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Stephen Kerr

StephenKerrTHNew@THNew

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Stephen Kerr is the editor and lead writer of The Hockey News ECHL and USHL pages. While he has spent his entire life in Texas, Stephen has nevertheless been a passionate hockey fan since childhood. You can follow Stephen on X/Twitter: @smkwriter1.

Joined at May 14, 2024

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Stephen Kerr·10h·Partner

Lions Avenge Friday Loss Against Railers

After falling to the Worcester Railers Friday, the Trois-Rivieres Lions got revenge Saturday afternoon with a 4-2 win at Colisée Vidéotron. Both teams started slowly in the first period. The Lions struck first when Logan Nijhoff scored his 24th goal of the season at 7:03. The Railers scored two unanswered goals at 14:52 and 19:11 to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Mason Klee found the back of the net off an assist from Connor Welsh to knot the game up 1-1. Pito Walton followed that goal up with another, giving the Railers a 2-1 lead with just 49 seconds left to go in the first period. The Cormier brothers stole the show for Trois-Rivieres in the second period, with Tommy scoring the equalizer at 4:59 (his 15th of the season), followed by older brother Xavier at 8:18 with what was also his 15th goal of the season to give the Lions a 3-2 lead. Anthony Beauregard then joined the goal scoring brigade with his tally at 13:41 to extend the Lions’ lead to 4-2. Beauregard’s goal was a record-setter, as he became the franchise’s top points-getter in a single season with 62 points. Neither team could muster a goal in the third period, but things got more physical late in the game. The Railers are now 6-6-0-2 against the Lions this season. Final shots favored Worcester 31-25. Hunter Jones (13-5-5-1) made 25 saves on 27 shots for Trois-Rivières. Hugo Ollas (11-14-1-2) made 31 saves on 35 shots for Worcester. The two teams meet again Sunday afternoon, with puck drop set for 3 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·19h·Partner

Friday Five: Stingrays Remain Hot, A Big Night For Netminders

Goaltenders definitely got a lot of love on this week’s top performance list, while South Carolina remains the hottest team in the ECHL. Here are five top performances from Friday’s slate of games. Charlie Combs: South Carolina Stingrays No team is hotter than the South Carolina Stingrays as the ECHL regular season winds down. The Rays won their 12th straight game Friday 4-1 on the road over the Kalamazoo Wings. It was the first game between the two teams since 2018. Charlie Combs scored two goals and added an assist for three points on the night. After the K-Wings scored the opening goal on a turnover, Combs tied the game for the Stingrays 16 seconds into the second period. Josh Wilkins sent a pass across to Combs, who put in a one-timer. After Jayden Lee gave the Stingrays a 2-1 lead with 4:31 left in the second, Combs notched his second goal of the night, going forehand to backhand into an open net. Wilkins iced the game with an empty-netter for the 4-1 victory. The Stingrays lead the overall ECHL standings with 99 points. Noah West: Kansas City Mavericks After originally signing a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the Mavericks, goaltender Noah West impressed enough that the club inked him to a standard player contract last week. West’s most impressive performance thus far may have come Friday against the Wichita Thunder. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound netminder out of Ferris State earned his first pro shutout by stopping all 23 shots that came his way in a 3-0 win in front of over 12,000 fans in Wichita. Damien Giroux, David Cotton and Luke Loheit each scored goals for the Mavericks. West was particularly impressive in a scoreless second period. While he only saw six shots in the frame, five were high-quality chances. In five games with the Mavericks, West is 5-0-0 with a 1.38 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Jan Bednar: Toledo Walleye The Florida Everblades were seeking their sixth straight win at home Friday against the Toledo Walleye. Jan Bednar made sure it didn’t happen. The Walleye goaltender earned his fourth shutout of the season in a 1-0 thriller in which he outdueled Florida’s netminder Cam Johnson. The game’s lone goal came at the 16:05 mark of the middle frame, when Toledo newcomer Dylan Moulton scored unassisted for his second goal of the season. The Everblades certainly had their chances. In the second period, they controlled much of the puck possession but failed on two power-play opportunities. With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Florida pulled Johnson after going on a power play for a 6-on-4 advantage. Bednar held firm, however, and his team walked away with the win. Taylor Gauthier: Wheeling Nailers Notice a pattern here? Goaltenders ruled the night on this Friday Five, as Taylor Gauthier pitched his own shutout for the Wheeling Nailers in a 2-0 triumph over the Cincinnati Cyclones. Gauthier made 18 saves in the victory, which reduced the Nailers’ magic number for clinching a Kelly Cup Playoff berth to six. The only scoring came in the first period, as Wheeling’s Phip Waugh and Jack Beck scored just 56 seconds apart. Gauthier and the Nailers defense took care of the rest, including a breakaway stop in the second period. Wheeling’s penalty-kill unit got the night off, as no one on the team entered the sin bin. Carter Savoie: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Savoie notched two goals and an assist in a 5-3 victory for the Swamp Rabbits over the Atlanta Gladiators. His first tally came 21 seconds into the contest after slinging a shot past Glads goalie Drew DeRidder for a quick 1-0 lead. With the score tied 2-2 late in the second period, Savoie tipped in an Austin Saint shot in front of the net following a 2-on-none rush.

