2004–05 ECHL season

The 2004–05 ECHL season was the 17th season of the ECHL. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the Pensacola Ice Pilots and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Trenton Titans.

2004–05 ECHL season
LeagueECHL
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Brabham CupPensacola Ice Pilots
Season MVP Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Top scorer Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Playoffs
American championsFlorida Everblades
  American runners-upCharlotte Checkers
National championsTrenton Titans
  National runners-upAlaska Aces
Playoffs MVP Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Finals
ChampionsTrenton Titans
  Runners-upFlorida Everblades

During this season, the National Hockey League cancelled its season due to the player lockout. This led to many players who would normally be in the American Hockey League pushed out of roster spots by the younger NHL players back into the ECHL. Some NHL players also found work in the ECHL, some as a way to return to their hometowns (or their wives'), and others to give back to the league which gave them a start. Scott Gomez chose to return home to his Anchorage roots and played for the Alaska Aces. Curtis Brown played for his wife's hometown in San Diego. Jeremy Stevenson, who played his first professional season with Greensboro ten years before, returned to the Carolinas with the South Carolina Stingrays. Stevenson's NHL teammate Shane Hnidy, who played 21 games with the former Baton Rouge Kingfish as a rookie, returned to the South playing for the Florida Everblades. Hnidy and Stevenson would find themselves playing against each other in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Bates Battaglia joined his younger brother Anthony on the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL.

League changes

After the 2003–04 season, the Columbus Cottonmouths, Greensboro Generals, and Roanoke Express franchises all ceased operations as their franchises were revoked. The Columbus organization joined to the Southern Professional Hockey League for 2004–05 as one of its inaugural members. Their ECHL franchise had planned to be in Bradenton, Florida, as the Gulf Coast Swords but eventually had its franchise revoked in the September 2006 ECHL Board of Governors meeting after several issues led to them never completing their arena. The Cincinnati Cyclones requested a voluntary suspension of franchise, which was lifted for the 2006–07 season, when the Cyclones ownership failed to secure an American Hockey League franchise.

The league added one team for the season, their first Canadian franchise, the Victoria Salmon Kings. The Salmon Kings purchased the defunct Baton Rouge Kingfish franchise and relocated its home territory to Victoria.

Realignment

The league also adopted a "Mason-Dixon" format, as the conferences were split on the Mason–Dixon line, with the National Conference teams being north of the line and American Conference teams south of the line creating a "North vs South" format.

All-Star Game

The ECHL All-Star Game was held at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, and was hosted by the Reading Royals. The National Conference All-Stars defeated the American Conference All-Stars 6–2, with Idaho's Frank Doyle named Most Valuable Player.

Regular season

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SOL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage[1][2]

American Conference
East Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Columbia Inferno7238224888199186
South Carolina Stingrays7239243687230219
Charlotte Checkers7239262585226219
Greenville Grrrowl7239280583210204
Pee Dee Pride7231362367203219
Augusta Lynx7228355465188237
South Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Pensacola Ice Pilots (z)72511623107248178
Florida Everblades7242204694237192
Gwinnett Gladiators7240241788241202
Mississippi Sea Wolves7239244587223215
Louisiana IceGators7226402458192266
Texas Wildcatters7217442945178260

National Conference
North Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Reading Royals7243222593220161
Trenton Titans7242214593220161
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies7242223592205189
Toledo Storm7241262387203194
Peoria Rivermen7238262684213177
Wheeling Nailers7238292381171173
Johnstown Chiefs7222365958191258
Dayton Bombers7223402755175225
West Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Alaska Aces (z)7245193598233187
Long Beach Ice Dogs7243204595220181
Idaho Steelheads7242232591223183
Bakersfield Condors7240225590232205
Fresno Falcons7239253586204217
San Diego Gulls7235294478206222
Las Vegas Wranglers7231333570201199
Victoria Salmon Kings7215523235178298

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts
Scott GomezAK61137386
Carl MalletteTOL64305080
Jamie JohnsonAUG72225880
Chris MinardAK69492978
Joe TenuteSC68344175
Wes MasonLA72313970
Brian McCulloughPEO71393069
Kris GoodjohnGWT69214869
Evan CheverieLB72293968
Scott BertoliTRE70274168

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Mins W L T GA SO Sv% GAA
Dany SabourinWHL2715781961445.9421.67
Barry BrustREA4224132794794.9281.96
Alfie MichaudPEO48271227135926.9292.04
Tyler MacKayFLA2716011872562.9212.10
Chris MaddenLB2815981952575.9412.14

Kelly Cup playoffs
Main article: 2005 Kelly Cup playoffs
Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Kelly Cup Finals
            
A1 Pensacola 1
A8 Greenville 3
A8 Greenville 0
A3 Florida 3
A3 Florida 3
A6 South Carolina 1
A3 Florida 4
American Conference
A7 Charlotte 2
A4 Gwinnett 3
A5 Mississippi 1
A4 Gwinnett 1
A7 Charlotte 3
A2 Columbia 2
A7 Charlotte 3
A3 Florida 2
N2 Trenton 4
N1 Reading 3
N4 Toledo 1
N1 Reading 1
N2 Trenton 3
N2 Trenton 3
N3 Atlantic City 0
N2 Trenton 4
National Conference
W1 Alaska 3
W1 Alaska 3
W4 Bakersfield 2
W1 Alaska 3
W2 Long Beach 0
W2 Long Beach 3
W3 Idaho 1

ECHL awards
See also: ECHL awards
Patrick Kelly Cup:Trenton Titans
Henry Brabham Cup:Pensacola Ice Pilots
Gingher Memorial Trophy:Florida Everblades
Bruce Taylor Trophy:Trenton Titans
John Brophy Award:Nick Vitucci (Toledo)
CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player:Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year:Chris Madden (Long Beach)
CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year:Joe Tenute (South Carolina)
Defenseman of the Year:Ray DiLauro (Wheeling)
Leading Scorer:Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award:Aaron Philips (Pensacola)
Sportsmanship Award:Kris Goodjohn (Gwinnett)

See also

References
  1. "2004–05 ECHL Standings". HockeyDB. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  2. "2004–05 ECHL Stats". ECHL. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
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