The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
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. In 1996, the Steelheads were announced as a 1997–98 expansion team by Diamond Sports Management, headed by Cord Pereira, as a member of the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). The Steelheads and the rest of the WCHL joined the ECHL in 2003. As of the 2022-23 season, the Steelheads are the westernmost ECHL team. During the 2003–04 season and since the 2005–06 season the Steelheads have been an affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. The Austin-based Texas Stars have been the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate since the 2009–10 season. Home games are played at the 5,002-seat Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise.
The Kalamazoo Wings, nicknamed the K-Wings, are a mid-level professional ice hockey team in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A member of the ECHL's Western Conference, Central Division, they play in the 5,113-seat Wings Event Center. They are the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League, and the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.
The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York, as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat.
The Sutter family, originally from Viking, Alberta, Canada, are one of the most famous families in the National Hockey League (NHL). Six brothers: Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron, reached the NHL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four brothers, Brian, Duane, Darryl and Brent, have gone on to become coaches and general managers as well, with Brian, Darryl, and Brent each having a stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames. All brothers played for either the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues at one point or another. A seventh brother named Gary is said by his brothers to have been the best hockey player of all seven boys. Rather than making his living as a hockey player, Gary stayed home to work on the family farm, as Rich remarked on an episode of the Canadian sports show Off the Record.
Gerald Coleman is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He predominantly played in the minor leagues, most notably with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL.
Jordan Krestanovich is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who served as a player-head coach for the Braehead Clan in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche.
Raymond Jonathan Macias is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche.
Zackary John Fitzgerald is an American former professional ice hockey player. He was most recently the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Glasgow Clan of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
Thomas McCollum is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Eisbären Regensburg of the DEL2. McCollum was drafted 30th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. McCollum was born in Amherst, New York, but grew up in Sanborn, New York.
Stefan Gabriel Della Rovere is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing under contract with Heilbronner Falken of the DEL2. Della Rovere was drafted in the seventh round, 204th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Blake Kessel is an American retired professional ice hockey defenseman who most recently was coaching Ironbound Elite 16U Premier in the USA Hockey Women's 16U AA. He most recently played for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the 6th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Keith Seabrook is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played four seasons in the AHL for the Abbotsford Heat, Manitoba Moose and San Antonio Rampage and the Rockford IceHogs and one season in Italy's Serie A for the HC Pustertal Wölfe before taking a time-out from hockey midway through the 2012–13 season.
Lee Baldwin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He most notably played for the Connecticut Whale in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Ryan Nie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
John Ramage is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey defenceman currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for Schwenninger Wild Wings of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Ramage was a fourth-round selection of the Calgary Flames at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Jonathan Bruce Gillies is an American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Adirondack Thunder are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL that began play in the 2015–16 season. The team is based in Glens Falls, New York, and affiliated with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. The Thunder play their home games at the Cool Insuring Arena.
The 2015–16 ECHL season was the 28th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 16, 2015 to April 9, 2016 with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule. The league alignment was significantly altered before the season when the American Hockey League announced the formation of a Pacific Division on January 30, 2015 displacing the ECHL teams that had been in California markets.
Alexandre Mallet is a Canadian professional ice hockey centreman. He is currently playing for HC Vítkovice Ridera of the Czech Extraliga (ELH).
