ECHL Expected To Cancel Season
The ECHL announced that the league will be shutting down for the rest of the season. The ECHL Board of Governors approved the cancelation of both their remaining regular season games as well as the playoffs due to the Coronavirus.
ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin released a statement:
“The decision by the ECHL to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 Season does not come lightly, as this is an emotional time for our Players, Coaches, Member Teams, Fans and Staff. At this point in the Season, there has been immense dedication and countless hours committed in moving towards what is traditionally the most exciting part of the hockey year.
With that said however, as each passing day raises additional concerns for the safety of those in the ECHL community and as we take precautionary measures in conjunction with our local authorities across the continent to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it has become apparent that this is the prudent decision. Our game and our product are based on our Fans and their ability to cheer on their favorite ECHL team and Players at one of our many facilities around the continent. Without that social environment and game atmosphere, the ECHL simply isn’t the same.
“On behalf of the ECHL and our Board of Governors, we appreciate the Professional Hockey Players’ Association for their assistance during this unprecedented time and working as partners in hockey to reach this decision for the best interest of the ECHL and its Players. This decision allows our Players the opportunity to return to their homes and removes the uncertainty that currently exists.
“While we are hopeful that this period ceases and an opportunity to return to normalcy for the hockey calendar presents itself, in the interim, we ask all Fans, Players, Coaches, Officials, and Staff to continue to abide by the measures put in place by their local authorities and follow precautionary protocols for their safety, as we will begin preparations for the 2020-21 ECHL Hockey Season.”
While the AHL and NHL both currently have suspended their seasons, the ECHL is the first of the three to cancel their season. The ECHL announced on Thursday that they had suspended their season due to concerns about the COVID-19 epidemic. The ECHL is the first league in North America to have cancelled their season, although several leagues in Europe have already cancelled their seasons.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news.
NHL Cancels Practices, Will Issue Update On Season Status
The NHL has issued a directive for teams to cancel all practices, morning skates and media availability today while they continue to work through their response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The league’s board of governors is scheduled to have a conference call at noon according to Darren Dreger of TSN, after which there will likely be an announcement.
Last night, the NBA suspended their season indefinitely after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The Jazz and several other NBA teams that had recently played them were instructed to self-quarantine, but there are also concerns that it could spread to the NHL given that teams in several cities use the same arenas for both basketball and hockey. Since then another Jazz player, Donovan Mitchell, has also tested positive.
The AHL and ECHL have also not made an announcement yet, but are expected to follow the NHL’s lead.
Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post has tweeted that teams around the league have been told the season will be suspended, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has heard that on-ice officials have been told to book flights home.
Minor College Signings: O’Leary, Beaudoin, Michigan State
While many of the NCAA’s elite can jump right into an NHL contract, and sometimes the NHL itself, the majority must work their way up through the pro ranks. Minor league contracts and amateur tryout (ATO) contracts are common at this time of year and after a number of those deals were signed yesterday, a few more rolled in today:
- From preseason contender to unranked and out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, it was a season to forget for Notre Dame. However, senior forward Mike O’Leary enjoyed the best campaign of his collegiate career, recording 23 points in 37 games. The two-way winger is now on his way to the AHL, signing a contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
- Another four-year starter up front has found a spot in the pros. Brown senior Brent Beaudoin will stay close to home, joining the ECHL’s Worcester Railers. The New Hampshire native recorded 14 points in 31 games to lead all Brown forwards in scoring.
- Perhaps the best team to have already called it a year, Michigan State sent Patrick Khodorenko to the New York Rangers yesterday and today saw fellow seniors Logan Lambdin and Butrus Ghafari head to the ECHL. Lamdin will stay nearby, as he has inked a deal with the Kalamazoo Wings. Meanwhile, Ghafari joins the Toledo Walleye. The Lebanese-American defender was a dominating stay-at-home presence at times this year.
Minor College Signings: Zimmer, Lodermeier, Giuttari
While some college players will step right out of the NCAA and into professional organizations under NHL contracts, many others will have to go another route. Those who aren’t able to secure an NHL deal right away can jump into the minor leagues under amateur tryout (ATO) contracts, trying to prove they can produce at the higher level. There have been several of those today:
- Max Zimmer from the University of Wisconsin has signed an ATO with the Charlotte Checkers, now that his NCAA career is over. In four years with the Badgers, Zimmer totaled 45 points in 115 games. A 2016 fourth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, his draft rights will expire in August.
- Derek Lodermeier has inked his ATO with the Manitoba Moose, following four years at the University of Vermont. The 25-year old forward had just 11 points in his senior season but has served as captain since 2018.
- Zach Giuttari from Brown University has signed an ATO with the Hartford Wolf Pack, giving him a chance to play in the AHL after four years in the NCAA. The undrafted defenseman served as captain for the team this season, scoring 15 points in 31 games.
- Sometimes it isn’t even the AHL, as Matt Alvaro and Nick Hutchison have found out. The two collegiate forwards have signed with the Orlando Solar Bears and Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL respectively. Alvaro is coming off four years at the University of Vermont, while Hutchison recently completed his senior season at Canisius College.
Snapshots: Islanders, Stone, D’Aoust
Randi F. Marshall of Newsday is reporting today that New York governor Andrew Cuomo will announce tomorrow the New York Islanders will play any playoff games this season at Nassau Coliseum. Not only that, but the team will also play the entire 2020-21 season at the Coliseum, while waiting for the new arena at Belmont Park to be completed.