Stephen Kerr·1d·Partner

Kelly Cup Champion Re-Signs With Everblades

The Florida Everblades announced Friday they have agreed to terms with forward Josh Ho-Sang on a standard player contract (SPC). The 29-year-old right-shot right winger won the Kelly Cup with the Everblades last season, posting one goal and 17 assists during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Toronto native also provided two goals and 13 assists in 11 regular season games ahead of the 2024 playoffs. Before the Everblades, the 6-foot, 174-pound Ho-Sang played 53 NHL games and 225 AHL games split between the New York Islanders, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and San Antonio Rampage. Ho-Sang scored seven goals and 17 assists in the NHL. The Kelly Cup Champion was drafted in the first round (28th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders from the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. Ho-Sang played 256 OHL games split between Windsor and the Niagara IceDogs, finishing with 82 goals and 210 assists. The Everblades kick off the weekend with a big matchup in Estero against the Toledo Walleye. Puck drop is set for 7:30 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·1d·Partner

Red-Hot Rush Keep Rolling With Win In Tulsa

The Rapid City Rush kicked off a two-week, six-game road trip in Tulsa Thursday night with a 3-2 victory over the Oilers at the BOK Center. Ryan Wagner scored a game-winning third-period goal for the Rush, while goaltender Connor Murphy dazzled with 55 saves. Murphy’s 55-save performance on 57 shots marks a career-high. He also set the new record for saves in a single game (55) and single period (28 in the second period) for any ECHL goaltender this season. The Oilers decisively won the shots-on-goal battle 57-31, but couldn’t translate enough of those shots to the scoreboard. The 57 shots were a season-high for the Oilers. Despite the disparity, the Rush never trailed. Parker Bowman kicked off the scoring with 2:46 remaining in the opening period, jamming a rebound from underneath the nearly-sealed glove of Vyacheslav Buteyets to put the Rush up 1-0. It was the seventh straight game where Tulsa has conceded the opening goal. Andrew Lucas tied the game with a power-play goal with less than two minutes remaining in the middle frame, walking down from the right point before beating Murphy on the glove side. Deni Goure jumped on an Oilers mistake 40 seconds later to regain a one-goal lead for the Rush, 2-1. Ryan Wagner scored the eventual game-winning goal 4:16 into the third period, ripping a snapshot over the shoulder of Buteyets for a 3-1 lead. Keegan Iverson scored in his Oilers debut, wristing a shot through Murphy’s five hole from the left circle, cutting the score to 3-2 with 11:55 remaining in regulation. Goure and Wagner finished with a goal and an assist each. Combined with Blake Bennett’s one assist, that line has put up 16 points over the last three games for Rapid City. Murphy, who flew into Tulsa from Calgary on Wednesday night, improves to 12-7-4 with a .917 save percentage. He is 8-1-1 over his last 10 starts for the Rush and has made 95 saves in his last two games. Vyacheslav Buteyets took the loss for Tulsa, who has lost a season-high five consecutive games. In a statistical quirk, Thursday’s victory was the Rush’s first win in the Central Time Zone. Rapid City had gone 0-8-2 in Central Time before this win. The Rush have now won six of their last eight games. They trail the fourth-place Oilers by nine standings points with eight games remaining. The two teams have a rare Friday off-day before reconvening at the BOK Center on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:05 Pm.

Stephen Kerr·2d·Partner

K-Wings' Assistant Named To Danbury Ring Of Honor

The Kalamazoo Wings announced Thursday that the Danbury Hat Tricks will induct K-Wings assistant coach Billy McCreary into the Danbury Ring of Honor this Saturday ahead of their Alumni Night game on March 29. McCreary coached the Hat Tricks for three seasons, in 2019-20 and from 2022 to 2024, and won the franchise's first FPHL Commissioner's Cup title in 2023. He finished his Hat Tricks coaching tenures with a 106-38-14 record, including a 7-3 record in the Commissioner's Cup playoffs. “I am truly humbled and honored to be inducted into the Danbury Ring of Honor,” McCreary said in a statement. “This recognition is not a reflection of any personal achievements, but of the incredible support and encouragement I've received from my family, players, staff, mentors, and everyone who believed in me along the way. “ The Southampton, ONt. native led Danbury to a 29-12-2-3 record and an Eastern Division title in his first season at the helm en route to the FPHL Coach of the Year award in 2019-20. McCreary holds the franchise record in career wins (106) and set a single-season high mark in wins (44) in 2022-23, which resulted in a first-place finish in the league at 129 points. McCreary coached the Hat Tricks in their inaugural season, serving as the bench boss of the NAHL's Hat Tricks in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, and returned to the Hat Tricks' bench in 2022-23. In the 2021-22 season, McCreary also received the FPHL Founder's Award, an honor given to those who provide outstanding service and commitment to the league. “I humbly share this moment with all of you, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have made a lasting impact in such a storied hockey community,” McCreary said. “Congratulations to the other ring of honor inductees and thank you again for the incredible honor that we all now share. Danbury will forever hold a special place in my heart.” The K-Wings will try and bounce back from a 3-1 loss at home to the Cincinnati Cyclones Wednesday night, as they host the South Carolina Stingrays Friday. It will be Stanley Cup Night, as the most coveted trophy in sports makes its way to Wings Event Center. K-Wings’ Season Ticket Holders and VIPs will have access to the event starting at 4:45 Pm. General Admission patrons have access to the event starting at 6:00 p.m. Plus, it’s a $3 Friday, presented by Bud Light. Puck drop is set for 7 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·2d·Partner

