Idaho Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal was named the ECHL's Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

The ECHL named Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal the Coach of the Year on Tuesday.  Laxdal, who led Idaho to a 48-17-7 record this season, has been behind the bench for the Steelheads for the last five years.  He’s been a successful coach in the ECHL for years, but this is the first time he’s been honored with the John Brophy Award as the top coach in the league.

Laxdal and the Steelheads are currently awaiting a winner from the first round playoff matchup of Las Vegas and Utah.  Their first playoff game will be April 16th.

The league release about the award is below:

PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL on Tuesday announced that Derek Laxdal of the Idaho Steelheads is the 2009-10 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the league’s Coach of the Year.

The John Brophy Award is the trophy presented annually to the ECHL coach selected to have contributed the most to his team’s success as selected in a vote of league coaches. The trophy is named for John Brophy, who won a record three ECHL titles with Hampton Roads in 1991, 1992 and 1998 and was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Cail MacLean of the South Carolina Stingrays was the runner-up.

The winner of the Defenseman of the Year award will be announced on Wednesday.

Laxdal led the Steelheads to a 48-17-7 record, setting team records for most wins and most points in a season, while also capturing the team’s first Brabham Cup as ECHL regular-season champion.

In his fifth season behind the Steelheads bench, Laxdal is 217-108-35 in the regular season and 19-14 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. He guided the team to its second Kelly Cup Championship in 2007, defeating Dayton in five games. The 44 year old coached Wichita in the Central Hockey League for two-and-a-half seasons from 2003-05 after spending two-and-a-half years as an assistant coach with Odessa of the CHL from 2001-03. In his first full season in 2003-04, Wichita was 35-24-5 and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years, upsetting the top seed in the first round and reaching the conference finals.

Laxdal began his coaching career in the ECHL as a player-assistant coach for Roanoke in 1994-95 where he had 56 points (32g-24a) in 66 regular-season games and six points (2g-4a) in eight playoff games. Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 151st overall, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Laxdal played 17 professional seasons, including parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League with Toronto and the New York Islanders, tallying 19 points (12g-7a) in 67 regular-season games and two points (0g-2a) in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.

John Brophy Award Winners (ECHL Coach of the Year)
2009-10 Derek Laxdal, Idaho Steelheads
2008-09 Rick Kowalsky, Trenton Devils
2007-08 Chuck Weber, Cincinnati Cyclones
2006-07 Davis Payne, Alaska Aces
2005-06 Glen Gulutzan, Las Vegas Wranglers
2004-05 Nick Vitucci, Toledo Storm
2003-04 Pat Bingham, Wheeling Nailers
2002-03 Claude Noel, Toledo Storm
2001-02 Dave Farrish, Louisiana Ice Gators
2000-01 Troy Ward, Trenton Titans
1999-00 Bob Ferguson, Florida Everblades
1998-99 Bob Ferguson, Florida Everblades
1997-98 Chris Nilan, Chesapeake IceBreakers
1996-97 Brian McCutcheon, Columbus Chill
1995-96 Roy Sommer, Richmond Renegades
1994-95 Jim Playfair, Dayton Bombers
1993-94 Barry Smith, Knoxville Cherokees
1992-93 Kurt Kleinendorst, Raleigh IceCaps
1991-92 Doug Sauter, Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
1990-91 Don Jackson, Knoxville Cherokees
1989-90 Dave Allison, Virginia Lancers
1988-89 Ron Hansis, Erie Panthers

Mark Derlago

The ECHL announced today that Mark Derlago of the Idaho Steelheads was this year’s recipient of the Reebok Plus Performer of the Year award.  The award is given annually to the player who finishes with the top plus/minus rating in the league.  This is the first time a Steelheads player has been the recipient of the award.  In addtion to this award, Derlago has also won honors as a First-Team All-ECHL player, which was announced last week.  The league’s release about the Plus Performer Award is below:

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PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL on Monday announced that Mark Derlago of the Idaho Steelheads is the recipient of the Reebok Plus Performer of the Year award after finishing with a plus-minus rating of +34 in 60 games.

