ECHL Roundup: All-Time Great Starts, A+ Performances and a New Captain Crowned

Gladiators, Mavericks, Earn Top 10 All-Time Greatest Starts to the Season

An ECHL record was on the brink of being broken in 2023. 

Both the Atlanta Gladiators (whose eight-game win streak was snapped last night in a loss to Greenville), and the Kansas City Mavericks (seven-game win streak to kick off the season), threatened the record for the most consecutive wins to start a season set by the 2022 Worcester Railers. 

The Gladiators now sit tied for second on the all-time list, while the Mavericks share a tie for third. 

Walleye Forward Craggs Named Player of the Week

Sam Craggs of the Toledo Walleye is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Nov. 6-12.

Craggs scored four goals and added three assists for seven points in three games against Fort Wayne last week.

The 26-year-old had three points (2g-1a) in a 6-4 win on Friday, scored a pair of goals in a 7-4 victory on Saturday and added two assists in a 6-5 loss on Sunday.

A native of Elmhurst, Illinois, Craggs has 13 points (6g-7a) in seven games with the Walleye this season. Craggs has posted 38 points (17g-21a) in 78 career ECHL games with Toledo.

Prior to turning pro, Craggs recorded 64 points (30g-34a) in 181 career games at Bowling Green State University and 14 points (3g-11a) in 41 career games in the United States Hockey League with Cedar Rapids, Youngtown and Waterloo.

Heartlanders Netminder Jones Named Goalie of the Week

Peyton Jones of the Iowa Heartlanders is the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Nov. 6-12.

Jones went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .967 in three appearances against Kalamazoo last week.

The 27-year-old made 25 saves in a 3-1 win on Wednesday, turned aside 30 shots in a 2-1 victory on Thursday, and had 35 stops in a 2-1 win on Saturday.

A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Jones is 3-2-1 in six appearances with the Heartlanders this season with a 2.76 goals-against average and a save percentage of .912.

Jones has seen action in 56 career ECHL games for Iowa and Utah posting an overall record of 28-17-5 with one shutout, a 3.16 goals-against average and a save percentage of .900. He also has five games of American Hockey League experience with Colorado and last season, appeared in 30 games in the Elite Ice Hockey League with Belfast and Nottingham.

Prior to turning pro, Jones appeared in 133 career games at Penn State where he went 76-44-11 with four shutouts, a 2.88 goals-average and a save percentage of .907.

ECHL All-Star Classic to Air on NHL Network

The ECHL announced on Tuesday that the 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Gulfstream will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network™ on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. ET from Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

The 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Gulfstream will consist of the host Savannah Ghost Pirates taking on a team of ECHL All-Stars representing the other teams in the League, as well as featuring several Skills events which will count as a goal towards the winning Player’s team score.

This presentation of the Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic marks the seventh consecutive All-Star event that the ECHL and NHL Network, the TV home for the National Hockey League, have worked together to air the game live in the United States. For local channel listings, go to www.NHLNetwork.com.

 The 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Gulfstream will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024, at Enmarket Arena.

Skirving Named Growlers Captain

Before the Newfoundland Growlers dropped a nail-biting 5-4 loss to Worcester on home ice Thursday, November 9th, the team announced that longtime team fixture Todd Skirving had been named team captain for the 2023-24 season.

More on Skirving's role and history with the Growlers here. 

Thunder Release Glens Falls Native Shawn Weller

Hometown veteran for the Adirondack Thunder Shawn Weller has been released from his standard player contract, the team announced in a statement last Thursday.

Weller, a native of Glens Falls, had announced before the regular season began that this would be his final year of pro hockey. 

More on the unexpected move here.

The following players have been signed, re-signed, or traded to the listed club in the past week. *Signing list may be incomplete as of press time

Allen Americans

Adirondack Thunder

Atlanta Gladiators

Cincinnati Cyclone

Iowa Heartlanders

Jacksonville Icemen

Maine Mariners

Newfoundland Growlers

Norfolk Admirals

Trois-Rivieres 

Wichita Thunder