Growlers, Thunder, and Nailers Top Point Producers, Milic and McKay Lead Goalies, Four-Way Tie in League Goal-Scoring Race

Newfoundland, Norfolk, Reading, Wichita, and Wheeling are among the clubs with thriving players to start the 2023-24 ECHL season.

Two weeks have been punched across the ECHL, and we're beginning to see which teams have offensive upside and which are fizzling early.

Among the major producers, the Newfoundland Growlers, Wichita Thunder, and Wheeling Nailers have been piling up points to kick off the young ECHL season.

Growlers 1-2 Punch Leads Points Race

The Newfoundland Growlers hold two of the three league leaders in points in the potent 1-2 punch of Grant Cruikshank and Jackson Berezowski. Both forwards have netted 10 points apiece across six games. 

Ditto for Wichita Thunder's Brayden Watts, who's earned a 10-spot across six games, followed closely by teammate Bradley Marek with seven points. 

Wheeling's Cedric Desruisseaux has nine points, while Trois-Rivieres's Matthew Boucher, Reading's Ryan Chyzowski, Kanas City's Cade Borchardt, and Growler's Tate Singleton all clock in with eight. 

Crowded Field For Goal Scoring Lead

Four players are currently tied in the league lead for goals scored. 

Newfoundland's Cruikshank, who tops the E in points, also holds a quarter of the goal-scoring tie with five markers through six games. Trois-Rivieres's Boucher and Reading's Chyzowski have deposited five tallies in only five games, while most impressively, South Carolina's Jarid Lukosevicius has five in only four games. 

Rock-Stars in Goal

Between the pies, Lions netminder Joe Vrbetic tops the minute's marker with 246 through four games, though the numbers are rough with a paltry 3.90 GAA and .877 save percentage. He does have three wins to his credit.

Growlers net-boss Dryden McKay has three wins in as many starts with a solid 2.64 GAA and .918 save percentage, while Norfolk's young Thomas Milic has dazzled in three starts with two wins and a stellar 1.29 GAA and .944 save percentage.