Iowa Heartlanders forward Matthew Sop leads all ECHL rookies with 19 points. He is one of several first-year players making a ton of noise in the early stages of the 2024-25 season.
Since 1989, the John A. Daley Award has been presented annually to the top rookie player in the ECHL.
Last season, South Carolina Stingrays forward Austin Magera earned the distinction by scoring 29 goals and accumulating 45 points over 70 games. Magera’s 74 points ranked him ninth in the league overall.
Although we are still several months away from presenting this year's trophy, here are 10 first-year players who are making significant contributions in the early stages of the 2024-25 season.
Matthew Sop, F (Iowa Heartlanders)
Sop was one of the top players in the OHL last season. The 21-year-old scored 43 goals, which ranked fifth in the league, and recorded a total of 90 points, placing him eighth overall. He was also named the OHL’s Overage Player of the Year.
The Kitchener, Ontario, native has seamlessly transitioned to the ECHL as Iowa's top-line center. Sop currently leads all rookie skaters with 12 assists and 19 points, while also ranking second in goals (7).
Added, Sop is on a seven-game point streak during which he has recorded four goals and nine assists.
Riley Hughes, F (Savannah Ghost Pirates)
Hughes began his professional career with the Iowa Heartlanders at the end of last season after graduating from Ohio State. He quickly made an impact there, recording four points in 12 games and has carried over that success into this season.
The 24-year-old leads all ECHL rookies with eight goals in 12 games this year.
Hughes currently boasts the most points (14) and the best plus/minus rating (+8) on Savannah's roster. He ranks second in points-per-game (1.17) and fifth in shots taken (34).
Connor McMenamin, F (Reading Royals)
McMenamin is one of several standout first-year skaters on the Royals' roster this season.
After finishing up at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the 25-year-old skated in 10 games with the Royals to close out his 2023-24 campaign.
McMenamin is off to a quick start this season and currently leads the team with six goals and is tied for the most points (13).
He scored in four of his first five games and already has three game-winning goals to his name.
Seth Eisele, G (South Carolina Stingrays)
Eisele's workload has significantly increased this year after he played in only eight games for the University of Nebraska Omaha during the 2023-24 season.
The 26-year-old began the year with consecutive shutouts, making a combined total of 60 saves in those two games. He has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his first five games and currently holds a record of 4-0-1.
Eisele boasts the second-best goals-against average (1.40) and the fourth-best save percentage (.947) among all ECHL goaltenders.
Matty De St. Phalle, F (Wheeling Nailers)
De St. Phalle is off to an impressive start in his rookie season after spending the previous four years at the University of Wisconsin.
The 24-year-old currently leads all Wheeling skaters with nine assists and 13 points, and he has scored the second-most goals on the team (4).
De St. Phalle has already recorded three multi-point games, including a season-best four assists in the Nailers' latest outing against the Indy Fuel.
Matt Miller, F (Reading Royals)
Miller has pocketed the second-most assists (11) and is tied for the third-most points (13) among ECHL rookies.
The 25-year-old played for the University of Nebraska Omaha for the last four seasons, where he scored 20 points in his senior year.
Currently, Miller is tied with McMenamin for the points lead on Reading's roster and has already achieved three multi-point games this season.
Brett Brochu, G (Fort Wayne Komets)
Brochu has been a key factor in the Fort Wayne Komets' strong start to the season.
The 22-year-old had impressive statistics in 20 games last year with the Komets, and he has continued that performance this season.
Currently, Brochu has the second-best goals-against average (2.12) and the third-best save percentage (.919) among all rookie goaltenders.
Connor MacEachern, F (Idaho Steelheads)
MacEachern recorded seven points in 15 games with the Wichita Thunder last year and has excelled in a much larger role with the Idaho Steelheads this season.
The 25-year-old currently ranks third on the team with five goals and 12 points, while also registering the second-most shots (36).
He started the year strong with a three-game goal streak and has already achieved three multi-point games overall.
Jayden Lee, D (South Carolina Stingrays)
Lee brings a championship-caliber mentality to South Carolina after winning a National Championship at Quinnipiac.
The 23-year-old is currently the top-scoring rookie defenseman in the ECHL with 12 points so far this season.
More of a puck distributor than a shooter, Lee has recorded ten assists, which ties him for the most on the Stingrays' roster.
Gianfranco Cassaro, D (Reading Royals)
Cassaro spent the last three years at RIT, where he achieved a career-high of 38 points while taking on a leadership role as a fifth-year player.
Now, the 25-year-old is making a name for himself as one of the top rookie defenders in the ECHL. Cassaro has accumulated the second-most points (10) among first-year defensemen.
Additionally, his four goals rank as the second-most scored by any ECHL defenseman overall.