That would mean the Islanders’ unfortunate stay at the Barclays Center will end in less than two months. Through all of the frustration and uncertainty, the Islanders have rebuilt their organization and found success on the ice. The team seems prepared to start the era at Belmont off on the right foot.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have lost Mark Stone to a lower-body injury, though it’s not clear for how long. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters today that his star forward is still being evaluated, but this couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Golden Knights. On a seven-game winning streak, the Golden Knights have finally established themselves as the leaders in the Pacific Division. Stone is a huge part of that as the team’s leading scorer and best defensive forward.
- The Charlotte Checkers, short on forwards after a busy NHL trade deadline, have acquired Alexis D’Aoust from the Manitoba Moose in exchange for future considerations. The 23-year old D’Aoust has 26 points in 36 games for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen this season, but does have more than 100 games of AHL experience.
Mike Condon Assigned To Charlotte Checkers
If you wondered how the Charlotte Checkers were going to get by after both Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg were recalled to fill in for the Carolina Hurricanes, you now have your answer. The Tampa Bay Lightning have loaned Mike Condon to the Checkers from the Syracuse Crunch, where he had been buried but was rarely playing. Condon is on the final season of his three-year, $7.2MM deal and will still count towards the Tampa Bay cap, but can now actually get some action with the Checkers.
The 29-year old goaltender has hit the ice six times for the Crunch and another four times for the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL this season, ten forgettable appearances in total. Once considered a legitimate NHL option, Condon recorded a .905 save percentage in 129 appearances for the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators between 2015-2018.
At this point, just getting an opportunity to play in the AHL should be good enough for Condon as it looked like his career in North America might be coming to an end.
Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers Complete Minor Trade
The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers have swapped a pair of minor league players as part of deadline day. T.J. Brennan will leave the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the Rockford IceHogs, while Nathan Noel will head the other way.
Brennan has long been a top performer at the AHL level, but this season saw his offensive numbers drop off a cliff. The 30-year old defenseman has just eight points in 28 games with the Phantoms and will look for a new start in Rockford.
Noel meanwhile is playing in the ECHL and has 17 points in 39 games with the Indy Fuel. Perhaps he’ll get a chance at the AHL level with Lehigh Valley, but either way he’ll be joining the Flyers organization for the next few months.
Zach Fucale Released From AHL Contract, Signs In Germany
The long and winding career of Zach Fucale will now take the goaltender overseas, as today the Syracuse Crunch released him from his AHL contract in order for him to sign with Munich in the DEL. Fucale had spent most of the season in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears, but will now head to Germany to follow a new opportunity.
Fucale, 24, was originally selected 36th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, but despite his promising junior career things haven’t gone to plan at the professional level. After his entry-level contract with the Canadiens ended in 2018 with him in the ECHL, the organization decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. The Vegas Golden Knights gave him another chance with a one-year two-way deal in 2018-19, but he once again spent more time in the low minors and actually struggled during his time with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Another non-qualified summer awaited him, and now after posting a .928 save percentage in 24 appearances with the Solar Bears he’ll head overseas. Fucale has been a staple for Team Canada in international competitions for some time, winning a World Junior gold medal in 2015 and two Spengler Cups over the last few years. If the NHL fails to go to the Olympics again in 2022, you can bet he’ll be on Canada’s radar as a potential option in net.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Snapshots: Williams, Tryamkin, Sorenson, Luukkonen
The Carolina Hurricanes are close to getting their former captain back as Justin Williams is expected to return to the ice on Sunday against the New York Islanders, according to News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. While head coach Rod Brind’Amour did state that Williams will go through pre-game warmups before he made a decision on whether to play Williams, the scribe writes that everyone, including Brind’Amour believes that Williams will make his debut on Sunday.
“I’m nervous before every game I play so I’m going to have nerves,” Williams said. “But the one thing you never question is your ability and that’s one thing I’m never going to question. I’m going to go out there and work my tail off and let my instincts take over.”
The 38-year-old Williams signed a one-year deal 11 days ago and has been working with the team trying to get into game shape. Williams is coming off a solid season in which he scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and likely will take a bottom-six role to start.
- The Vancouver Canucks still remain hopeful they can bring back defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, who left the team three years ago after his dissatisfaction with his playing time and refusal to play in the AHL. The Canucks have hoped to bring back the 6-foot-7, 265-pound blueliner back after several successful seasons in the KHL. The 25-year-old might be open to coming back, according to his agent, Todd Diamond (via TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal. “It’s very much on the table, the goal and desire is to sign in Vancouver, that’s what we have had discussions about,” said Diamond. “I don’t want to disrupt his season. There is plenty of time to talk when his season is over.”
- San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner changed up the lines of his team, which also included listing forward Marcus Sorensen as a healthy scratch. Boughner used the word “message” when addressing the media, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, suggesting he needs more “relentlessness” and for him to play “more on the inside.” After a 17-goal campaign, the 27-year-old is struggling this season with just five goals and has just one point in the last 19 games.
- Buffalo Sabres goaltending prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his season debut in the AHL Saturday, stopping 24 of 27 shots in the Rochester American’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Cleveland Monsters. The Buffalo News’ Bill Hoppe writes that the plan has been to allow Luukkonen to stay with the team for a week before they return the top prospect to the ECHL, where he will play in their all-star game. The team may give him one more start before sending him back.