2001–02 ECHL season - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2001-02 ECHL season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

was the 14th season of the East Coast Hockey League

ECHL

The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

. Before the start of the season, the league saw one expansion franchise and five relocations, three of which were through the buying of the franchise rights of former clubs that had ceased operations. These relocations include the rights to the Columbus Chill

Columbus Chill

The Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998-99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania...

moving to Reading, PA

Reading Royals

The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania...

, the rights to the Hampton Roads Admirals

Hampton Roads Admirals

The Hampton Roads Admirals were an American professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena....

moving to Columbus, GA

Columbus Cottonmouths

The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:...

, and the rights to the Miami Matadors

Miami Matadors

The Miami Matadors were an ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League. They played in Miami, Florida, USA at the Miami Arena for one season before folding. The Matadors franchise would resurface several years later as the Cincinnati Cyclones.-History:...

relocating to the former ECHL market of Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati Cyclones

The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....

. The league also saw current franchises Birmingham Bulls

Birmingham Bulls (ECHL)

The Birmingham Bulls were a minor professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League from 1992 to 2001. Their home arena was the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. The team moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey and was renamed the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2001...

move to Atlantic City, NJ

Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were an ECHL hockey team in Atlantic City, New Jersey from 2001 to 2005. The team's venue was the historic Boardwalk Hall, which seats 6,979....

and Tallahassee Tiger Sharks

Tallahassee Tiger Sharks

The Tallahassee Tiger Sharks were a minor professional ice hockey team that played in the ECHL from 1994–2001. Under this period they served as a minor league affiliate to New York Islanders , Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens....

move to Macon, GA

Macon Whoopee

The Macon Whoopee was the name given to two distinct former ice hockey teams, both of which were located in Macon, Georgia. The teams played their home games at the Macon Coliseum....

. The league also welcomed its fourth franchise from the state of South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

with an expansion franchise in the state's capital of Columbia, SC

Columbia Inferno

The Columbia Inferno are an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. The team is currently on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum. They planned on playing in a new arena during the...

. The Louisiana IceGators finished first overall in the regular season, winning the Brabham Cup

Brabham Cup

The Henry Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually by the ECHL to the team which finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season...

with the best record in league history. The Greenville Grrrowl

Greenville Grrrowl

The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....

won their first Kelly Cup

Kelly Cup

The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning...

sweeping the Dayton Bombers

Dayton Bombers

The Dayton Bombers were an ECHL ice hockey team located in Dayton, Ohio. The team most recently was in the North Division of the ECHL's American Conference....

in four games.

During the opening weekend of the ECHL season, the league had a moment of silence for former South Carolina Stingrays player Mark Bavis, who had been killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Ryan Brindley, who was wearing #12 for the Stingrays in the previous season, changed to #55 after the team retired the number that Bavis had worn during his two seasons (1994-96) with the Stingrays.

Northern Conference

The top four teams in each division would qualify for the playoffs, with the division champions being ranked first in their brackets and the other qualified teams ranked by points. The first seeds will play the fourth seeds and the second seeds will play the third seeds in best-of-five series in the Division Semifinals. The winners will advance to the best-of-five Division Finals and the playoff winners of each division would play each other in a best-of-five Conference Championship series, with the winner advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals.

Southern Conference

The top five teams in each division would qualify for the playoffs, with the division champions being ranked first in their brackets and the other qualified teams ranked by points. The fourth and fifth seeds of each division will play a single-game series in the Division Wild Card, with each winner advancing to play their division leader in the best-of-five Division Semifinal series, while the second seeds will play the third seeds in best-of-five series in the Division Semifinals. The winners will advance to the best-of-five Division Finals and the playoff winners of each division would play each other in a best-of-five Conference Championship series, with the winner advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals.