Brennan Turner of Elmira finished second with a plus-minus rating of +33 followed by Idaho’s Tyler Spurgeon with a plus-minus rating of +32. Idaho rookies Evan Barlow and Guillaume Monast finished tied for fourth with a plus-minus rating of +30.

Derlago, who was named First Team All-ECHL on Thursday, finished even-or-better in 50 games and was a season-best +4 on March 6 against Bakersfield. He finished tied for third in the league with 42 goals and was fourth with 92 points, setting team records in both categories. He has also played in five games this season with Providence of the American Hockey League registering one goal. Derlago has scored at least 32 goals in each of his three seasons in the ECHL and has 226 points (113g-113a) in 177 career ECHL games. Last season, Derlago was named to the All-ECHL Second Team while playing for Bakersfield.

The ECHL will announce the winner of the Coach of the Year and recipient of the John Brophy Award on Tuesday.

ECHL Plus-Minus Rating Leads
2009-10 Mark Derlago, Idaho Steelheads +34
2008-09 Travis Morin, South Carolina Stingrays +37
2007-08 Chad Starling, Cincinnati Cyclones +48
2006-07 Matt Shasby, Alaska Aces +43
2005-06 Peter Metcalf, Alaska Aces +44
2004-05 Aaron Phillips, Pensacola Ice Pilots +36
2003-04 Tim Smith, Columbia Inferno +40
2002-03 Mike Glumac, Pee Dee Pride +37
Dennis Vial, Columbia Inferno +37
2001-02 Konstantin Kalmikov, Louisiana IceGators +43
2000-01 Jay Murphy, Louisiana Ice Gators +32
1999-00 Andy MacIntyre, Florida Everblades +46
1998-99 Jan Vodrazka, Pee Dee Pride +44
1997-98 Stan Melanson, Louisiana IceGators +36
1996-97 Dominic Maltais, Hampton Roads Admirals +44
1995-96 Kim Maier, Knoxville Cherokees +48
1994-95 Jamie Steer, Dayton Bombers +43
1993-94 Sebastien Laplante, Greensboro Monarchs +42
1992-93 Victor Gervais, Hampton Roads Admirals +59
1991-92 Brad McCaughey, Toledo Storm +51

Richard Bachman

Tyler Spurgeon

Mark Derlago

Three Idaho Steelheads were named to the All-ECHL teams today.  Mark Derlago, the leading scorer for Idaho, was named to the First Team, while teammates Tyler Spurgeon and Richard Bachman were named to the Second Team.

“We’re all proud of Mark, Tyler, and Richard,” Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal said. “They’ve done a tremendous job representing the team, the organization, and the city of Boise.”

Derlago becomes the third Steelhead selected for the All-ECHL first team, joining Marty Flichel (2007) and Darrell Hay (2008). Bachman is the first Idaho goaltender to receive All-ECHL honors while Spurgeon was recognized despite missing more than 25 games while playing in the American Hockey League.

Following Idaho’s game on New Year’s Eve, Derlago had nine goals and eleven assists. Since the calendar flipped to 2010, the Brandon, Manitoba, native has been dominant, scoring 32 goals and handing out 39 assists in 38 games. Along the way, he’s set team ECHL-era records for goals and points in a season and is just one assist away from tying that mark. He also established a team record with his 15-game point streak during January and February.

The 24-year-old winger is fourth in the ECHL with 91 points and tied for second in goals (41). He was a second-team All-ECHL honoree with Bakersfield last season.

In this, his first season with the Steelheads, Spurgeon has posted 65 points (26G, 39A) through 48 games played.  Those point totals place him 10th in the Northern Conference in scoring.

Bachman, one of the Dallas Stars top goalie prospects, leads the league in GAA (2.28) and is tied for 1st in save percentage (.910) and 4th in shutouts (4).  On Friday, Bachman was recalled to the AHL’s Texas Stars.