5 Takeaways From March 26 Action In The ECHL

It was a busy Wednesday in the ECHL. Tahoe played its first home game in over two weeks, while Cam Johnson reached a milestone. Here are five takeaways from the day. A Monstrous Homecoming The longer you’re away from home, the better it feels when you get back. In their first home game in over two weeks, the Tahoe Knight Monsters cruised past the Idaho Steelheads 5-1. Logan Nelson scored twice, Jesper Vikman made 26 saves, and Tahoe scored four times in the third to secure a series-opening win. The contest began with a milestone. Forward Anthony Collins played in his 600th career ECHL game. The first player to sign in Knight Monsters franchise history has led Tahoe to an incredibly strong inaugural season. It was the Steelheads who scored first, with an early power play goal by Wade Murphy, who also scored against Tahoe in the series two weeks ago. It was Tahoe’s first power-play goal allowed since mid-February against the Florida Everblades. Tahoe tied things up in the second period, as Nelson cashed in on a crash play created by Troy Loggins on the doorstep. The goal was another example of Tahoe’s priority being getting in close to opposing netminders, and it came at the exact right time against Idaho. The third period saw the Knight Monsters erupt for four goals in the first eight minutes. It was the second time in their last three games they have dropped a four-spot in the third period. Nelson started the scoring explosion three minutes in with his second goal of the game, on a fantastic end-to-end play that he finished with a beautiful forehand past Kraws. Just over a minute later, Sloan Stanick snuck a nifty backhand past Kraws as he shaded from below the goal line to the slot for his seventh goal in the season series against Idaho and 26th overall this season. After a Bear Hughes missile made it 4-1, trade acquisition Adrien Bisson fired a point shot that deflected in off an Idaho stick for his first goal as a Knight Monsters in his home debut and closed out the 5-1 victory. Tahoe’s magic number to clinch the playoffs is now nine, and there are multiple clinching scenarios that could take place this week. Not Enough Power The Allen Americans just can’t catch a break. They have dropped eight in a row and fought hard at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City Thursday, but fell 6-5 to the Utah Grizzlies. If you ignored the score and saw that the Americans tallied four power-play goals in seven chances, you might have thought the game went a different way. Unfortunately for the Americans, it did not. A back-and-forth affair saw Utah jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first two minutes of the hockey game, scoring both goals just 24 seconds apart. The Americans responded with three of their own to take a 3-2 lead. Utah came right back with a pair of their own from Keaton Mastrodonato, his 16th and 17th of the year to give Utah their second lead 4-3. Mark Duarte tied the game again for Allen with his team-leading 19th goal of the season to even it up at 4-4 after two periods. The Americans reclaimed the lead in the third period as J.C. Brassard scored to make it 5-4 Allen. Utah tied the game less than 30 seconds later, then put the nail in the coffin with their sixth goal of the night at the 11:57 mark. The Americans fought hard to tie the game late but could not get the equalizer, falling short 6-5. The four power-play goals were a season-high for the Americans, but it’s little consolation when the game results in another loss. Indy Fuels Up Against Adirondack The ECHL Central division has quite a battle for fourth place between the Indy Fuel and Adirondack Thunder. Indy got the edge Wednesday with a 3-2 shootout victory in Glens Falls against the Thunder. After a late game comeback, the Fuel forced the shootout to squeak out the victory. At 11:48 of the first period, Kyle Maksimovich scored first on the rebound with the help of Chris Cameron and Bryan Lemos to give the Fuel the 1-0 edge. Ryan Conroy scored for Adirondack at 18:45 of the middle frame to tie the game 1-1. Thunder newcomer Lars Rødne scored his first professional goal to break the tie. It came on a power play following a double minor, and put Adirondack ahead 2-1 late in the third. With about two minutes left, the Fuel pulled Ben Gaudreau from net in favor of the extra skater. It paid off when Maksimovich scored his second of the game at 18:22 to tie it up, 2-2. Neither team scored in regulation or overtime. After three rounds of no scoring from either team in the skills competition, Indy’s Jarrett Lee tallied the game winner with the second shot of the fourth round. This earned the Fuel two points in the standings and gave them sole possession of fourth place in the Central division before the weekend. A Cyclones Sweep The Cincinnati Cyclones won their third straight, defeating the Kalamazoo Wings 3-1 at the Wings Event Center. The game was highlighted by a 37-save performance from Cyclones goaltender Vyacheslav Peksa and two multi-point performances from forward Dante Sheriff and defenseman Josh Burnside. Defenseman Chas Sharpe extended his point streak to eight games with an early goal for Cincy, his 23rd goal of the season. After a K-Wings turnover in their own zone, Dante Sheriff was denied by Lemieux on a driving chance. However, Sheriff was hit into Lemieux, forcing a loose puck in front and an open net for forward Andrew Bruder. His goal put the Cyclones ahead 2-0. With just seconds remaining in the second period, forward Lincoln Griffin made it 3-0 for the Cyclones. It was Griffin’s 23rd goal of the season, tying him with Sharpe for the team lead. Quinn Preston would get a goal for the K-Wings with seconds remaining in the contest. The Cyclones took home the 3-1 victory and swept the K-Wings in the month of March with their three straight victories. Johnson Hits Another Milestone Even with three straight Kelly Cup championships under his belt, Cam Johnson isn’t one to rest on his laurels. The Florida Everblades goaltender picked up his 34th win of the season in a 3-2 overtime win over the Jacksonville Icemen. Johnson, who made 30 saves in the game, now holds the Everblades’ record for wins in a season. The first period saw Jacksonville open the scoring thanks to their captain, Christopher Brown. The Icemen extended their lead in the second period with a goal eight seconds after a power play ended with Chris Grando putting home a rebound. Later in the frame, the Blades got a five-on-three power play and converted with a beautiful goal from Oliver Chau, who now has six goals against Jacksonville this season. In the third, Florida peppered Matt Vernon with 16 shots compared to just two for Jacksonville. It took until late in the period, however, for the Blades to strike. Carson Gicewicz scored out front on a six-on-four power play to tie the game and send it to overtime. Chau and Lansdell teamed up for a two-on-one rush to finish the game. Florida finished with a 43-32 lead in the shot count and are now on a five-game winning streak.

