I’d venture that almost every Florida Everblades fan would struggle to pick Matthew Wedman out of a lineup. But those same fans certainly adore him right now.
Apr 22
The Toledo Walleye will meet the Kalamazoo Wings in a battle of Central Division Rivals in the opening round of the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Veteran ECHL writer Justin Cohn breaks down the series and tells you what you need to be watching out for.
Apr 16
The 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs are here! After a grueling 72-game season, 16 teams remain in the hunt for the ECHL's top prize.
Apr 15
The Indy Fuel’s Ross MacDougall, backtracking in front of his own net, coughed up the puck to the Wheeling Nailers’ Matt Koopman.
Apr 5
I don’t know if the Kalamazoo Wings are going to make the playoffs, though I think they will.
Mar 30
We all give a lot of love to the big scorers in the ECHL, the Brandon Hawkins and Wade Murphys of this world. And, of course, we love those big-shooting defensemen like Matt Register and Jalen Smereck. And the highlight-making goaltenders, such as Cam Johnson.
Feb 26
Any hockey team that hopes to have success in the postseason knows it must have a reliable goalie, someone who can steal a big game when the pressure is at its highest.
Jan 26
We’re coming up on the ECHL’s Christmas break, which is something players love, of course, but not all coaches do.
Dec 21, 2023
I’m based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and whenever I watch the ECHL’s Komets play these days, I find myself pondering this question: What the heck is Jack Dugan doing at this level?
Nov 30, 2023
Unless it’s, oh, Dec. 15, it’s too early to panic about any ECHL team. That’s what I always tell people, anyway.
Nov 21, 2023
Twelve years ago, Pat Mikesch arrived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to be Derek Lalonde’s top assistant coach with the junior-level United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers.
Nov 14, 2023
The ECHL, at its core, is a development league. According to the league, 72 players who donned an ECHL jersey in their career made NHL opening-night rosters this season. As the premier "AA" hockey league in North America, the ECHL can represent one of the first steps a player takes on his professional hockey journey.
Oct 25, 2023
When the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL announced that they had extended a Professional Tryout Offer (PTO) contract to 29-year-old Canadian goalie Mariah Fujimagari, it took many by surprise. But the offer from Joel Martin, coach of the affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks had actually been years in the making.
Oct 14, 2023
There were mass changes in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the Komets hired a new coach in Jesse Kallechy, after he helped the Florida Everblades to back-to-back Kelly Cups. In Toledo, Ohio, the Walleye also have a new coach, Pat Mikesch, who has never coached in the professional ranks, but he gets a roster that has offensive studs like Brandon Hawkins and Orrin Centazzo.
Oct 13, 2023
The ECHL has had a long history of sending players to the NHL. Affiliations with NHL and their corresponding AHL teams are a critical piece to roster building across the ECHL. Strong partnerships with parent clubs can lead to tremendous success on the ice and off.
Sep 5, 2023