Here are your All-ECHL teams, as announced by the ECHL league office:

First Team:
F – Mark Derlago, Idaho Steelheads (59 gp, 41g, 50a, 91 pts, +33)
F – Tyler Donati, Elmira Jackals (65 gp, 38g, 72a, 110 pts, +20)
F – Ryan Kinasewich, Utah Grizzlies (57 gp, 46g, 53a, 99 pts, -12)
D – Eric Regan, Bakersfield Condors (58 gp, 16g, 33a, 49 pts, +6)
D – J.C. Sawyer, Toledo Walleye (65 gp, 21g, 37a, 58 pts, -8)
G – Todd Ford, South Carolina Stingrays (28 gp, 18-7-2, 2.79 GAA, .910 Save Pct.)

Second Team:
F – Justin Donati, Elmira Jackals (63 gp, 39g, 59a, 98 pts, +13)
F – Adam Miller, Las Vegas Wranglers (69 gp, 32g, 52a, 84 pts, +5)
F – Tyler Spurgeon, Idaho Steelheads (48 gp, 26g, 39a, 65 pts, +32)
D – Mitch Ganzak, Wheeling Nailers (69 gp, 8g, 39a, 47 pts, -5)
D – Jimmy Sharrow, Victoria Salmon Kings (59 gp, 12g, 33a, 45 pts, -5)
G – Richard Bachman, Idaho Steelheads (35 gp, 22-7-4, 2.28 GAA, .910 Save Pct.)

Evan Barlow

Richard Bachman

The ECHL named Idaho Steelheads goalie Richard Bachman and forward Evan Barlow to the ECHL All-Rookie team today.  Bachman, a Dallas Stars prospect, is 22-7-3 this year, splitting time with Idaho’s other netminder, Rejean Beauchemin.  Bachman leads the league in GAA (2.26) and is tied for the league lead in shutouts this season with four.  Barlow leads all ECHL rookies with a plus-28 rating, and is 2nd among rookies in total points with 72.

There’s a little more information to be had in the press release from the Steelheads that follows:

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(Boise, ID) – Goaltender Richard Bachman and forward Evan Barlow have each been named to the six-member ECHL All-Rookie team, announced Thursday by the ECHL league office.

“Very deserving,” Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal said of the announcement. “They’ve both worked their tails off this season.”

Barlow, 24, is tops among ECHL rookies in plus/minus at plus-28. He’s second among ECHL rookies in points with 72 (behind fellow All-Rookie honoree Justin Donati’s 96) and also second in the entire ECHL with 14 power-play goals, only trailing teammate Mark Derlago’s 18. The Cornell product is second on the Idaho roster in goals (32), assists (40), and points (72). He was also named the MVP of the ECHL All Star Game in January.

Bachman, under contract with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, leads the ECHL in goals-against average (2.26) and is tied for the league lead in shutouts (4) after blanking the Alaska Aces late Tuesday night. The 22-year-old carries a 22-7-3 record between the pipes for Idaho in his first season out of Colorado College and, like Barlow, participated in the ECHL All Star Game.

Barlow and Bachman were the only two representatives of the National Conference on the six-member team.

The All-Rookie team was determined by a vote of ECHL coaches, who were asked to vote for a goaltender, two defensemen, and three forwards. A rookie is defined as a player who had played in fewer than 25 games prior to the start of the current season.

The All-Rookie team, as announced Thursday by the ECHL:

F – Evan Barlow, Idaho Steelheads (55 gp, 32g, 40a, 72 pts, +28)
F – Justin Donati, Elmira Jackals (62 gp, 38g, 58a, 96 pts, +13)
F – Maxime Tanguay, Toledo Walleye (63 gp, 25g, 43a, 68 pts, +3)
D – Drew Paris, Gwinnett Gladiators (68 gp, 12g, 32a, 44 pts, -18)
D – Sam Roberts, Gwinnett Gladiators (67 gp, 10g, 30a, 40 pts, -15)
G – Richard Bachman, Idaho Steelheads (34 gp, 22-7-3, 2.26 GAA, .909 Save Pct.)

