2004–05 ECHL season

The 2004-05 ECHL Season was the 17th season of the ECHL. This season marked uncharted territory for the ECHL as they established their first Canadian franchise, the Victoria Salmon Kings.

The league also adopted a "Mason-Dixon" format, as the conferences were split on the Mason-Dixon line, with the National Conference teams being north of the famed line, and American Conference teams south of the line -- in effect, all teams in states of the Confederacy, creating a "North vs South" format.

The ECHL All-Star Game was held at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania and was hosted by the Reading Royals. The National Conference All-Stars defeated the American Conference All-Stars 6:2, with Idaho's Frank Doyle named Most Valuable Player.

At the end of the season the Pee Dee Pride and Louisiana IceGators franchises ceased operations, with the Florence-based Pride announcing a move to nearby Conway (in the Myrtle Beach area), awaiting completion of the new Atlantic Center Arena. The Peoria Rivermen folded when replaced by an AHL team, and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies relocated to Stockton, California.

As a result of the NHL Lockout, players who would be in the AHL found themselves in the ECHL for another year, while some NHL stars found work in the ECHL, some as a way to return to their hometowns (or their wives'), and others to give back to the league which gave them a start. Scott Gomez (Alaska) chose to return home to his Anchorage roots, Curtis Brown played for his wife's hometown in San Diego, while Jeremy Stevenson, who played his first professional season as a Greensboro Monarch ten years ago, returned to the Carolinas as a member of a rival club, the South Carolina Stingrays. Stevenson's NHL teammate Shane Hnidy, who played 21 games with the former Baton Rouge Kingfish as a rookie, also rediscovered his roots, playing for the Florida Everblades. Hnidy and Stevenson would find themselves playing against each other in the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Bates Battaglia joined his younger brother Anthony on the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL for the 2004-05 season on February 21, 2005. This was the first time that he had played on the same team with his younger brother.

1 Regular Season
2 Kelly Cup Playoffs
3 ECHL Awards
4 See also

[edit] Regular Season

[edit] Final Standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Loses; T = Ties; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; Green shade = Clinched Playoff Spot; Blue shade = Clinched Division; (z) = Clinched Home-Ice Advantage

[edit] American Conference

East Division	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Columbia Inferno	72	38	22	12	88	199	186
South Carolina Stingrays	72	39	24	9	87	230	219
Charlotte Checkers	72	39	26	7	85	226	219
Greenville Grrrowl	72	39	28	5	83	210	204
Pee Dee Pride	72	31	36	5	67	203	219
Augusta Lynx	72	28	35	9	65	188	237

South Division	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Pensacola Ice Pilots (z)	72	51	16	5	107	248	178
Florida Everblades	72	42	20	10	94	237	192
Gwinnett Gladiators	72	40	24	8	88	241	202
Mississippi Sea Wolves	72	39	24	9	87	223	215
Louisiana IceGators	72	26	40	6	58	192	266
Texas Wildcatters	72	17	44	11	45	178	260

[edit] National Conference

North Division	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Reading Royals	72	43	22	7	93	220	161
Trenton Titans	72	42	21	9	93	220	161
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies	72	42	22	8	92	205	189
Toledo Storm	72	41	26	5	87	203	194
Peoria Rivermen	72	38	26	8	84	213	177
Wheeling Nailers	72	38	29	5	81	171	173
Johnstown Chiefs	72	22	36	14	58	191	258
Dayton Bombers	72	23	40	9	55	175	225

West Division	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Alaska Aces (z)	72	45	19	8	98	233	187
Long Beach Ice Dogs	72	43	20	9	95	220	181
Idaho Steelheads	72	42	23	7	91	223	183
Bakersfield Condors	72	40	22	10	90	232	205
Fresno Falcons	72	39	25	8	86	204	217
San Diego Gulls	72	35	29	8	78	206	222
Las Vegas Wranglers	72	31	33	8	70	201	199
Victoria Salmon Kings	72	15	52	5	35	178	298

