PRINCETON,NJ - The Each Coast Hockey League announced on Wenesday the Southern conference roster for the 2001 ALLTEL/ECHL All-Star Game to be played on February 13 at 7 pm CST at the ALLTEL Arena in North Little Rock,Ark. The Northern Conference All-Star Team will be announced on Thursday.
The starting lineup for the Southern Conference All-Stars,as determined by a vote of Southern Conference coaches,is:
Goaltender - Kirk Daubenspeck,South Carolina Stingrays
Defense - Chris Valicevic,Louisiana IceGators
Defense - Trevor Demmans,Pee Dee Pride
Forward - Brent Cullaton,Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
Forward - Matt Demarski,Florida Everblades
Forward - Dany Dousquet,Pee Dee Pride
Valicevic is making a League record seventh All-Star appearance while Bousquet is making his third All-Star appearance and first as a starter. Mobile's Dave Van Drunen and Augusta's Jonas Soling were All-Star selections in 1998 and 1999 respectively. The remaining 17 players on the Southern Conference roster are making their first All-Star appearance.
Valicevic,who is a four-time ECHL Defenseman of the Year and was the League's Most Valuable Player in 1998-99,leads defensemen with 25 assists and is the League's career assist leader with 401. Bousquet leads the ECHL with 29 goals and is tied for second with 57 points in 36 games.
Demmans is tied for second amoung League defensemen with 24 assists and is tied for sixth in scoring among defensemen with 30 points in 40 games. Demarski leads Florida with 20 goals and 42 points in 37 games while Cullaton ranks third in the League with 34 assists and fourth in the League with 56 points in 37 games. The Goalie of the Month for November,Daubenspeck is 17-5-3 with two shutouts,a 2.51 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
The host,Arkansas RiverBlades,will be represented by defenseman Eric Long,who is fourth among defensemen in plus/minus rating (+14),and forward Aaron Brand,who leads Arkansas with 43 points (19g,24a) in 36 games.
Joining Valicevic from Southwest Division leader Louisiana is goaltender Jason Saal,who is 14-5-0 with one shutout,a 2.71 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. In addition to Daubenspeck,South Carolina will have Jason Sessa,under contract to the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. Sessa leads the Stingrays with 42 points and 23 goals,including a League-high six game-winning goals. In addition to Cullaton,Tallahassee will also have Andrew Long,who ranks 12th with 45 points (23g,22a).
Jess Bes of Pensacola,who leads the League in scoring with 59 points (21g,38a),is also on the Southern Conference roster along with Jackson's Bobby Russell,who leads the ECHL with five short-handed goals and tops the Bandits with 46 points (25g,21a).
Baton Rouge will be represented by goaltender Brian Leitza,who is tied for second in the League with three shutouts,while Greenville will have defenseman Vratislav Cech,under contract to the NHL's Boston Bruins,on the Southern Conference roster.Augusta has two players on the roster with defenseman Likit Andersson,tied for second among the League defensemen with 24 assists,and forward Jonas Soling,under contract to the NHL's Vancouver Canucks and leads the Lynx with 38 points (22g,16a).
Mobile's Dave Van Drunen,who last season became one of only four players that have played in both the ECHL and the NHL in the same season,rounds out the blueline. Van Drunen,who leads League defensemen in plus/minus (+16),played for both Mobile and Ottawa in the NHL in 1999-2000. Birmingham is represented by forward Eduard Pershin,who has 29 points (14g,15a) in 32 games,while Mississippi will send Cody Bowtell,who leads the Sea Wolves with 17 goals. Martin Bartek,under contract to the NHL's Nashville Predators and who has 31 points (15g,16a) in 30 games for the New Orleans Brass,rounds out the Southern Conference roster.
Rick Adduono of South Carolina and Chris Cichocki of Arkansas will be the co-coaches for the Southern Conference while Troy Ward of Trenton and Jason Christie of Peoria will lead the Northern Conference. Jackson athletic trainer David Strickland and South Carolina equipment manager Jeff Camelio were selected to represent the Southern Conference while Johnstown wquipment manager Mic Midderhoff and Trenton athletic trainer Stephan Lipinski,A.T.C. were chosen to represent the Northern Conference. Arkansas athletic trainer Ricky Castaneda and Arkansas equipment manager Tony Addeo were also selected to work the game. The All-Star coaches were chosen in a vote of League coaches while equipment managers and trainers were chosen in a vote of their peers.
The ECHL Skills Competition is Gebruary 12 at 7 PM CST at the ALLTEL Arena and features the ALLTEL/ECHL All-Stars competing in six events: Sher-Wood Puck Control Relay, VIC hockey Accuracy,CCM Hardest Shot,Fastest Skater,Vortek Rapid Fire,and Vortek Breakaway Relay. The Wortek Top Goaltender will be awarded to the netminder with the most saves in Rapid Fire and Breakaway Relay competitions.
Presented by the Arkansas RiverBlades,the Little Rock Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the ECHL,the Ice Odyssey Gala features ALLTEL/ECHL All-Stars,refreshments and live entertainment and will be held at the Statehouse Convention Center from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM CST on February 12.
Combination ticket packages that include a ticket to the ECHL Skills Competition,the Ice Odyssey Gala,and the 2001 ALLTEL/ECHL All-Star Game are $30-40 and are on sale now by telephone at (501) 975-2327.
2001 ALLTEL/ECHL Southern Conference All-Star Team:
Goalies - Kirk Daubenspeck (South Carolina),Brian Leitza (Baton Rouge),and Jason Saal (Louisiana); Defensemen - Chris Valicevic (Louisiana),Trevor Demmans (Pee Dee),Eric Long (Arkansas),Likit Andersson (Augusta),Vratislav Cech (Greenville),and Dave Van Drunen (Mobile); Forwards - Brent Cullaton (Tallahassee),Matt Demarski (Florida),Dany Bousquet (Pee Dee),Aaron Brand (Arkansas),Jonas Soling (Augusta),Eduard Pershin (Birmingham),Bobby Russell (Jackson),Cody Bowtell (Mississippi),Martin Bartek (New Orleans),Jeff Bes (Pensacola),Jason Sessa (South Carolina),and Andrew Long (Tallahassee).
NOTE: If Andrew Long does not return to the team in time for the all-star game,Adam Copeland will represent the Tiger Sharks along with Brent Cullaton.