Awards
Patrick J. Kelly Cup |
2010 |
Cincinnati Cyclones |
Beginning with the 1996-97 season, the Patrick J. Kelly Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the ECHL. History: Named in recognition of Patrick J. Kelly, one of the founding fathers of the ECHL. Kelly served as Commissioner of the ECHL for the first eight seasons before being named Commissioner Emeritus in 1996, a title which he continues to hold. Kelly celebrated his 50th season in hockey in 2002-03, having begun his career with the St. Catherine Teepees of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in 1952. He played professionally for the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, the Troy Bruins of the International Hockey League, and the Greensboro Generals of the Eastern Hockey League. Kelly coached in the Eastern Hockey League from 1965-73 and was head coach and general manager of Charlotte in the Southern Hockey League from 1973-76. He coached the Colorado Rockies in the NHL in 1977-78 and is the only coach to lead the Rockies to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Following coaching stops in the American Hockey League, he went to Peoria in the International Hockey League where he led the Rivermen to the Turner Cup in his first season in 1984-85. The ECHL is proud to recognize Patrick J. Kelly’s distinguished career by naming its most coveted trophy in his honor. |
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Henry Brabham Cup |
2010 |
Idaho Steelheads |
Beginning with the inaugural season in 1988-89, the Henry Brabham Cup is awarded annually to the regular-season point champion of the ECHL. History: Named in recognition of Henry Brabham, a founding member of the ECHL, who was the first owner of the Erie Panthers. A former mayor and businessman who was a major force in professional hockey in Virginia for more than 15 years, Brabham worked tirelessly to establish the ECHL during its early years. The ECHL is proud to recognize his hard work and dedication by naming its regular-season champion award in his honor. The Idaho Steelheads finished first in the regular season with 103 points (48-17-7) to win their first Brabham Cup trophy. Idaho was the first team to qualify for the post-season on March 12. The Steelheads have advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their seven seasons in the ECHL, and won the Kelly Cup in 2004 and 2007. |
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E.A. “Bud” Gingher Memorial Trophy |
2010 |
Cincinnati Cyclones |
The club that advances to the Kelly Cup Finals as the winner of the American Conference Championship is presented with the E.A. "Bud" Gingher Memorial Trophy. History: Named in recognition of E.A. "Bud" Gingher, who was Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors from 1992-95. Gingher, who passed away in 2002, co-founded the Dayton Bombers in 1991 and owned the team for seven seasons, serving as President and Governor until selling the team in 1998. Beginning in 1997-98, the trophy was awarded to the playoff champion of the Northern Conference in the ECHL. The first recipient of the trophy following its renaming was the Dayton Bombers in 2001-02. With the restructuring of the league divisional alignment beginning in 2004-05, the trophy has been designated for the playoff champion of the American Conference. |
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Bruce Taylor Trophy |
2010 |
Idaho Steelheads |
The club that advances to the Kelly Cup Finals as the winner of the National Conference Championship is presented with the Bruce Taylor Trophy. The first recipient of the trophy following its renaming was the playoff champion of the Western Conference in 2003-04. History: The trophy is named in recognition of Bruce Taylor, who was the founding father of the West Coast Hockey League. In the early 1990s, Taylor purchased teams in Fresno, Reno and Bakersfield and in 1995 joined them with teams in Anchorage, Fairbanks and San Diego to form the West Coast Hockey League. The Taylor Cup was presented to the playoff champion in the WCHL from the league’s inaugural season in 1995-96 until the league ceased operations following the 2002-03 season. Taylor’s ownership in hockey began in 1983 with the purchase of the Burnaby Bluehawks of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and continued with the purchase of the Richmond Sockeyes in the BCJHL and the New Westminster Royals in the BCJHL. |
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Jack Riley Cup |
1996 |
Charlotte Checkers |
History: Named in recognition of Jack Riley, the Jack Riley Cup was awarded to the playoff champion of the ECHL from the league’s inaugural season in 1988-89 until 1995-96 when it was retired and replaced with the Patrick J. Kelly Cup. Beginning in 1938, Jack Riley did it all in professional hockey as a player, coach, general manager and scout. One of the most respected names in hockey, Riley was President of the American Hockey League from 1964-67 and was then a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League until being named Commissioner of the Southern Hockey League in 1975. |
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John Brophy Award |
2010 |
Derek Laxdal |
An annual award “to the ECHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success” as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. History: The Coach of the Year award was named in honor of legendary ECHL coach John Brophy prior to 2003-04. Brophy coached more seasons than any other coach in league history with Hampton Roads from 1989-2000 and Wheeling from 2001-03, compiling a career record of 480-323-79 in the regular season and 55-39 in the postseason. Hampton Roads reached the postseason in each of his 11 seasons behind the bench, winning back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992 and an ECHL record third title in 1998. His three ECHL titles are the most in league history and he is also the all-time leader among ECHL coaches in regular season games (878) and regular season wins (480) and postseason games (94) and wins (55). Brophy has 1,027 professional wins and ranks second all-time in professional hockey behind only the legendary Scotty Bowman (1,244 wins). Derek Laxdal of the Idaho Steelheads is the 2009-10 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the league’s Coach of the Year. Cail MacLean of the South Carolina Stingrays was the runner-up. Laxdal led the Steelheads to a 48-17-7 record, setting team records for most wins and most points in a season, while also capturing the team’s first Brabham Cup as ECHL regular-season champion. In his fifth season behind the Steelheads bench, Laxdal is 217-108-35 in the regular season and 19-14 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. He guided the team to its second Kelly Cup Championship in 2007, defeating Dayton in five games. The 44 year old coached Wichita in the Central Hockey League for two-and-a-half seasons from 2003-05 after spending two-and-a-half years as an assistant coach with Odessa of the CHL from 2001-03. In his first full season in 2003-04, Wichita was 35-24-5 and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years, upsetting the top seed in the first round and reaching the conference finals. Laxdal began his coaching career in the ECHL as a player-assistant coach for Roanoke in 1994-95 where he had 56 points (32g-24a) in 66 regular-season games and six points (2g-4a) in eight playoff games. Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 151st overall, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Laxdal played 17 professional seasons, including parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League with Toronto and the New York Islanders, tallying 19 points (12g-7a) in 67 regular-season games and two points (0g-2a) in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. |
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CCM U+ Most Valuable Player |
2010 |
Tyler Donati |
An annual award “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team” as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. Tyler Donati of the Elmira Jackals has been selected as the CCM U+ ECHL Most Valuable Player for 2009-10. Ryan Kinasewich of the Utah Grizzlies was the runner up. Donati, who was named First Team All-ECHL, won the ECHL scoring title with 114 points, the most points in a single season in the league since Wheeling’s Darren Schwartz also recorded 114 in 1992-93. He is the 63rd player in ECHL history to reach the 100-point mark in a season, and his 114 points are tied for the 18th most in league history. The 23 year old also led the league with 76 assists, 35 power play assists and 44 power play points while finishing fifth with 257 shots and sixth with 38 goals. |
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Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player |
2010 |
Robert Mayer/Jeremy Smith |
An annual award “to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs” as selected by members of the media at the conclusion of the final game of the Kelly Cup Finals. Cincinnati rookie goaltenders Jeremy Smith and Robert Mayer shared the 2010 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player award. Smith went 9-8 in the playoffs with a 2.67 goals-against average and a save percentage of .907. Mayer posted a record of 6-1 with three shutouts, a 1.54 goals-against average and a save percentage of .938. |
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Reebok Goaltender of the Year |
2010 |
Todd Ford |
An annual award “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position” as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. Todd Ford of the South Carolina Stingrays is the recipient of the Reebok ECHL Goaltender of the Year award for 2009-10. Richard Bachman of the Idaho Steelheads was the runner up. Ford, who was also named First Team All-ECHL, was 18-7-2 with one shutout in 28 appearances for the Stingrays this season. He finished fifth in the league with a 2.79 goals-against average, tied for second with a .910 save percentage and fifth with a .889 shootout percentage. Ford was voted as the starting goaltender for the American Conference for the ECHL All-Star Game, stopping seven of nine shots in the first period. The 25 year old has also appeared in 15 games in the American Hockey League this season with Texas and Portland, going 7-5-1 with two shutouts, a goals-against average of 2.51 and a save percentage of .920. |
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CCM Rookie of the Year |
2010 |
Justin Donati |
An annual award “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the ECHL as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. The winner receives the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy. History: The rookie of the year award was named in honor of John A. Daley in 1997. Daley, who passed away in 1996, was one of the founding fathers of the ECHL, serving as general manager and minority owner of the Johnstown Chiefs from the inception of the team in 1988 until 1994. Justin Donati of the Elmira Jackals has been named CCM Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy. Richard Bachman of the Idaho Steelheads was the runner-up for the award. Donati, who was also named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team and Second-Team All-ECHL, led all ECHL rookies with 42 goals, 62 assists, 104 points, 16 power-play goals, 22 power-play assists and 38 power-play points. Donati’s 104 points ranked second in the league, while he finished tied for third in goals and assists. The 23 year old is the 16th rookie in ECHL history to reach the 100-point mark. He also appeared in four American Hockey League games this season with Binghamton and Portland where he tallied one assist. |
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Defenseman of the Year |
2010 |
J.C. Sawyer |
An annual award “to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest ability at the position” as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. J.C. Sawyer of the Toledo Walleye is the ECHL Defenseman of the Year for 2009-10 as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches. Sawyer, who was also named First Team All-ECHL, led all defensemen with 21 goals, 59 points and seven game-winning goals while ranking second with 38 assists. He finished tied for fourth among defensemen with 18 power-play assists and was fifth with 24 power-play points. He was chosen as a starter for the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game and served as captain for the American Conference and also appeared in the 2008 All-Star Game while with Pensacola. Sawyer, who is under contract to Chicago of the National Hockey League, has suited up for Rockford of the American Hockey League in four games this season where he has one assist. |
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Leading Scorer |
2010 |
Tyler Donati |
