Laviolette, who coached the Wheeling Nailers during the 1997-98 season, became the first former ECHL coach to serve as head coach of a Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. In 2019-20, Cassidy became the second former ECHL head coach to win the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year, joining Bruce Boudreau, who received the honor in 2007-08. It is the 11th consecutive season that there have been 30 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL. In addition, Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme and San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner are former ECHL players. There are 48 coaches with an ECHL background working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar and Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette, who all previously were ECHL head coaches. All 27 ECHL teams have an affiliate for the 2021-22 season, marking the first time since 2016-17 that all ECHL teams are affiliated.
The Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League, the ECHL has a player or coach on each of the 32 teams and has affiliations with 27 of the 32 teams in the NHL, marking the 25th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
The ECHL has 70 players on National Hockey League opening-day rosters, marking the 21st season in a row with more than 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters.
0 kommentar(er)
