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December 30, 2005
Roster Includes 11 Rookies, 18 First-Time All-Star
Selections
PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL on Friday announced the
starting lineup and roster of the American Conference for the 2006
ECHL All-Star Game presented by Bud Light on Jan. 25 at Save Mart
Center in Fresno, Calif.
There are 11 rookies and 18 of the players on the 21-man roster are
first-time selections.
The Fresno Falcons are the host for the 2006 ECHL All-Star Skills
Competition on Jan. 24 and the 2006 ECHL All-Star Game presented by
Bud Light on Jan. 25. Both events will be at Save Mart Center and
begin at 7 p.m. PT.
The starting lineups were determined in voting by American
Conference coaches, team captains, media directors, broadcasters
and newspaper writers. Coaches also submitted the top prospects
from within their conference to determine the final roster with
each of the 14 teams in the American Conference having a
representative.
The starting lineup and roster for the National Conference will be
announced at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
American Conference Starters
G – Cody Rudkowsky, Reading (11 gp, 10-2-1,
1 shutout, 2.46 GAA, .918 save pct.)
D – Troy Milam, Gwinnett (26 gp, 2g, 18a, 20
pts)
D – Rory Rawlyk, Charlotte (28 gp, 9g, 15a,
24 pts)
F – Kurtis McLean, Wheeling (28 gp, 21g,
17a, 38 pts)
F – Scott Bertoli, Trenton (28 gp, 9g, 17a,
26 pts)
F – Ernie Hartlieb, Florida (27 gp, 15g,
15a, 30 pts)
Making his first appearance and start is Reading goaltender
Cody Rudkowsky, who is 10-2-1 with a shutout, a
goals-against average of 2.46 and a save percentage of .918 in 11
games with the Royals. Joining Rudkowsky from the Royals are rookie
defenseman T.J. Kemp and rookie right wing
Greg Hogeboom. Selected in the fifth round (152nd
overall) by Los Angeles in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and under
contract to the Kings, the 23-year-old Hogeboom is tied for third
among league rookies with 18 assists and ranks fifth with 27 points
in 19 games while also playing six games in the AHL for Manchester.
In his first professional season, the 24-year-old Kemp is seventh
among ECHL rookies with 24 points (7g-17a) in 25 games.
Making his first start and second All-Star appearance is Gwinnett
defenseman Troy Milam, who was selected to the
2004 ECHL All-Star Game as a rookie with the Gladiators. Under
contract to Chicago of the American Hockey League, the 25-year-old
has 20 points (2g-18a) in 26 games for Gwinnett and is tied for
fifth among league defensemen in assists and tied for 11th in
scoring. Also named to the roster from the Gladiators are rookie
right wing Guillaume Desbiens and center
Pascal Pelletier. Selected in the fourth round
(116th overall) by Atlanta in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and under
contract to the Thrashers, Desbiens is sixth among league rookies
with 26 points (12g-14a) in 25 games. Pelletier ranks fifth in the
league with 18 goals and tied for 16th in scoring with 30 points in
21 games and is currently on call up to the AHL where he has seven
points (2g-5a) in seven games with Providence.
Making his first ECHL All-Star Game appearance is Charlotte
defenseman Rory Rawlyk, who is under contract to
the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. In his third
professional season, the 22-year-old has 24 points (9g-15a) in 28
games and is third among league defensemen in goals and tied for
fourth in scoring.
Voted for the second time as a starter and making his second
All-Star Game appearance is Trenton left wing Scott
Bertoli. Bertoli, who was also voted as a starter in 2001,
leads Trenton with 17 assists and 26 points in 28 games.
Wheeling rookie center Kurtis McLean, who is under
contract to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, was voted as a
starter in his first professional season. The 25-year-old leads
ECHL rookies with 21 goals, nine power-play goals, 18 power-play
points and 38 points in 28 games. He is tied for the overall league
lead in power-play goals while he is second in points and tied for
second in goals and power-play points. Joining McLean on the team
is fellow rookie Sean Collins, who is also under
contract to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Selected by the Colorado
Avalanche in the ninth round (289th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry
Draft, the 22-year-old Collins is second among ECHL rookies with 24
assists and 37 points in 28 games while he is tied for second with
16 power-play points and fifth in goals with 13. He is tied for
second overall in assists and ranks third in scoring.
Another first time selection is Florida forward Ernie
Hartlieb, who leads the Everblades with 15 goals and is
second on the team and tied for 16th in the league with 30 points
in 27 games. Joining Hartlieb from the Everblades is rookie center
Daniel Sisca, who is under contract to Lowell of
the AHL, and defenseman Chris Lee. The 22-year-old
Sisca leads league rookies with 26 assists and 13 power-play
assists while he ranks third in scoring with 35 points in 27 games.
The 25-year-old Lee is tied for 11th among league defensemen with
20 points (6g-14a) in 25 games.
Two other first-time selections are goaltenders Mike
Brodeur of Greenville and Jonathan Boutin
of Johnstown. Selected in the seventh round (211th overall) by
Chicago in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and under contract to the
Blackhawks, the 22-year-old Brodeur is currently with Norfolk of
the AHL. Brodeur is 14-8-1 with a goals-against average of 2.58, a
shutout and a save percentage of .917 in 23 games with Greenville.
Selected in the third round (96th overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2003
NHL Entry Draft and under contract to the Lightning, the
20-year-old Boutin is 4-6-2 with two shutouts, a goals-against of
2.47 and a save percentage of .933 in 12 games with Johnstown and
0-1-1 with a goals-against of 1.93 and a save percentage of .945 in
two games with Springfield of the AHL.
Representing the Columbia Inferno is center Brandon
Nolan, who was selected in the third round (72nd overall)
by New Jersey in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and in the fourth round
(111th overall) by Vancouver in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. In his
third professional season and under contract to Vancouver, the
22-year-old has 14 points (5g-9a) in 10 games with Columbia and six
points (1g-5a) in 11 games with Manitoba of the AHL.
The Pensacola Ice Pilots have rookie center Luke
Fulghum, who is under contract to the Toronto Marlies of
the AHL. The 25-year-old is tied for 11th among ECHL rookies with
22 points (8g-14a) in 23 games with Pensacola and has also played
seven games in the AHL with Toronto.
Rookie defensemen Gerry Burke and Mark
Flood were chosen to represent the Toledo Storm and the
Dayton Bombers, respectively. The 23-year-old Burke has 13 points
(4g-9a) in 24 games. Selected in the sixth round (188th overall) by
the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and under
contract to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL, the 21-year-old
Flood has 12 points (6g-6a) in 20 games with Dayton and one goal in
five games with Syracuse.
Making his second consecutive All-Star appearance is Augusta center
Nicolas Corbeil, who is tied for seventh in the
league with 32 points (13g-19a) in 27 games. Representing South
Carolina is rookie center Jeff Legue, who leads
the Stingrays with 11 goals and is tied for second on the team with
18 points in 25 games.
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