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Loses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage

Northern Conference

Northeast Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Trenton Titans Trenton Titans The Trenton Titans are a professional minor league ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Titans play their home games at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Established in 1999, the...	72	46	16	10	102	238	178
Charlotte Checkers	72	41	20	11	93	256	207
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were an ECHL hockey team in Atlantic City, New Jersey from 2001 to 2005. The team's venue was the historic Boardwalk Hall, which seats 6,979....	72	42	22	8	92	233	209
Roanoke Express Roanoke Express The Roanoke Express were a team in the ECHL from 1993 until 2004. Home games were played at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia.-History:...	72	35	26	11	81	242	223
Richmond Renegades Richmond Renegades (ECHL) The Richmond Renegades were an ECHL ice hockey team in Richmond, Virginia that played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1990 until 2003. The Renegades played at the Richmond Coliseum, which they marketed in later years as the Freezer....	72	32	30	10	74	191	225
Reading Royals Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania...	72	27	36	9	63	182	215
Greensboro Generals Greensboro Generals The Greensboro Generals were an ECHL team that existed from 1999-2004. The franchise replaced the Greensboro Monarchs, who called the city home from 1989-1995....	72	23	41	8	54	188	278

Northwest Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Dayton Bombers Dayton Bombers The Dayton Bombers were an ECHL ice hockey team located in Dayton, Ohio. The team most recently was in the North Division of the ECHL's American Conference....	72	40	20	12	92	222	196
Peoria Rivermen Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena....	72	41	23	8	90	206	179
Johnstown Chiefs Johnstown Chiefs The Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that played in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League when that league was formed...	72	39	31	2	80	220	232
Cincinnati Cyclones Cincinnati Cyclones The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....	72	36	30	6	78	210	207
Wheeling Nailers Wheeling Nailers The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL....	72	36	32	4	76	213	208
Toledo Storm Toledo Storm The Toledo Storm was a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the southern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors were red and white, similar to the Detroit Red Wings,...	72	28	34	10	66	225	265

Southern Conference

Southeast Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Greenville Grrrowl Greenville Grrrowl The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....	72	43	23	6	92	231	198
Pee Dee Pride Pee Dee Pride The Pee Dee Pride was a minor-league hockey organization housed in Florence, South Carolina, where they played from 1997 until 2005. The organization, which is one of the five charter members of the East Coast Hockey League , was originally housed in Knoxville, Tennessee and was known as the...	72	41	25	6	88	236	218
Columbia Inferno Columbia Inferno The Columbia Inferno are an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. The team is currently on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum. They planned on playing in a new arena during the...	72	36	22	14	86	211	197
South Carolina Stingrays South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in...	72	39	26	7	85	235	225
Florida Everblades Florida Everblades The Florida Everblades are an ECHL ice hockey team playing in the Southeast Division. The team is based in Estero, Florida and plays at Germain Arena . The team has existed since 1998...	72	37	27	8	82	207	221
Augusta Lynx Augusta Lynx The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena...	72	36	26	10	82	218	224
Macon Whoopee Macon Whoopee The Macon Whoopee was the name given to two distinct former ice hockey teams, both of which were located in Macon, Georgia. The teams played their home games at the Macon Coliseum....	72	29	31	12	70	194	228
Columbus Cottonmouths Columbus Cottonmouths The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:...	72	24	37	11	59	197	242

Southwest Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Louisiana IceGators	72	56	12	4	116	261	156
Mississippi Sea Wolves Mississippi Sea Wolves The Mississippi Sea Wolves were a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi and playing in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves were members of the ECHL....	72	41	26	5	87	251	232
Pensacola Ice Pilots Pensacola Ice Pilots The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a minor league ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders , and the Chicago Blackhawks. They have also had a working agreement with the Houston Aeros of the...	72	38	28	6	82	247	242
Jackson Bandits Jackson Bandits The Jackson Bandits were a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the East Coast Hockey League . The Bandits played at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, Mississippi between the 1999-2000 and 2002-03 seasons...	72	34	29	9	77	187	202
New Orleans Brass New Orleans Brass The New Orleans Brass was a hockey team in the ECHL from 1997-2002. The team was at one time affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. Home games were played first at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and then at the New Orleans Arena....	72	36	32	4	76	211	209
Mobile Mysticks Mobile Mysticks The Mobile Mysticks were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Mobile, Alabama that played in the ECHL. They played their home games at the Mobile Civic Center. The team was founded in 1995 as an expansion franchise, joining the ECHL alongside the Louisville River Frogs and the...	72	28	26	18	74	215	237
Arkansas RiverBlades Arkansas RiverBlades The Arkansas RiverBlades was a short-lived minor-league ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.The Arkansas RiverBlades was an expansion franchise that entered the East Coast Hockey League for the 1998–99 season...	72	31	31	10	72	189	206
Baton Rouge Kingfish Baton Rouge Kingfish The Baton Rouge Kingfish were a minor professional ice hockey team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise arrived in Baton Rouge in 1996 after relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania, where they had played as the Erie Panthers since 1988 as one of the...	72	29	35	8	66	187	244