Stephen Kerr·3d·Partner

ECHL Announces Scholarship Recipients For Online Learning Program

The ECHL announced on Wednesday the fourth class of five recipients of scholarships through Bellevue University, the Official Higher Education Partner of the League. As part of the recently extended partnership, all ECHL players, officials, staff and employees were eligible to apply for a scholarship to start or finish a bachelor’s or graduate degree program of their choice at Bellevue University. The 2024-25 class of scholarship recipients includes: Austin Albrecht, Player - Tulsa Oilers (Undergraduate Degree) Rob Couturier, Goalie/Video Coach - Kansas City Mavericks (Undergraduate Degree) Tyler Hascall, Referee - ECHL (Undergraduate Degree) Maddie Recker, Senior Sales Consultant - Toledo Walleye (Graduate Degree) Alex Young, Player – Atlanta Gladiators (Graduate Degree) “The opportunity to offer our Players, Officials, Coaches and Front Office the ability to enhance their education through Bellevue University is immeasurable,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “This class represents the entire breadth of personnel throughout the ECHL, and whether looking to complete their Undergraduate Degree, or further studies at the Graduate Level, this unique offering allows our recipients to pursue new goals beyond their current careers, either in the sports industry or beyond.” Bellevue University has been an innovator of online learning for over 25 years. The school’s flexible learning formats allow students to easily communicate, submit assignments, and collaborate in meaningful ways, whether online or on campus. “We’re here to help our students achieve their educational and career goals,” said Bellevue University President Dr. Mary Hawkins. “We look forward to having these ECHL pros join our community of learners who are motivated to create a brighter future for themselves and others.”

Stephen Kerr·3d·Partner

Wichita Wraps Up Four-Game Road Swing Against Mavericks

A regional rivalry heats up again Wednesday night as the Wichita Thunder close a four-game road trip with a visit to Independence to face the Kansas City Mavericks. It’s the start of a three-game miniseries between the two teams. This is the eighth meeting of the season between the Thunder and the Mavericks. All-time, Wichita is 92-76-26 against Kansas City and 43-42-16 on the road against the Mavericks. The Thunder took two of three games in Rapid City last week against the Rush in the final series between the two clubs during the regular season. Kansas City has won five in a row, including a sweep of the Utah Grizzlies last weekend. Wichita (35-21-7) sits in third place in the Mountain Division with 77 points. The Mavericks (42-16-5) lead with 89 points. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Mavericks knocked off the Thunder in overtime on March 1 at INTRUST Bank Arena. Michal Stinil leads the Thunder with 10 points (3-7-10) in seven games against the Mavericks. Jay Dickman is second with seven points (2-5-7) in seven games. Cade Borchardt leads the Mavericks in the season series with 10 points (6-4-10) in seven games against Wichita. He was recalled to Coachella Valley on March 10. Luke Loheit is second with eight points (2-6-8) against the Thunder this season. Stinil (71), Peter Bates (70) and Jay Dickman (69) are two, three and four in scoring. Stinil is third (47) and Bates is fourth (46) in assists. Dickman is fifth with 28 goals and tied for third with 11 power play goals. Wichita is fifth to last in penalty minutes per game (10.10). The team is 24-6-2 when scoring first. The Thunder are 17-4-2 when leading after one, and are 24-2-2 when leading after two. Wichita is 13-7-6-1 in one-goal games. Borchardt leads the ECHL with 35 goals. The Mavs’ Marcus Crawford is tied for 10th in scoring by a defenseman (39) and minor penalties for a blueliner with 30. Jake McLaughlin leads all defensemen in plus/minus (+33). Kansas City is outscoring opponents 100-83 at home and 123-80 on the road. The Mavericks are 32-5-1-1 when scoring first, 27-0-0 when leading after one, and 30-1-2 when leading after two. Puck drop for Wednesday’s game is set for 7:05 Pm CT.

Stephen Kerr·3d·Partner

Halverson Becomes 69th Former Wheeling Player To Reach NHL

Wheeling has a proud hockey heritage that dates back to 1992, when the Wheeling Thunderbirds came to town. Many players have passed through the team over the years, either on their way to the NHL or elsewhere. Last Saturday, goaltender Brandon Halverson became the 69th former Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the National Hockey League after playing in Wheeling. Halverson got the starting nod for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. Halverson played in four games for the Nailers during the 2020-21 season, as he unfortunately had his season end prematurely due to injury. Wheeling was one of five ECHL teams he suited up for over the course of six seasons. The most recent of those was 2023-24, when he was a member of the Orlando Solar Bears. The Traverse City, Michigan native played four games against the Nailers last season, as he won twice at Kia Center, while Wheeling got the upper hand in the two matches at WesBanco Arena. The 28-year old has eclipsed the 100 games played mark in both the ECHL and the American Hockey League, as he has gone 46-55-11 in 118 ECHL contests and 41-41-15 in exactly 100 AHL games. Halverson is currently enjoying the best season of his career, as he was named to the 2024-25 AHL All-Star Game, thanks to a 16-9-8 mark with the Syracuse Crunch. His 2.32 goals against average ranks eighth in the AHL, while his .913 save percentage is tied for 11th. This was not the first NHL game for Halverson, who was drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round (59th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut on Feb. 17, 2018 with the Rangers in Ottawa. That makes him the fourth of the 69 former Nailers/Thunderbirds to make his NHL debut before coming to Wheeling and return to the NHL after playing for the Nailers. The previous three were Luca Caputi, Joaquin Gage, and Dany Sabourin. Halverson made 19 saves on 25 shots Saturday night for Tampa Bay in a 6-4 defeat against Utah. The Nailers will host the Cincinnati Cyclones for Frosty Friday at WesBanco Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:10 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·4d·Partner