An annual award presented “to the player who leads the league in scoring at the end of the regular season”. Tyler Donati of the Elmira Jackals has won the league scoring championship with 114 points (38g-76a). Elmira’s Justin Donati was second with 104 points (42g-62a) followed by Ryan Kinasewich of Utah with 103 points (48g-55a), Idaho’s Mark Derlago with 92 points (42g-50a) and Adam Miller of Las Vegas with 86 points (33g-53a). The three 100-point scorers are the most in the ECHL in a season since 1997-98 when seven players reached the century mark. The Donati’s are the first set of brothers in professional hockey history to record 100-or-more points in a single season as teammates. Donati, who is the 63rd player in ECHL history to reach 100 points in a season, led the league with 76 assists, 35 power-play assists and 44 power-play points, while finishing sixth with 38 goals and fifth with 257 shots. Named First-Team All-ECHL on Thursday, Donati’s 114 points are the most in the ECHL since Wheeling’s Darren Schwartz also recorded 114 in 1992-93. |
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Reebok Plus Performer Award |
2010 |
Mark Derlago |
An annual award presented “to the player who leads the league in plus-minus rating at the end of the regular season”. Mark Derlago of the Idaho Steelheads is the recipient of the Reebok Plus Performer of the Year award after finishing with a plus-minus rating of +34 in 60 games. Brennan Turner of Elmira finished second with a plus-minus rating of +33 followed by Idaho’s Tyler Spurgeon with a plus-minus rating of +32. Idaho rookies Evan Barlow and Guillaume Monast finished tied for fourth with a plus-minus rating of +30. Derlago, who was named First Team All-ECHL on Thursday, finished even-or-better in 50 games and was a season-best +4 on March 6 against Bakersfield. He finished tied for third in the league with 42 goals and was fourth with 92 points, setting team records in both categories. He has also played in five games this season with Providence of the American Hockey League registering one goal. Derlago has scored at least 32 goals in each of his three seasons in the ECHL and has 226 points (113g-113a) in 177 career ECHL games. Last season, Derlago was named to the All-ECHL Second Team while playing for Bakersfield. |
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Sportsmanship Award |
2010 |
Barret Ehgoetz |
An annual award “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability” as voted by the coaches of each of the ECHL teams. Barret Ehgoetz of the Cincinnati Cyclones is the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award for 2009-10 as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches. Mark Derlago and Tyler Spurgeon of the Idaho Steelheads were the runners-up for the award. |
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Executive of the Year |
2010 |
Kristin Ropp |
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The Executive of the Year is determined in a vote of the ECHL Board of Governors.
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Excellence In Media Relations |
2010 |
Eric Levine |
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The Award of Excellence for media relations is determined in a vote of league media members, media relations directors and broadcasters.
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Excellence In Broadcasting |
2010 |
Doug Plagens |
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The Award of Excellence for Broadcasting is determined in a vote of league broadcasters and media relations directors.
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Excellence In Marketing |
2010 |
Bakersfield Condors |
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The Excellence In Marketing Award is presented annually to the team marketing department "adjudged to be the best in the league” as determined by outside expert judges. |
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Outstanding Media |
2010 |
Doyle Woody |
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The Outstanding Media Award is determined in a vote of the ECHL media members, broadcasters, and media relations directors
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Award of Excellence |
2010 |
Toledo Walleye |
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The Award of Excellence will be presented by the league office to teams that are first-rate, who excel in all categories of sales and marketing, and who distinguish themselves in their community, both on and off the ice. |
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Ticket Department of the Year |
2010 |
Stockton Thunder |
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The ECHL Ticket Department of the Year is determined in a vote of ECHL teams.
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Ticket Executive of the Year |
2010 |
Josh Burdine |
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The Ticket Executive of the Year is determined in a vote of the ECHL general managers.
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Web Site Excellence |
2010 |
Ontario Reign |
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The web site Award of Excellence is presented annually to the team whose web site is "adjudged to be the best in the league” as determined by outside expert judges.
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Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award |
2010 |
Ray King |
The Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award honors an On-Ice Official for his contributions and dedication to the league officiating staff and is determined in voting of ECHL On-Ice Officials. It is named in honor of ECHL linesman Ryan Birmingham, who tragically lost his life in an automobile accident in May 2007. The 2009-10 recipient of the Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award is linesman Ray King. |
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Reebok Equipment Manager of the Year |
2010 |
Ben Laing |
The Reebok Hockey Equipment Manager of the Year Award is determined in a vote of ECHL equipment managers.
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Sports Health Athletic Trainer of the Year |
2010 |
Bobby Walls |
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The Reebok Hockey Athletic Trainer of the Year Award is determined in a vote of ECHL athletic trainers.
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Locker Room Attendant of the Year |
2009 |
Mike Companic |
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