Bracket

Division semifinals

Northeast Division Semifinals (1) Trenton vs. (4) Roanoke
Date	Away	Home
April 2	Roanoke 1	Trenton 2
April 3	Roanoke 4	Trenton 1
April 5	Trenton 6	Roanoke 1
April 7	Trenton 5	Roanoke 2
*Trenton wins series 3–1*

Northeast Division Semifinals (2) Charlotte vs. (3) Atlantic City
Date	Away	Home
April 2	Atlantic City 4	Charlotte 1
April 3	Atlantic City 1	Charlotte 4
April 5	Charlotte 4	Atlantic City 3	OT
April 6	Charlotte 0	Atlantic City 6
April 10	Atlantic City 4	Charlotte 2
*Atlantic City wins series 3–2*

Northwest Division Semifinals (1) Dayton vs. (4) Cincinnati
Date	Away	Home
April 3	Cincinnati 1	Dayton 4
April 5	Dayton 1	Cincinnati 0	OT
April 6	Cincinnati 1	Dayton 2
*Dayton wins series 3–0*

Northwest Division Semifinals (2) Peoria vs. (3) Johnstown
Date	Away	Home
April 2	Johnstown 1	Peoria 2
April 3	Johnstown 0	Peoria 1
April 5	Peoria 1	Johnstown 6
April 6	Peoria 1	Johnstown 3
April 9	Johnstown 4	Peoria 0
*Johnstown wins series 3–2*

Division finals

Northeast Division Finals (1) Trenton vs. (3) Atlantic City
Date	Away	Home
April 12	Atlantic City 4	Trenton 3	OT
April 15	Atlantic City 3	Trenton 0
April 16	Trenton 1	Atlantic City 4
*Atlantic City wins series 3–0*

Northwest Division Finals (1) Dayton vs. (3) Johnstown
Date	Away	Home
April 12	Johnstown 3	Dayton 4	2OT
April 13	Johnstown 1	Dayton 3
April 18	Dayton 5	Johnstown 1
*Dayton wins series 3–0*

Conference finals

(NE.2) Atlantic City vs. (NW.1) Dayton
Date	Away	Home
April 24	Dayton 3	Atlantic City 2
April 26	Dayton 3	Atlantic City 4
April 28	Atlantic City 2	Dayton 3
April 29	Atlantic City 2	Dayton 5
*Dayton wins series 3–1*

Bracket

Division Wild Card

Southeast Division Wildcard (4) South Carolina vs. (5) Florida
Date	Away	Home
April 2	Florida 3	South Carolina 2
*Florida wins series 1–0*

Southwest Division Wildcard (4) Jackson vs. (5) New Orleans
Date	Away	Home
April 2	New Orleans 1	Jackson 3
*Jackson wins series 1–0*

Division semifinals

Southeast Division Semifinals (1) Greenville vs. (5) Florida
Date	Away	Home
April 4	Florida 4	Greenville 2
April 5	Florida 1	Greenville 5
April 7	Greenville 3	Florida 6
April 8	Greenville 4	Florida 2
April 10	Florida 3	Greenville 4
*Greenville wins series 3–2*

Southeast Division Semifinals (2) Pee Dee vs. (3) Columbia
Date	Away	Home
April 3	Columbia 3	Pee Dee 2	OT
April 5	Pee Dee 2	Columbia 1
April 6	Columbia 2	Pee Dee 6
April 7	Pee Dee 2	Columbia 3
April 10	Columbia 4	Pee Dee 5
*Pee Dee wins series 3–2*

Southwest Division Semifinals (1) Louisiana vs. (4) Jackson
Date	Away	Home
April 3	Jackson 2	Louisiana 5
April 5	Jackson 5	Louisiana 4	3OT
April 7	Louisiana 2	Jackson 3	OT
April 8	Jackson 0	Louisiana 3
April 10	Jackson 4	Louisiana 2
*Jackson wins series 3–2*