Trois-Rivieres' Nijhoff Named Player Of The Week

Logan Nijhoff of the Trois-Rivières Lions is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for March 17-23, the league announced Tuesday. Nijhoff scored six goals and added two assists for eight points in three games for the Lions last week. The 23-year-old left-shot center and left winger scored a hat trick and added an assist in a 6-1 win against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday. After being held off the scoresheet in a 5-4 overtime loss at Worcester against the Railers on Saturday, he posted another hat trick and an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Railers on Sunday. A native of Comox, British Columbia, Nijhoff has 45 points (23-22-45) in 52 games with the Lions this season, while adding one assist in eight games with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League. Nijhoff has tallied 61 points (31-30-61) in 95 career ECHL games with Trois-Rivières, Tulsa and Indy, along with five points (4-1-5) in 58 career AHL games with Laval, Rockford and San Diego. Prior to turning pro, Nijhoff recorded 123 points (61-62-123) in 213 career games with Regina of the Western Hockey League. On behalf of Logan Nijhoff, a case of pucks will be donated to a Trois-Rivières youth hockey organization by Inglasco, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Nijhoff and the Lions will play host to the Worcester Railers this Friday. Puck drop is set for 7 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·4d·Partner

Stingrays' Bjorklund Reassigned To Hershey

The South Carolina Stingrays announced Tuesday that goaltender Garin Bjorklund has been re-assigned from South Carolina to the Hershey Bears. The 22-year-old Bjorklund is in his third season of professional hockey. He leads South Carolina's goaltenders with a 21-4-3 record, 2.02 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 29 games played in 2024-25. The 6-2, 174-pound Calgary, Alberta native is in the final year of an entry-level NHL contract with the Washington Capitals, who selected him in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He has yet to play an AHL game in his professional career. In three ECHL seasons, Bjorklund has a 36-15-4 record with a 2.66 GAA and .905 SP in 57 games. Before turning pro, Bjorklund spent parts of four seasons with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers, appearing in 96 career WHL games. With three wins last week, the Stingrays (46-14-3-2) extended their win streak to 11 games and currently sit in first place in the ECHL with 97 points. They are three points ahead of the Florida Everblades for the top spot in the league and need just two points to guarantee home-ice advantage in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. South Carolina will clinch home-ice advantage for the first round if the Jacksonville Icemen lose in regulation on Wednesday or if the Stingrays win on Friday in Kalamazoo. This spring, the Stingrays are heading to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the 29th time in the team’s 32 seasons of existence. They will attempt to win their fourth Kelly Cup Championship this season. The Stingrays travel to Kalamazoo this week to take on the Wings on Friday. Puck drop is set for 7 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·5d·Partner

Royals To Become Reading Red Knights For A Game In April

The Reading Royals announced Monday that they will rebrand their name and colors (red & black) to the Reading Red Knights for their Reading Red Knights Night on Saturday, April 12 against the Worcester Railers at Santander Arena. The Reading Red Knights promotional game, presented by Members 1st Federal Credit Union, is dedicated to celebrating the Reading School District, as well as the Latin community with a La Noche de Los Royales promotion. "We are happy to partner with the Reading School District for a second consecutive season on this great event to celebrate our community," Chris Hazel, Director of Ticketing said in a statement. "We are excited to bring together two organizations in the city and provide students the opportunity to attend a game for free in a night dedicated to their school district. We look forward to becoming the Red Knights for a game.” The promotional game will feature the Royals wearing specialty Reading Red Knights jerseys on the ice! Proceeds from the Red Knights Jerseys and other Red Knights Merchandise will benefit the Reading School District. Fans can support by ordering their Reading Red Knights jersey or Reading Red Knights puck at RoyalsTeamStore.com. Reading School District members can each enjoy the following deals for the Apr. 12 game: Students Receive: Two Free tickets through the link. Must purchase tickets after 2 have been claimed for free. Student ID can be shown at the box office for 2 free tickets, as well. Staff/Admin Receive: One Free ticket for Staff with the purchase of additional tickets. Additional tickets available at discounted rate. Alumni Receive: Special discounted ticket offer for alumni to come out and support the game, with a chance to grab some Red Knights merch while they're there. Links to access special Reading SD deals will be provided through the Reading School District. Students and Faculty are encouraged to reach out to their school building administrators for the above offers.