[edit] Scoring Leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Scott Gomez	AK	61	13	73	86
Carl Mallette	TOL	64	30	50	80
Jamie Johnson	AUG	72	22	58	80
Chris Minard	AK	69	49	29	78
Joe Tenute	SC	68	34	41	75
Wes Mason	LA	72	31	39	70
Brian McCullough	PEO	71	39	30	69
Kris Goodjohn	GWT	69	21	48	69
Evan Cheverie	LB	72	29	39	68
Scott Bertoli	TRE	70	27	41	68

[edit] Leading Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average

Player	Team	GP	Mins	W	L	T	GA	SO	Sv%	GAA
Dany Sabourin	WHL	27	1578	19	6	1	44	5	.942	1.67
Barry Brust	REA	42	2413	27	9	4	79	4	.928	1.96
Alfie Michaud	PEO	48	2712	27	13	5	92	6	.929	2.04
Tyler MacKay	FL	27	1601	18	7	2	56	2	.921	2.10
Chris Madden	LB	28	1598	19	5	2	57	5	.941	2.14

[edit] Kelly Cup Playoffs

[edit] 1st Round

[edit] American Conference Quarterfinals

Pensacola vs. Greenville
Date	Away	Home
April 14	Greenville 5	Pensacola 4	OT
April 15	Greenville 3	Pensacola 2	OT
April 16	Pensacola 3	Greenville 2	OT
April 19	Pensacola 0	Greenville 4
Greenville wins series 3–1

Columbia vs. Charlotte
Date	Away	Home
April 13	Charlotte 0	Columbia 2
April 15	Charlotte 2	Columbia 4
April 16	Columbia 1	Charlotte 3
April 17	Columbia 2	Charlotte 5
April 20	Charlotte 4	Columbia 3	OT
Charlotte wins series 3–2

Florida vs. South Carolina
Date	Away	Home
April 13	South Carolina 4	Florida 7
April 15	South Carolina 4	Florida 3
April 16	Florida 5	South Carolina 2
April 18	Florida 4	South Carolina 3	OT
Florida wins series 3–1

Gwinnett vs. Mississippi
Date	Away	Home
April 13	Mississippi 1	Gwinnett 5
April 15	Gwinnett 2	Mississippi 3	OT
April 16	Mississippi 1	Gwinnett 8
April 18	Mississippi 1	Gwinnett 3
Gwinnett wins series 3–1

[edit] North Division Semifinals

Reading vs. Toledo
Date	Away	Home
April 14	Toledo 1	Reading 0
April 16	Toledo 0	Reading 1
April 17	Reading 2	Toledo 0
April 19	Reading 5	Toledo 2
Reading wins series 3–1

Trenton vs. Atlantic City
Date	Away	Home
April 13	Atlantic City 2	Trenton 4
April 15	Atlantic City 1	Trenton 2	OT
April 17	Trenton 4	Atlantic City 3	OT
Trenton wins series 3–0

[edit] West Division Semifinals

Alaska vs. Bakersfield
Date	Away	Home
April 12	Bakersfield 2	Alaska 5
April 13	Bakersfield 1	Alaska 3
April 14	Alaska 2	Bakersfield 3
April 16	Alaska 3	Bakersfield 4	OT
April 18	Bakersfield 2	Alaska 6
Alaska wins series 3–2

Long Beach vs. Idaho
Date	Away	Home
April 13	Idaho 2	Long Beach 3
April 15	Idaho 3	Long Beach 2
April 16	Long Beach 4	Idaho 2
April 17	Long Beach 3	Idaho 0
Long Beach wins series 3–1

[edit] 2nd Round

[edit] American Conference Semifinals

Gwinnett vs. Charlotte
Date	Away	Home
April 24	Charlotte 1	Gwinnett 2	OT
April 25	Charlotte 4	Gwinnett 3	OT
April 27	Gwinnett 1	Charlotte 4
April 28	Gwinnett 0	Charlotte 3
Charlotte wins series 3–1

Florida vs. Greenville
Date	Away	Home
April 22	Greenville 1	Florida 4
April 25	Greenville 3	Florida 4	OT
April 26	Florida 2	Greenville 1	OT
Florida wins series 3–0

