71 ECHL Players On NHL Opening-Day Rosters

71 ECHL Players On NHL Opening-Day Rosters • Discuss this story on the ECHL message board... PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL has 71 players on National Hockey League opening-day rosters, surpassing the record 69 players a year ago and marking the sixth consecutive season that there have been more than 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters. The total does not include Scott Gomez, who played in the ECHL for the first time during the NHL lockout in 2004-05. The Premier 'AA' Hockey League, the ECHL has former players on 29 of the 30 teams and has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 12th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Former Wheeling Nailers and ECHL All-Star defenseman player to play in the NHL when he made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh... [read full story]