Stephen Kerr·5d·Partner

Steelheads' Kraws Earns Goalie Of The Week

The ECHL announced on Monday that Idaho Steelheads goaltender Ben Kraws has been named Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Mar. 17-23. The 24-year-old Kraws went 3-0-0 with two shutouts, a 0.67 goals-against average and a save percentage of .967 in three appearances for the Steelheads against Allen last week. The rookie netminder, who cracked The Hockey News' ECHL Friday Five, stopped all 27 shots in a 7-0 win on Wednesday, turned aside all 31 shots in a 1-0 victory on Friday and made 31 saves in a 5-2 win on Saturday. Under a one-year NHL contract with the Dallas Stars, Kraws is 20-8-4 in 32 appearances for the Steelheads this season with four shutouts, a 2.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911. Kraws is tied for second in the ECHL in shutouts and tied for sixth in wins among all goaltenders. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound native of Cranbury, N.J. is also 2-1-0 in three games with the Texas Stars in the AHL this season. Kraws has made five consecutive starts for Idaho including 12 of the last 13 games dating back to Feb. 21. He is 6-2-0 in his last eight starts with three shutouts, a 1.62 goals-against average, and a .949 save percentage. With 10 games left in the regular season, the Steelheads are three points back of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division and just four points back of third place. Idaho is on the road this week for four games against the Tahoe Knight Monsters beginning Wednesday. Puck drop is set for 8 Pm MT.

Stephen Kerr·6d·Partner

Solar Bears' Gillies Signs PTO With AHL's Crunch

The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced Saturday the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) have signed goaltender Jon Gillies to a professional tryout contract (PTO). Additionally, Ryan Fanti has been recalled by the Crunch, also announced Saturday. Gillies, 30, has appeared in two games this season for the Solar Bears, posting a 1-1-0 record, a 3.08 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound netminder has appeared in 35 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also boasts a substantial resume in the AHL and ECHL, providing the Solar Bears with a proven and reliable presence between the pipes. A native of Concord, New Hampshire, Gillies was originally selected by the Flames in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. Before turning professional, he played three seasons at Providence College, where he helped lead the Friars to an NCAA National Championship in 2015 and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honors.

Stephen Kerr·6d·Partner

Railers Stun Lions With Major Comeback

With just over seven minutes left in the third period, the Worcester Railers looked down and out. The Trois-Rivieres Lions held a 4-1 lead and appeared to be in the driver’s seat. Fortunately for Worcester, there are 20 minutes in each regulation period, not 13. The Railers mounted the second-greatest comeback in Worcester hockey history, storming back to stun the Lions 5-4 in overtime. They scored three unanswered goals in a span of five minutes, then Justin Gill netted the overtime winner. It was a big night not only for the Railers, but Gill, who notched a hat trick to help mount the comeback. It was a poor start for the Railers, who found themselves down 3-0 after 20 minutes. The Lions took just eight shots and scored on the first one of the game by Chris Jandric. Tyler Hylland and Israel Mianscum tallied the other two. Gill finally got Worcester on the scoreboard with his first of three goals at 16:29 of the middle frame, a 30-foot power-play rocket that beat Lions netminder Hunter Jones. Justin Ducharme got the Trois-Rivieres lead back to three at the 2:35 mark of the third period for a 4-1 advantage. That’s when Railers head coach Nick Tuzzolino pulled starting goaltender Michael Bullion at the 10-minute mark in favor of an extra attacker. A risky move, to be sure, but something needed to change. It did when Gill lit the lamp with his second goal of the night at 12:49 to cut the margin to 4-2. Anthony Repaci, who leads the Railers with 12 points against the Lions (5-7-12), knocked in a rebound at 15:16 to make it a 4-3 game. Matt DeMelis scored the tying goal at the 17:08 mark, also on a rebound, and it was a brand-new game heading into overtime. The last three goals all came with the goaltender pulled for the extra man. The Railers were never without the puck in overtime. It ended at the 1:17 mark when Gill received it between the circles after Jordan Kaplan fed it to him following a battle along the boards. Gill scored at close range, and the comeback was complete. The three extra-attacker tallies were a franchise record. The game marked just the third time in team history the Railers have fought back from a three-goal deficit to earn at least a point. A similar comeback took place on March 30, 2003, when the Worcester IceCats roared back to best the Manchester Monarchs 7-6, after trailing 6-1 following 40 minutes of action. The two teams meet again Sunday afternoon, with puck drop set for 3:05 Pm ET.

Stephen Kerr·Mar 23, 2025·Partner

Villegas' First Pro Goal Lifts Adirondack Over Mariners

It was a night of firsts for the Adirondack Thunder in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Maine Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena. Caden Villegas scored his first professional goal and Thunder goaltender Henry Welsch recorded his first professional win. Wyllum Deveaux gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal early in the game. From the right circle, Deveaux sent a low shot that got past the right pad of Welsch for Deveaux’s 16th of the year. Jacob Hudson and Lynden McCallum each earned assists. The score remained that way through 20 minutes. Early in the middle frame, former Thunder defenseman James Marooney scored his first to haunt his old team and give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Brooklyn Kalmikov and Xander Lamppa were credited with the helpers. Adirondack answered back with three straight tallies to take the lead. Kaleb Ergang started the comeback, blasting a slap shot by goaltender Brad Arvanitis from the right circle to cut the Thunder deficit to 2-1. The goal was Ergang’s third with assists from Ty Gibson and Luke Reid at 2:37 of the second. The assist was Reid’s first professional point. Villegas scored his first professional goal to tie the game on the power play at 9:25 of the second. He took a pass from Ergang and immediately sent the puck into the net from the left side of the crease. Ergang and Isaiah Fox were given the assists. Villegas signed with the Thunder March 19 out of Union College, where he served as assistant captain this season. He recorded 29 points (7-22-29) in 36 games. The Thunder took a 3-2 lead at 18:10 of the second period. Josh Filmon fired in a one-timer on the power play off a great feed from Kevin O’Neil. The goal was Filmon’s 18th of the year from O’Neil and Dylan Wendt. At 7:46 of the final frame, Wendt scored Adirondack’s third power-play goal of the game to give the Thunder a 4-2 lead with his ninth of the year. Kevin O’Neil and Josh Filmon collected assists. The Mariners responded with a power-play goal later in the third as Robert Cronin put in his first with assists from Lynden McCallum and Sebastian Vidmar at 10:54 and the Thunder lead was 4-3. With the net empty, Adirondack held on for the one-goal win and Welsch recorded his first professional victory.

