wheeling Nailers 3
N1 Toledo 4
North Division
N2 Fort Wayne 3
N2 Fort Wayne Komets 4
N3 Kalamazoo Wings 1
N1 Toledo 3
Eastern Conference
E2 South Carolina 4
E1 Florida Everblades 4
E4 Orlando Solar Bears 2
E1 Florida 2
East Division
E2 South Carolina 4
E2 South Carolina Stingrays 4
E3 Reading Royals 3
E2 South Carolina 3
C1 Allen 4
C1 Allen Americans 4
C4 Tulsa Oilers 1
C1 Allen 4
Central Division
C2 Rapid City 2
C2 Rapid City Rush 4
C3 Quad City Mallards 3
C1 Allen 4
Western Conference
P2 Ontario 3
P1 Idaho Steelheads 2
P4 Utah Grizzlies 4
P4 Utah 1
Pacific Division
P2 Ontario 4
P2 Ontario Reign 4
P3 Colorado Eagles 3

Awards

See also: ECHL awards
Award Winner
Patrick Kelly Cup: Allen Americans
Henry Brabham Cup: Toledo Walleye
Gingher Memorial Trophy: South Carolina Stingrays
Bruce Taylor Trophy: Allen Americans
John Brophy Award: Derek Lalonde, Toledo Walleye
CCM Most Valuable Player: Jeff Jakaitis, South Carolina Stingrays
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player: Greger Hanson, Allen Americans
Warrior Hockey Goaltender of the Year: Jeff Jakaitis, South Carolina Stingrays
CCM Rookie of the Year: Tyler Barnes, Toledo Walleye
CCM Defenseman of the Year: Mike Little, Florida Everblades
Leading Scorer: Chad Costello, Allen Americans
AMI Graphics Plus Performer Award: Drew Daniels, Fort Wayne Komets
Mike Little, Florida Everblades
Sportsmanship Award: Chad Costello, Allen Americans
Community Service Award: Cal Wild, Brampton Beast
Birmingham Memorial Award: Scott Senger

All-ECHL Teams

All-First Team[11]

All-Second Team[12]

All-Rookie Team[13]

References

  1. ↑ "ECHL releases 2014-15 schedule", ECHL, June 4, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)
  2. 1 2 3 4 "ECHL Accepts Seven New Members", ECHL, October 7, 2014. (accessed 13 October 2014)
  3. ↑ Wilson, Phillip B. "Indy Fuel sign affiliation deal with Chicago Blackhawks", The Indianapolis Star, April 1, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)
  4. ↑ Guillermo, Matt. "Venue flux to sideline Las Vegas Wranglers next season", KVVU-TV, May 20, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)
  5. ↑ http://echl.com/echl-board-of-governors-announces-major-moves-p196041
  6. 1 2 3 "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes", ECHL, June 24, 2014. (accessed 24 June 2014)
  7. ↑ "2015 CCM/ECHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC PRESENTED BY VISIT ORLANDO", Orlando Solar Bears. (accessed 15 June 2014)
  8. ↑ http://echl.com/echl-all-stars-defeat-orlando-8-4-p195901
  9. ↑ "2014-15 Regular Season - Division". ECHL.
  10. ↑ Press release (April 12, 2015). "Division Semifinals Schedule". ECHL. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ "ALL-ECHL FIRST TEAM ANNOUNCED". ECHL. April 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "ALL-ECHL SECOND TEAM ANNOUNCED". ECHL. April 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "ECHL ANNOUNCES 2014-15 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM". ECHL. April 8, 2015.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 17, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.