Southwest Division Semifinals (2) Mississippi vs. (3) Pensacola
Date	Away	Home
April 3	Pensacola 2	Mississippi 4
April 5	Pensacola 4	Mississippi 6
April 6	Mississippi 3	Pensacola 2	OT
*Mississippi wins series 3–0*

Division finals

Southeast Division Finals (1) Greenville vs. (2) Pee Dee
Date	Away	Home
April 12	Pee Dee 6	Greenville 0
April 13	Pee Dee 2	Greenville 7
April 16	Greenville 2	Pee Dee 1
April 17	Greenville 5	Pee Dee 4	OT
*Greenville wins series 3–1*

Southeast Division Finals (2) Mississippi vs. (4) Jackson
Date	Away	Home
April 12	Jackson 2	Mississippi 5
April 13	Jackson 1	Mississippi 6
April 19	Mississippi 3	Jackson 0
*Mississippi wins series 3–0*

Conference finals

(SE.1) Pee Dee vs. (SW.2) Mississippi
Date	Away	Home
April 25	Mississippi 1	Greenville 8
April 26	Mississippi 2	Greenville 3
April 28	Greenville 3	Mississippi 5
April 30	Greenville 6	Mississippi 2
*Greenville wins series 3–1*

Kelly Cup finals

(SE.1) Greenville vs. (NW.1) Dayton
Date	Away	Home
May 3	Dayton 2	Greenville 6
May 5	Dayton 1	Greenville 4
May 8	Greenville 3	Dayton 2	OT
May 10	Greenville 5	Dayton 2
*Greenville wins series 4–0*

ECHL awards

Patrick J. Kelly Cup Kelly Cup The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning... :	Greenville Grrrowl Greenville Grrrowl The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....
Henry Brabham Cup Brabham Cup The Henry Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually by the ECHL to the team which finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season... :	Louisiana IceGators
Northern Conference Champion:	Dayton Bombers Dayton Bombers The Dayton Bombers were an ECHL ice hockey team located in Dayton, Ohio. The team most recently was in the North Division of the ECHL's American Conference....
Southern Conference Champion:	Greenville Grrrowl
John Brophy Award:	Dave Farrish Dave Farrish David Allan Farrish is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played 430 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques, and Toronto Maple Leafs... (Louisiana)
ECHL Most Valuable Player:	Frederic Cloutier Frederic Cloutier Frederic Cloutier is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing in Italy.-Awards and honours:Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - QMJHL Best GAA QMJHL First Team All-Star... (Louisiana)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:	Simon Gamache Simon Gamache Simon Gamache is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Fribourg-Gotteron of National League A in Switzerland.-Career:... and Tyrone Garner Tyrone Garner For Tyron Garner, plaintiff in Lawrence v. Texas, see that article.Tyrone "Ty" Garner is a Canadian professional ice hockey player... (Greenville)
ECHL Goaltender of the Year:	Frederic Cloutier (Louisiana)
ECHL Rookie of the Year:	Frederic Cloutier (Louisiana)
Defenseman of the Year:	Duncan Dalmao Duncan Dalmao Duncan Dalmao is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.Prior to turning professional, Dalmao played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League.-Awards and honours:-External links:... (Roanoke Roanoke Express The Roanoke Express were a team in the ECHL from 1993 until 2004. Home games were played at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia.-History:... )
Leading Scorer:	Louis Dumont Louis Dumont Louis Dumont was a French anthropologist. He was an associate professor at Oxford University during the 1950s, and director at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris... (Pensacola Pensacola Ice Pilots The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a minor league ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders , and the Chicago Blackhawks. They have also had a working agreement with the Houston Aeros of the... )
Plus Performer Award:	Konstantin Kalmikov (Louisiana)
Sportsmanship Award:	Ben Stafford Ben Stafford Ben Stafford is a retired American professional ice hockey player. Over four seasons, Stafford played 259 regular season games and 35 playoff games in the American Hockey League before retiring from hockey to join the US Marine Corps.... (Trenton Trenton Titans The Trenton Titans are a professional minor league ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Titans play their home games at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Established in 1999, the... )

Northern Conference

Southern Conference

Final standings

Northern Conference

Southern Conference

Bracket

Division semifinals

Division finals

Conference finals

Bracket

Division Wild Card

Division semifinals

Division finals

Conference finals

Kelly Cup finals

ECHL awards

See also