The ECHL is a professional minor ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League. The league serves as a farm system to the American Hockey League (AHL) and National Hockey League (NHL).
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho, and a member of the ECHL. The Steelheads play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference since the 2016–17 season.
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team played in the Central Hockey League from 1992 until 2014, and then in the ECHL since the 2014–15 season. From 1992 until December 2009, the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City. In January 2010, the team began playing its home games at the newly built Intrust Bank Arena. The Thunder are currently the ECHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.
The Alaska Aces, known as the Anchorage Aces until 2003, was a professional ice hockey team in Anchorage, Alaska. Home games were played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The Aces won three Kelly Cup championships, with their last championship following the 2013–14 ECHL season.
Bradley Ralph is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger and is the head coach of the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. He played in one National Hockey League game for the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2000–01 NHL season.
Christopher Jon Marinucci is an American former professional ice hockey player who played briefly in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders. He also played with the Denver Grizzlies, Utah Grizzlies, Phoenix Roadrunners, Chicago Wolves, Kokudo Tokyo, Eisbären Berlin, Idaho Steelheads, IF Björklöven and Storhamar Dragons.
Aaron G. MacKenzie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche, during an 11-year career.
John Olver is a Canadian ice hockey player and coach known for his league championship teams in the West Coast Hockey League and ECHL.
Gordon Baldwin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who last played for the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
The Allen Americans are a professional ice hockey team headquartered at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, which currently plays in the ECHL. The team was founded in 2009 in the Central Hockey League (CHL) where they played for five seasons, winning the Ray Miron President's Cup twice. The CHL folded in 2014 and the ECHL accepted the remaining CHL teams as members for the 2014–15 season. In their first two seasons in the ECHL, Allen advanced to the Kelly Cup finals, winning the championship in both years. Currently, the Americans are affiliated with the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators and the American Hockey League Belleville Senators.
The Idaho Jr. Steelheads, also called the Idaho IceCats, were a junior ice hockey team based in McCall, Idaho. The team played in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) and home games were held at Manchester Ice & Event Centre in McCall. The team previously played some home games at Idaho Ice World and CenturyLink Arena in Boise, the latter being the home of the ECHL Idaho Steelheads. The team had been one of the most successful in the WSHL, winning five Thorne Cup championships over six seasons and appeared in seven straight between 2010 and 2017.
Carl Michael Sneep is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in one National Hockey League (NHL) game with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2011–12 season.
Jason Christie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League until the end of the 2023-24 season.
Henrik Samuelsson is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey player. Samuelsson was most notably played with Modo Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League and the Arizona Coyotes in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Tyler Beskorowany is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Eric Hartzell is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played abroad for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga (Slovak).
Ludwig Karlsson is a Swedish former professional Ice Hockey Forward. He started his career with the Ottawa Senators for a year before being traded to the Dallas Stars. After 3 years of playing in the US, he signed with IK Pantern of the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv). Karlsson finished his career in the UK playing for MK Lightning of the UK EIHL.
Conner Bleackley is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently playing under contract with the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL. Bleackley was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but was not signed to an entry-level contract, forcing him to re-enter the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, whereupon he was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round, 144th overall.
The 2018–19 ECHL season was the 31st season of the ECHL. The regular season was scheduled to run from October 12, 2018, to April 7, 2019, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces each play a 72-game schedule. The Kelly Cup was won by the Newfoundland Growlers in their inaugural season over the Toledo Walleye.
Patrick Anthony Kudla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL.
