2004–05 ECHL season

2004–05 ECHL season
League ECHL
Sport Ice hockey
Regular season
Season MVP United States Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Top scorer United States Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Playoffs
American champions Florida Everblades
  American runners-up Charlotte Checkers
National champions Trenton Titans
  National runners-up Alaska Aces
Playoffs Playoffs MVP United States Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Finals
Champions Trenton Titans
  Runners-up Florida Everblades

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; the cities of Florence and Myrtle Beach are considered one market for television purposes), awaiting completion of the new Atlantic Center Arena that eventually never happened, as the ECHL revoked the franchise at the 2009 Board of Governors meeting. 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 with Greensboro ten years ago, returned to the Carolinas as a member of an active club around in his rookie season, 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 first 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.

Rich Peverley, an undrafted rookie out of St. Lawrence University, played his rookie professional season during the year in Charleston, and was the surprise breakout player, using this season as a stepping stone to eventually play in the NHL.

Regular season

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

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

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

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

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

Kelly Cup playoffs

Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Kelly Cup Finals
            
1 Pensacola 1
8 Greenville 3
8 Greenville 0
3 Florida 3
3 Florida 3
6 South Carolina 1
3 Florida 4
American Conference
7 Charlotte 2
4 Gwinnett 3
5 Mississippi 1
4 Gwinnett 1
7 Charlotte 3
2 Columbia 2
7 Charlotte 3
A.3 Florida 2
N.2 Trenton 4
N.1 Reading 3
N.4 Toledo 1
N.1 Reading 1
N.2 Trenton 3
N.2 Trenton 3
N.3 Atlantic City 0
N.2 Trenton 4
National Conference
W.1 Alaska 3
W.1 Alaska 3
W.4 Bakersfield 2
W.1 Alaska 3
W.2 Long Beach 0
W.2 Long Beach 3
W.3 Idaho 1

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)

See also

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