A hatty and a wild shutout highlighted another exciting Friday in the ECHL. Here is this week’s Friday Five top performances. ISAK WALTHER: ATLANTA GLADIATORS After tallying two goals and an assist in a victory [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/3-standouts-from-dec-10-action-in-the-echl]over the Utah Grizzlies [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/dzhaniyev-s-hat-trick-propels-utah-grizzlies-in-win-over-icemen]on Thursday, Walther bested that performance with a hat trick in a 5-1 win over Utah Friday. Walther opened the scoring for the second consecutive day at 9:39 of the opening frame, with Cody Sylvester and Louis Boudon earning the assists. Walther struck again 11:08 into the second period, tipping in a precise pass tape to tape from Sylvester to make it 2-0 Gladiators. Louis Boudon earned an assist as well. With the assist, Sylvester recorded his 300th career professional apple. Walther buried his third of the night on a stuff attempt to complete the hatty with 17 seconds left in regulation, earning his first professional hat trick. It is the first hatty for a Gladiators skater since Sylvester scored three times against the Cincinnati Cyclones [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/echl-announces-rookie-of-the-month-for-november]on Jan. 2, 2025 in a 5-3 win. EDDIE MATSUSHIMA: BLOOMINGTON BISON Photo Courtesy of the Bloomington Bison [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/62c98027-7bc5-4c73-993b-34e585ece41f.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Bloomington Bison Matsushima potted two goals for the Bison [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/bison-have-high-hopes-entering-second-season]in a 6-3 win over the Indy Fuel [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/community/latest-news/indy-fuel-celebrates-successful-open-house]at Grossinger Motors Arena. After Bloomington had taken a 1-0 lead, Mark Kaleinikovas hustled across the Indy blue line and slid the puck to the front of the net from below the goal line to Matsushima, who buried the pass for his first goal of the night. Early in the third period with the Bison ahead 4-2, they went on a power play. Kyle Jackson received a pass from Nikita Sedov in the right circle, and loaded up for the shot, only for it to hit Matsushima in front of the net for the captain’s second goal of the night. Indy netted a goal near the halfway mark of the final frame, but the Bison tacked on their final tally for the 6-3 win. The Bison have now won nine of their last 12 games and remain deadlocked with the Toledo Walleye [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/the-mayor-is-returning-to-toledo]for second place in the Central Division. CHRIS DODERO: IDAHO STEELHEADS Photo Courtesy of the Idaho Steelheads [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6d11fb7a-5807-43dc-98ff-4251c0b593de.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Idaho Steelheads Dodero earned an assist and scored the shootout winner to lead Idaho [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/idaho-steelheads-add-two-more-players-to-2025-26-roster]past the Wichita Thunder [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/wichita-thunder-announces-changes-to-regular-season-schedule]5-4 at INTRUST Bank Arena. With Wichita leading 3-2 in the middle frame, Dodero fed Brendan Hoffman for a shorthanded goal to bring the Steelheads even at the 8:24 mark. The contest continued to go back and forth and headed into overtime tied 4-4. When the bonus frame failed to produce a winner despite a combined seven shots, the two teams went to a shootout. With the skills competition still tied entering the 10th round, the pressure shifted to Dodero, who used a flash of moves in front of Wichita goalie Matt Davis to put Idaho back ahead. At the other end Ben Kraws came up with one final stop to seal the 5-4 win for the Steelheads and give them two points to begin the series. TAYLOR GAUTHIER: WHEELING NAILERS It was a wild night in Glens Falls, but the Wheeling Nailers [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/wheeling-nailers-netminder-wins-monthly-award]got all the goals in a 3-0 shutout over the Adirondack Thunder [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/former-adirondack-thunder-forward-makes-nhl-debut]. Gauthier was perfect on the evening in goal, stopping all 29 Thunder shots he faced in his second start of the season. The two teams were scoreless through 40 minutes of play before an epic third period. The highlight of the middle frame was a fight between Wheeling's Cole Tymkin and Adirondack's Mathieu Boislard, which resulted in Boislard getting ejected for not having his jersey tied down. The craziness started at 7:14 of the third period. The Nailers got trapped in their defensive zone, and the puck ended up in the net, but the ruling on the ice was that it was kicked in. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Just 1:06 later, Wheeling went the other way and got a close call to count for a goal. Connor Lockhart's initial shot hit Tyler Brennan's left pad. However, the puck sat in the crease, and was eventually touched in by Aidan Sutter. The play was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, but the goal stood, and the Adirondack fans went nuts. The Nailers followed that up with a no-doubter at the 14:29 mark, when Lockhart snapped in a wrist shot from the left circle. Wheeling had to kill off a 6-on-4 with 2:25 remaining, then Brent Johnson came out of the penalty box and buried an empty netter for the 3-0 final. The shutout was Gauthier's eighth of his career, which tied him with Andy Franck for the second most in team history. BRANDON HAWKINS: TOLEDO WALLEYE Photo Courtesy of the Toledo Walleye [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/39634b68-536d-4d56-9317-fedc2b314ffe.png] Photo Courtesy of the Toledo Walleye The guy known as ‘The Mayor’ led the Walleye to a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Iowa Heartlanders [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/community/latest-news/heartlanders-honor-all-heroes-night-on-saturday]at Xtream Arena. Hawkins scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in a four-goal explosion after Iowa had taken a 2-0 lead. Hawkins ended up with three points on the night. Hawkins tied the game 29 seconds into the third period with his 9th goal of the season. Chad Hillebrand and Colin Swoyer got the assists on the play. Hawkins struck again three minutes later as he intercepted a pass from Iowa in an attempt to clear their zone. The Fish took the 3-2 lead as Hawkins got his 10th of the season unassisted. Tanner Kelly added another goal for the Walleye, his fifth of the season on the power play, at the 11:59 mark of the third period to give the Fish a 4-2 lead. Hawkins got an assist for his third point of the night, and that was the final score.
