2016–17 ECHL season
| 2016–17 ECHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | ECHL |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 14, 2016 – April 8, 2017 |
| Regular season | |
| Playoffs | |
| Kelly Cup | |
The 2016–17 ECHL season will be the 29th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule runs from October 14, 2016 to April 8, 2017,[1] with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each plays a 72-game schedule.
League business
Team changes
- The Evansville IceMen voluntarily suspended operations for the 2016–17 season. The IceMen franchise was approved for relocation to Owensboro, Kentucky, following arena issues in Evansville but would have needed at least a year to finish renovations to the Owensboro Sportscenter.[2] However, the IceMen's deal to move into the Sportscenter has since fallen through leaving the team's membership with the ECHL as undetermined.[3]
Conference realignment
The ECHL returned to a four division alignment for the 2016–17 season with the removal of the East and Midwest Divisions. Two teams, the Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye, were moved from the Eastern to the Western Conference and the Cincinnati Cyclones were moved to the Eastern Conference. The West Division was also renamed to the Mountain Division while adding the Allen Americans and Missouri Mavericks. The Central Division added the Fort Wayne Komets, Indy Fuel, Kalamazoo Wings, Quad City Mallards, and Toledo Walleye. The South Division added Cincinnati and the Norfolk Admirals. The North Division added the former East Division, except Norfolk.[4]
Due to the season schedule being set in May 2016 and the realignment announced after the July Board of Governors meetings, the new alignment had several divisional scheduling oddities. One of the most egregious examples being Cincinnati having more games against Western Conference teams than in their own Eastern Conference and would not even play inter-divisional members Florida, Norfolk, and Orlando during the regular season.[5]
Affiliation changes
| ECHL team | New affiliates | Former affiliates |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Aces[6] | Vancouver Canucks (NHL) Utica Comets (AHL) |
Independent |
| Colorado Eagles[7] | Colorado Avalanche (NHL) San Antonio Rampage (AHL) |
Independent |
| Fort Wayne Komets[8] | Independent | Colorado Avalanche (NHL) San Antonio Rampage (AHL) |
| Kalamazoo Wings[9] | Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) |
| Rapid City Rush[10] | Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) | Springfield Falcons (AHL) |
| Wichita Thunder[11] | Ottawa Senators (NHL) Binghamton Senators (AHL) |
Independent |
Annual Board of Governors meeting
The annual ECHL Board of Governors meeting was held at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in July 2016. The ECHL Board of Governors unanimously re-elected Cincinnati Cyclones' president Ray Harris as chairman for a second season. The Board also approved of the rule change for no timeouts allowed following an icing penalty, a rule that had also been approved by the American Hockey League.[12]
All-star game
The 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic will be held on January 18, 2017, at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, New York.[13][14] The event will feature the ECHL All-Stars playing against the host Adirondack Thunder. The format for the match consists of two 25-minute halves with a skills competition during the intermission. The skills competition will have a fastest skater, a hardest shot, and a skills relay. The first half of the game will be under standard 5-on-5 player rules while the second half will be ten minutes of 5-on-5, five minutes of 4-on-4, and finishing with 3-on-3 player hockey. Both goals scored during play and points made during the skills competition will count towards the final score of All-Star Classic.[15]
2017 Kelly Cup playoffs format
At the end of the regular season the top four teams in each division qualifies for the 2017 Kelly Cup playoffs and be seeded one through four based on highest point total earned in the season. Then the first two rounds of the playoffs are held within the division with the first seed facing the fourth seed and the second seed facing the third. The division champions then play each other in a conference championship. The Kelly Cup finals pits the Eastern Conference champion against the Western Conference champion. All four rounds are a best-of-seven format.[4]
Standings
As of November 30, 2016.[16]
- Eastern Conference
| North Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Thunder (CGY) | 18 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 60 | 48 | 26 |
| Manchester Monarchs (LA) | 20 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 70 | 63 | 24 |
| Reading Royals (PHI) | 20 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 69 | 22 |
| Wheeling Nailers (PIT) | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 50 | 20 |
| Brampton Beast (MTL) | 16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 67 | 17 |
| Elmira Jackals (BUF) | 17 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 57 | 11 |
| South Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Everblades (CAR) | 17 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 43 | 27 |
| Atlanta Gladiators (BOS) | 23 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 85 | 87 | 23 |
| Orlando Solar Bears (TOR) | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 64 | 54 | 22 |
| Greenville Swamp Rabbits (NYR) | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 46 | 18 |
| South Carolina Stingrays (WSH) | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 43 | 17 |
| Cincinnati Cyclones (NSH) | 18 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 60 | 16 |
| Norfolk Admirals (EDM) | 17 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 61 | 8 |
- Western Conference
| Mountain Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Aces (VAN) | 17 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 62 | 42 | 25 |
| Colorado Eagles (COL) | 19 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 59 | 24 |
| Idaho Steelheads (DAL) | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 61 | 24 |
| Allen Americans (SJ) | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 66 | 20 |
| Missouri Mavericks (NYI) | 18 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 62 | 17 |
| Rapid City Rush (ARZ) | 19 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 59 | 68 | 17 |
| Utah Grizzlies (ANA) | 19 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 51 | 66 | 16 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa Oilers (WPG) | 21 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 57 | 30 |
| Toledo Walleye (DET) | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 46 | 28 |
| Quad City Mallards (MIN) | 17 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 44 | 21 |
| Fort Wayne Komets (Ind.) | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 46 | 20 |
| Indy Fuel (CHI) | 18 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 49 | 18 |
| Kalamazoo Wings (TB) | 19 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 63 | 16 |
| Wichita Thunder (OTT) | 15 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 46 | 15 |
x – clinched playoff spot, y – clinched regular season division title, z – Brabham Cup (regular season) champion
See also
References
- ↑ "ECHL RELEASES 2016–17 SCHEDULE". ECHL. April 28, 2016.
- ↑ "ECHL Approves IceMen Move to Owensboro". OurSportsCentral. March 14, 2016.
- ↑ "IceMen won't play in Owensboro". Evansville Courier & Press. September 30, 2016.
- 1 2 "ECHL Announces Conference and Divisional Alignment for 2016–17 Season". OurSports Central. July 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Shifts happen: ECHL realignment gives Aces' schedule some oddities". Alaska Dispatch News. July 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Canucks Announce ECHL Affiliate Agreement with the Alaska Aces". OurSports Central. June 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Eagles Announce Affiliation with Colorado Avalanche". OurSports Central. July 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Komets, Avalanche Terminate Affiliation". OurSports Central. July 19, 2016.
- ↑ "K-Wings Strike Deal to Become Tampa Bay Lightning Affiliate". OurSports Central. May 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Rush Re-Affiliate with Coyotes". OurSports Central. July 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Thunder Lands Affiliation Agreement with Ottawa Senators". OurSports Central. July 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting Concludes". ECHL. August 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Glens Falls to host 2017 ECHL All-Star Classic". The Post-Star. December 1, 2015.
- ↑ "ADIRONDACK THUNDER TO HOST 2017 CCM/ECHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC". ECHL. December 1, 2015.
- ↑ "2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic". Adirondack Thunder. September 28, 2016.
- ↑ "TEAM STATS". ECHL. Retrieved October 16, 2016.