Stephen Kerr·Mar 23, 2025·Partner

Cancer Battles Come Full Circle On Rush Fights Cancer Night

Over the past year, the Rapid City Rush have had their share of battles when it comes to cancer. Which is why their Rush Fights Cancer game on Saturday has extra-special meaning. Last December, head coach and general manager Scott Burt took a medical leave of absence to treat a brain tumor. He returned to the team in mid-February after undergoing several weeks of treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Last March, Rush forward Maurizio Colella had just finished a practice when he received gut-wrenching news. His mother, Maria, had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Doctors were able to catch it early, and Maria underwent immunotherapy treatments last June close to the family home in Tottenham, Ontario. Like Burt, Maria received good news earlier this month; she was cleared to travel. With Maurizio celebrating his birthday Friday and the Rush Fights Cancer game Saturday at The Monument Ice Arena, the family made their first trip to Rapid City. It was a special trip, and not only because of the cancer battle. Maurizio’s family had not seen him play hockey since his second season of collegiate hockey at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. That’s five years and 166 professional games ago. Needless to say, Maurizio was excited his family would finally get to see him play in a pro game this weekend. “(My mom) has been a fighter; that is who she is,” Maurizio said via Rush PR. “She had family growing up who passed away from cancer, so she has been a trooper ever since she was younger. I have been away since I was 16. It is all about family with us.” With his parents in the stands Friday, Maurizio celebrated his birthday and the occasion by having one of his best games as a pro. Playing right wing alongside Luke Mylymok and Parker Bowman, he dished out two primary assists in the second period. Even though the Rush came up short in a 4-3 loss to the Wichita Thunder, Maria was happy to finally see her son in action. “It was very exciting to hear from my oncologist that I was able to come over and be here this weekend,” she told Rush PR. “I was very happy to get the OK from him and see Maurizio.” Saturday, the Colellas’ and Scott Burt’s cancer battles came full circle. Maria, alongside Burt and Dr. Thomas Fulbright, dropped the ceremonial puck before the game on Rush Fights Cancer night against Wichita. It’s a moment no one will ever forget. “With someone so close to you going through this, you have that extra fight for them,” Maurizio said. “You never know what is going to happen. You have to take every day, be happy, be able to wake up and either go to work or be surrounded by loved ones. Some people do not have them, as they were taken by this horrible disease, and those are the folks we are playing for this weekend.”

Stephen Kerr·Mar 22, 2025·Partner

Friday Five: Gahagen Gives Norfolk The Royal Treatment; Wheeling Nails It Down In Overtime

Shutouts and shootouts were just part of the excitement Friday in the ECHL. Let’s dive right in to this week’s top Friday Five performances. Parker Gahagen: Reading Royals Gahagen put on a masterful performance in net against one of the ECHL’s top teams. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in regulation and overtime, then saved nine more in an 11-round shootout to preserve a 2-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals. After Norfolk grabbed the early lead, Ryan Leibold evened things up at 1-1 1:27 into the third period. It remained that way through the remainder of the frame and overtime. In the skills competition, the Admirals’ German Yavash and Andrei Bakanov scored in rounds five and nine, respectively. Reading answered in the bottom of rounds five and nine, while Gahagen made a save in the top of the 11th round. That set up an opportunity for Shane Sellar, who sealed the shootout win with a wrister past Norfolk goalie Thomas Milic. It was the Royals’ third shootout victory in four occasions this season. Reading has won three of their last four games and have earned a point in 11 of their last 12 (9-1-2-0). Carson Gicewicz: Florida Everblades After trailing 2-0, the defending Kelly Cup champions scored three unanswered goals to snatch a 3-2 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on the road. Gicewicz potted two goals to help the cause. Gicewicz’s team-leading 26th goal of the season at the 5:47 mark of the opening period cut Florida’s deficit to 2-1. The goal extended Gicewicz’s point streak to eight games, the longest by a Blade this season. After Alex Kile evened the score at the 2:37 mark of the middle frame, Gicewicz tallied the eventual game-winner on a power-play chance at 15:50 of the second. Gicewicz deflected a Kile shot into the net for the 3-2 win. The Everblades’ defense and goaltending did the rest. They held Savannah without a shot on goal in the second period and outshot them 22-3 over the final 40 minutes. Cam Johnson (33-4-3-1) was a winner for the sixth straight game, recording 11 saves en route to his league-leading 33rd victory of the season, which matches his uniform number. Ben Kraws: Idaho Steelheads Good luck getting a shot past Kraws lately. The Idaho goalie recorded his second consecutive shutout and fourth of the season in a 1-0 home triumph over the Allen Americans. Luke Richardson made 37 saves in the loss. Kaleb Pearson scored the lone goal on the night on the power-play 18 seconds into the second period from Parker Berge and Matt Register. From behind the Idaho blue line, Register bumped the puck back to Berge, who took it behind the cage. Pearson raced into the offensive zone. From inside the right circle he sent a wrist shot into the top left corner. Along with pitching back-to-back shutouts, Kraws has three in his last six games. He has started 11 of Idaho’s last 12 games dating back to Feb. 21. Wheeling Nailers Jordan Martel was the hero of the night for the Nailers, potting a goal in overtime to secure a 3-2 win over the Toledo Walleye. The two teams exchanged goals in the opening three minutes. Toledo was first on the board at the 57-second mark, but Wheeling responded 2:38 later. Isaac Belliveau attempted to stuff a wraparound inside the right post, but the puck got booted out to Cole Tymkin, who ripped a wrist shot into the left side of the cage. The Nailers had a goal disallowed, but scored over a minute later on a tally from Gabe Klassen, who batted in a feed from Matty De St. Phalle in the slot. The score remained 2-1 through the second period. The Walleye also had a goal waved off in the early stages of the third, but found a way to pull even with 9:42 left during 4-on-4 action. The Walleye received a pair of power plays, but Wheeling's penalty-kill was up to the task, setting the stage for Martel’s overtime winner. He crossed through the left circle toward the slot, and launched a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the twine to give the Nailers the 3-2 win. Tristan Thompson: Maine Mariners The Maine defenseman collected four assists in a 5-3 win over the Worcester Railers. His first came in the opening period at 6:46, the only one between both teams in the frame. Lynden McCallum took a feed from Thompson and drove down the slot, beating Railers goaltender Hugo Ollas with a stick-side wrister. Each team scored a pair in the second period. After Worcester took a 2-1 lead, Maine's power play struck back at 11:37 of the middle frame. Mariners captain Wyllum Deveaux deflected Thompson's shot just over the goal line behind Ollas. Just 90 seconds later, Brooklyn Kalmikov put the Mariners back in front, when his wrister from the right circle beat Ollas' glove. Thompson assisted on the play, giving him a helper on all three Mariners goals through 40 minutes as they carried a 3-2 lead into the third.. After adding an insurance goal from Jacob Hudson, Christian Sarlo potted another with help from Thompson, giving him four assists on the night.

