Opening Weekend of the 2025-26 ECHL [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/]season is officially in the books. Amid the shootouts, shutouts and edge-of-your seat thrills, numerous players, coaches and teams achieved notable milestones. Let’s look at three. GAGNON MAKES HISTORY The Greensboro Gargoyles [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/former-clarkson-captain-signs-with-greensboro-gargoyles]played their first-ever game as a member of the ECHL at home Saturday against the Jacksonville Icemen [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/icemen-sign-rookie-forward-for-2025-26]at First Horizon Coliseum. It was the first professional hockey game played in Greensboro in 20 years, and the Gargoyles made things exciting for their home crowd. While they ultimately didn’t come away with a victory, the Gargoyles did manage to secure one point in a 2-1 overtime loss. With Jacksonville ahead 1-0, Greensboro head coach Scott Burt pulled rookie goaltender Ruslan Khazheyev for the extra attacker. The strategy worked. David Gagnon tied the score with 1:39 remaining, tallying the Gargoyles’ first regular-season goal in its young history. Patrick Newell and Jake Elmer were each awarded an assist. The Icemens’ Redmond Savage buried the golden goal at 5:46 of the bonus frame, but the Gargoyles showed a lot of heart in their first game. They outshot Jacksonville 39-25, including a 14-4 advantage in the opening period. OILERS’ MURRAY REACHES 1,000 Photo Courtesy Tulsa Oilers [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e5196a9f-2262-47dd-97a5-4d3437f38ab0.png] Photo Courtesy Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/oilers-re-sign-speedy-forward-for-upcoming-season]edged the Iowa Heartlanders [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/heartlanders-re-sign-miura-for-upcoming-season]5-4 at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Sunday. It was Oilers’ head coach Rob Murray’s 1,000th ECHL regular-season game behind the bench. Murray became the fourth head coach in ECHL history to direct 1,000 games. The ninth-year bench boss joins John Marks as the only coaches to coach in 1000 or more regular season games and also win a Kelly Cup during the league’s 38-season history. Tulsa built a 3-0 lead, but the Heartlanders weren’t about to make Murray’s milestone easy. Jaxson Nelson tallied two power-play goals to cut the Oilers’ lead to 3-2 early in the third period before Josh Nelson answered just 58 seconds later for a 4-2 lead. After Yuki Miura narrowed the gap to 4-3, Josh Nelson restored the two-goal lead for Tulsa, his team-leading third goal of the season and his second of the period. The Heartlanders fought back to within one with 57 seconds left, but the Oilers hung on to give their coach a victory in his 1,000th game. Before taking over as Oilers head coach in 2017, Murray led the Alaska Aces to three consecutive Brabham Cups with the best regular-season record in the ECHL from 2011-12 to 2013-14. That third season, Murray guided the Aces to a Kelly Cup. In 2019, Murray took the Oilers to their first Mountain Division title since the 1975-76 season. The club captured the regular- and post-season Mountain Division titles before reaching Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. WAGNER HITS 100 Photo Courtesy of the Rapid City Rush [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c7c19066-0850-46c7-9f2f-b24e455d0e82.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Rapid City Rush The Rapid City Rush [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/players/rush-sign-multi-sport-athlete]opened their 2025-26 campaign on the road against the Kansas City Mavericks [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/community/latest-news/a-sneak-peek-at-kansas-city-mavericks-training-camp]at Cable Dahmer Arena. The Rush fought valiantly but came up short in a 3-2 loss. However, Ryan Wagner collected the 100th poin in his ECHL career. The Rush forward recorded the primary assist on a Blake Bennett goal that knotted up the score 1-1 in the first. The point was Wagner’s 100th of his third ECHL season. Following Opening Weekend, he now has 101 points (38-63-101) in 97 games. The 29-year-old Park Ridge, Ill. native took on the role of captain for the Rush last season and became an instant fan favorite. He set a Rush single-season ECHL-era record with 50 assists. His 79 points not only tied the Rush ECHL-era record, but were good for second-most across the entire ECHL.