[edit] National Conference Division Finals

North Division Reading vs. Trenton
Date	Away	Home
April 22	Trenton 2	Reading 4
April 23	Trenton 2	Reading 1
April 27	Reading 2	Trenton 3	OT
April 29	Reading 3	Trenton 4
Trenton wins series 3–1

West Division Alaska vs. Long Beach
Date	Away	Home
April 22	Alaska 2	Long Beach 1	OT
April 23	Alaska 4	Long Beach 2
April 25	Long Beach 1	Alaska 3
Alaska wins series 3–0

[edit] Conference Finals

American Conference Florida vs. Charlotte
Date	Away	Home
May 2	Charlotte 4	Florida 6
May 4	Charlotte 5	Florida 4
May 6	Florida 2	Charlotte 1
May 8	Florida 1	Charlotte 4
May 10	Charlotte 0	Florida 5
May 13	Florida 1	Charlotte 0	OT
Florida wins series 4–2 and Gingher Memorial Trophy

National Conference Alaska vs. Trenton
Date	Away	Home
May 3	Trenton 0	Alaska 6
May 4	Trenton 7	Alaska 1
May 7	Alaska 3	Trenton 4	OT
May 8	Alaska 4	Trenton 3	OT
May 10	Alaska 0	Trenton 3
May 13	Trenton 1	Alaska 2	OT
May 16	Trenton 2	Alaska 0
Trenton wins series 4–3 and Bruce Taylor Trophy

[edit] Kelly Cup Finals

Florida vs. Trenton
Date	Away	Home
May 21	Trenton 7	Florida 0
May 22	Trenton 2	Florida 1
May 27	Florida 5	Trenton 4	OT
May 28	Florida 6	Trenton 3
May 30	Florida 2	Trenton 5
June 1	Trenton 4	Florida 1
Trenton wins series 4–2 and Kelly Cup

[edit] ECHL Awards

See also: ECHL awards

Patrick Kelly Cup:	Trenton Titans
Henry Brabham Cup:	Pensacola Ice Pilots
Gingher Memorial Trophy:	Florida Everblades
Bruce Taylor Trophy:	Trenton Titans
John Brophy Award:	Nick Vitucci (Toledo)
CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player:	Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:	Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year:	Chris Madden (Long Beach)
CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year:	Joe Tenute (South Carolina)
Defenseman of the Year:	Ray DiLauro (Wheeling)
Leading Scorer:	Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award:	Aaron Philips (Pensacola)
Sportsmanship Award:	Kris Goodjohn (Gwinnett)

[edit] See also

v • d • e ECHL seasons

1988-89 · 1989-90 · 1990-91 · 1991-92 · 1992-93 · 1993-94 · 1994-95 · 1995-96 · 1996-97 · 1997-98 · 1998-99

1999-2000 · 2000-01 · 2001-02 · 2002-03 · 2003-04 · 2004-05 · 2005-06 · 2006-07 · 2007-08 · 2008-09

v • d • e ECHL (2008-09)
American Conference	North	Cincinnati Cyclones · Dayton Bombers · Elmira Jackals · Johnstown Chiefs · Reading Royals · Trenton Devils · Wheeling Nailers
American Conference	South	Augusta Lynx · Charlotte Checkers · Columbia Inferno · Florida Everblades · Gwinnett Gladiators · Mississippi Sea Wolves · Pensacola Ice Pilots · South Carolina Stingrays
National Conference	Pacific	Bakersfield Condors · Fresno Falcons · Las Vegas Wranglers · Ontario Reign · Stockton Thunder
National Conference	West	Alaska Aces · Idaho Steelheads · Phoenix Roadrunners · Utah Grizzlies · Victoria Salmon Kings
Future teams		Myrtle Beach, SC · Toledo Walleye
Related articles: List of ECHL seasons · Kelly Cup · Brabham Cup · All-Star Game · Awards · Timeline · Defunct teams · Hall of Fame · Arenas · Other Professional Hockey leagues