Stephen Kerr·Mar 21, 2025·Partner

Komets Head Into Weekend Eyeing Playoff Spot

Last season, the Fort Wayne Komets missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13. It was an unfamiliar position for a team that had hoisted the Kelly Cup as recently as 2021 and captured six championships in four different leagues since 2002. With less than a month to go in the 2024-25 regular season, the Komets are within striking distance of being back on familiar ground. Heading into this weekend, the club is seven points away from clinching a playoff berth with 12 regular-season games remaining. The Komets (36-19-5) could close that gap even further when they travel to Coralville to take on the Iowa Heartlanders (31-20-10). Iowa has a lot to play for as well, eyeing their own playoff spot for the first time since entering the ECHL in 2021. In two previous meetings with the Heartlanders, Fort Wayne came away with victories. The team went 2-1 last weekend, splitting two games with the Wheeling Nailers before besting the Fuel in Indy. Jack Dugan, last season’s Team MVP, is having another outstanding campaign in 2024-25. After putting up 80 points (20-60-80) in 70 games last season, Dugan currently leads the team in points with 66 (20-46-66). He’s just one goal shy of the team lead of 21 held by Alex Aleardi and his 46 helpers lead the club. He also leads the Komets with seven power-play tallies. Kyle Mayhew leads the league in power-play points with 27 and total points among defensemen with 57 (11-41-57). Goaltender Brett Brochu leads the league with 981 saves, and he is 4-1-0 when making 40 or more stops in a game. Fort Wayne is tied for second in the ECHL in road wins with 20 and are outscoring their opponents 78-54 in the third period. The club has seven wins when trailing after two periods. Fort Wayne currently sits second in the Central Division, nine points behind the Toledo Walleye, although the Komets have two games in hand. The Heartlanders are glad to get back home after being away for the last 10 games. They can leave the suitcases in the closet for a while, as they kick off a 10-game homestand with the Komets. Heartlanders forward Yuki Miura leads the team with 21 goals and 38 points. Jules Boscq leads defensemen with 26 points (7-19-26). The Heartlanders are 16-5-3-2 at home this season. Iowa is tied for second in the league with nine shorthanded goals. The Heartlanders are third in the Central and trail Fort Wayne by five points, so this weekend's three-game series is crucial for both teams. Puck drop for Friday is set for 7 Pm CT. Saturday’s contest is scheduled for 6 Pm and Sunday’s game is at 3 Pm.

Stephen Kerr·Mar 21, 2025·Partner

Heartlanders Present Happy Gilmore Day

The Iowa Heartlanders are planning an unforgettable day of golf, hockey and comedy. Fans are invited to participate in Happy Gilmore Day, presented by Waggle. The Heartlanders will pay homage to the iconic golf movie before, during and after their Sunday, March 30 matinee game against the Wichita Thunder. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 Pm CT, but the jokes, holes-in-one and hockey fun begin when the doors open at 2. For the first time in team history, the Heartlanders are seeking a playoff run! For this game only, fans will have a chance to see the epic Kelly Cup on display on the concourse at Xtream Arena. Fans can line up to grab a photo with the cup from when the doors open & throughout the game. The cup will be on display outside of Section 109 by the Heartlanders Tickets Table. Attendees can then head back to Landers Trail during the game, presented by Pizza Ranch, and snap a picture of the team’s golf-ified photo station. They can also take part in fun-filled games and activities for the whole family. Following the game, there will be a post-game skate presented by the Family Dental Center. Participants can get out on the ice with the team, although they must provide their own skates and have them ready at the end of the third period. No other gear will be permitted in Xtream Arena for the event. It will be a day of golf, goals and good times in Coralville. Fans can save money by purchasing tickets in advance. The Heartlanders’ next game is Friday at Xtream Arena against the Fort Wayne Komets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 Pm CT.