The Steelheads open up the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs on April 16 and 17 at Qwest Arena. Catch playoff fever with a group night with the Steelheads – a great way to get family, friends, or colleagues together for a discounted price. Each ticket comes with a soda, hot dog, and bag of chips. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.

Allen Americans forward Nino Musitelli scores a goal against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on January 23, 2010. Today, Musitelli was named the CHL's Player of the Week for the week ending March 20th. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

The CHL announced today that Allen Americans forward Nino Musitelli was named Player of the Week for the week ending March 20th.  Musitelli joins Justin Bowers as the only Americans forwards to win the weekly award.  Goaltender Chris Whitley won the goalie honors three times this season.

Musitelli had a tremendous week, scoring nine points (5G, 4A) in the three games Allen played.  The week caps a tremendous season for Musitelli, whose 23 goals, 40 assists and 63 total points all ranked third on the team.

Musitelli and the Americans will be facing off against the Laredo Bucks in the Ray Miron Cup Southern Conference Semi-Finals this Friday night at the Allen Event Center.

The league also announced that goaltender John DeCaro of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs took home the weekly honor for netminders.

You can see the full release from the league below:

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(Tempe, Arizona) - The Central Hockey League announced today that the recipients for the Oakley Central Hockey League Player and Goaltender of the Week for the final week of the regular season (period ending March 20, 2010) are forward Nino Musitelli of the Allen Americans and goaltender John DeCaro of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.

Musitelli had multiple-point efforts in all three Americans games scoring goals in all three games as well. He finished with nine points (5-4=9) and a +2 plus/minus rating in his team’s 2-1 week. He started things with two goals and two assists on Wednesday in Allen’s 5-2 win over Missouri. He finished the week with two goals and an assist in the Americans victory over Amarillo on the regular season’s final day. The Macomb, Michigan native finished the regular season with 23 goals and 40 assists for Allen who is planted as the number two seed in the Southern Conference Playoffs. The Americans first post-season action will be Friday when they host the Laredo Bucks.

DeCaro had a busy week playing in four games and winning three of them. In those victories, the Marysville, Washington native allowed just two goal recording his second shutout of the season on March 19 versus Missouri (27 saves). The blanking was his 15th career CHL shutout ranking fifth on the league’s all-time list. DeCaro stopped 92 of 98 shots he faced in the week, good for a .939 save percentage. On the season, the two-time winner of the league’s Most Outstanding Goaltender Award is 24-14-1 and has his team ready for a Northern Conference Semifinals showdown with Colorado that begins on Friday in Colorado.

In recognition of their achievements both Musitelli and DeCaro will receive a special gift from Oakley.

Oakley CHL Player of the Week

Nino Musitelli, Allen Americans
Position: F
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played: 3
Goals: 5
Assists: 4
Points: 9
Plus/Minus: +2

Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week

John DeCaro, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Position: G
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played:4
Record: 3-1-0
GAA: 1.48
Save %: 0.938
Saves: 92 of 98

Oakley CHL Player of the Week (Previous Winners)

10/19/09- Joe Guenther, Amarillo Gorillas
10/26/09- Jeff Pierce, Odessa Jackalopes
11/2/09- Rob Hisey, Tulsa Oilers
11/9/09- Philippe Plante, Odessa Jackalopes
11/16/09- T.J. Caig, Tulsa Oilers
11/23/09- Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, RGV Killer Bees
11/30/09- Justin Bowers, Allen Americans
12/7/09- Louis Dumont, Mississippi RiverKings
12/14/09- Brendon Hodge, Rapid City Rush
12/21/09- Aaron Schneekloth, Colorado Eagles
12/28/09- Jeff Christian, Missouri Mavericks
1/4/10- David Nimmo, Amarillo Gorillas
1/11/10- Ryan Bennett, Corpus Christi IceRays
1/18/10- Elias Godoy, Texas Brahmas
1/25/10- Darryl Smith, Laredo Bucks
2/1/10- Chad Hinz, Arizona Sundogs
2/8/10- Mike Ramsay, Odessa Jackalopes
2/15/10- Simon Mangos, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
2/22/10- Chad Woollard, Corpus Christi IceRays
3/1/10- Sylvain Deschatelets, Laredo Bucks
3/8/10- Ed McGrane, Colorado Eagles
3/15/10- Collin Circelli, Odessa Jackalopes
3/22/10- Nino Musitelli, Allen Americans

Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week (Previous Winners)

10/19/09- Mike Brown, Amarillo
10/26/09- Ray Jean, Mississippi
11/2/09- Doug Groenestege, Missouri
11/9/09- Jean-Philippe Levasseur, Laredo
11/16/09- Kevin Armstrong, Tulsa
11/23/09- Chris Whitley, Allen Americans
11/30/09- Andy Franck, RGV Killer Bees
12/7/09- Kevin Nastiuk, Corpus Christi IceRays
12/14/09- Brett Jaeger, Texas Brahmas
12/21/09- Joel Martin, Odessa Jackalopes
12/28/09- Joel Martin, Odessa Jackalopes
1/4/10- Chris Whitley, Allen Americans
1/11/10- Kyle McNulty, Arizona Sundogs
1/18/10- Danny Battochio, Rapid City Rush
1/25/10- Chris Whitley, Allen Americans
2/1/10- John DeCaro, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
2/8/10- Scott Campbell, Wichita Thunder
2/15/10- Brett Jaeger, Texas Brahmas
2/22/10- Brett Jaeger, Texas Brahmas
3/1/10- Charlie Effinger, Missouri Mavericks
3/8/10- Kyle McNulty, Mississippi RiverKings
3/15/10- Pier-Olivier Pelletier, Laredo Bucks
3/22/10- John DeCaro, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs

The Americans logo was voted "Best of the Best" in the CHL on Tuesday.

The Central Hockey League released their annual “Best of the Best” poll results today.  Every year, the CHL sends out ballots to players, coaches and broadcasters, to find the best of the best, on and off the ice.

This year, the Allen Americans were recipients of four of the top honors – Best Team Logo, Best Team Uniform, Best City, and Best Host Hotel.  The team’s press release about the honors was sure to recognize all of the contributing elements:

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In Allen’s first year of existence, the club took home the top spot for Best Team Logo, Best Team Uniforms, Best City and Best Host Hotel.

The Americans take pride in their logo that spotlights the colors of the City of Allen and Collin County (red, white and blue). The team partnered with Chase Hargrove of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers who combined a star, shield and flying puck to design a unique, edgy logo that reflects the patriotism of Allen and the affiliation with the Dallas Stars.

The credit for Best Team Uniform is due to Americans Owner and President Steve Duchesne and Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins. The recognition from league peers is the third time that Americans uniforms have been acknowledged this season. The Hockey News has featured Allen’s jerseys twice, once for its clean blue jerseys and once for the throwback Dallas Black Hawk sweaters the club wore in its first North Texas Vintage Game Series against Metroplex rival Texas.

Being named Best City is a great tribute to the City of Allen, Mayor Steve Terrell and the city staff that have been so supportive of the expansion club since its inception.

Allen’s official hotel is the Courtyard Marriott, adjacent to the Allen Event Center and located in The Village at Allen. The hotel opened in January and features a customer-focused design that allows guests to be more comfortable and productive and has 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

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In addition to these first-overall honors, several Americans players and staff members were recognized in the top three of several categories.  They are as follows:

Justin Bowers – Best Overall Player – 3rd overall (three 2nd place votes)

Bruce Graham – Most Underrated Player – 3rd overall (two 1st place, one 2nd place)

- Best Player on Face-offs – 3rd overall (two 1st place, two 2nd place)

Chris Kaufman – Best Defensive Defenseman – 2nd overall (three 1st place, one 2nd place, one 3rd place)

Ice Angels – Best Cheerleaders/Dance Team – 2nd overall (five 1st place, six 2nd place, one 3rd place)

Concessions – Best Arena Concessions – 3rd overall (one 1st place, three 2nd place, one 3rd place)

The full list of winners in all categories can be downloaded at the CHL’s website.

Bruce Graham

Chris Whitley

The CHL came out with their list of finalists for four of their End-of-the-Year Awards, and the Allen Americans had two candidates in threa categories.  Forward Bruce Graham is a finalist for Most Valuable Player and goalie Chris Whitley is a finalist for Goaltender of the Year.  Whitley is also a candidate for Rookie of the Year honors.  Both players have had fantastic years, and I’m sure will be happy with the nominations.  But, I think they both have good cases to win.

Bruce Graham has played in 56 games so far, scoring 26 goals and 42 assists for a total of 68 points.  He’s a plus 17 on the year, and has 71 PIMs.  But, his 8 game-winning goals are second best in the league, and show why he’s one of the MVPs for Allen this season, at the very least.

Chris Whitley leads the league with 27 wins, and has an overall record of 27-8-3.  His GAA of 2.66 is sixth in the league, and his .913 save percentage is tied for eighth.

The stronger candidate of the two is probably Whitley, as he leads the league in wins and is among the leaders in the other categories.  Here is the league’s full release:

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(Tempe, Arizona) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the five finalists for each of the four significant CHL awards, selected by the CHL front office following nominations from member clubs. Balloting will take place among CHL Head Coaches, team Communications Departments and selected media members in CHL markets to determine the recipients of the CHL’s Most Valuable Player, Most Outstanding Goaltender, Most Outstanding Defenseman and Rookie of the Year awards.

2009-2010 CHL Most Valuable Player candidates include the defending CHL Most Valuable Player, Odessa’s Sebastien Thinel, along with Allen’s Bruce Graham, Colorado’s Kevin Ulanski, Corpus Christi’s Chad Woollard and Rapid City’s Les Reaney.

The finalists for the Most Outstanding Goaltender include three rookies in Chris Whitley of Allen, Charlie Effinger of Missouri and Danny Battochio of Rapid City. They are joined by Joel Martin of Odessa and Brett Jaeger of Texas.

The selected finalists to receive Most Outstanding Defenseman consideration include the reigning winner of the award in Aaron Schneekloth of Colorado. The other candidates are Bossier-Shreveport’s Simon Mangos, Rapid City’s Jamie VanderVeeken, Odessa’s Alex Dunn and Tulsa’s Derek Eastman.

Rookie of the Year honors will be determined amongst Allen’s Chris Whitley, Corpus Christi’s Ryan Garbutt, Missouri’s Nick Sirota, Rapid City’s Danny Battochio and Texas’ Joe Palmer.

Additional awards to be determined include Coach of the Year, Equipment Manager of the Year and Athletic Trainer of the Year, as determined by their CHL peers, along with six member All-CHL and All-Rookie teams (voted on by CHL Head Coaches). The CHL’s regular season point leader will receive the Joe Burton Scoring Champion award, while the CHL front office will determine the recipients of both the Man of the Year Award (for outstanding leadership and contributions to the community) and Rick Kozuback Award (perseverance, determination and commitment to hockey) based on nominations and supporting material from CHL member teams.

Texas Brahmas goaltender Brett Jaeger stops the puck in a game earlier this season against the Allen Americans. On Thursday, Jaeger was named the CHL Goaltender of the Month for February. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

On Thursday, Texas Brahmas goalie Brett Jaeger won the monthly league award for goaltenders in February.  Jaeger was pretty sensational for his team, as he went 8-2 in 10 games for Texas, with a 1.91 GAA and a .942 save percentage.  He allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his 10 appearances.  Please read on for the league release about the award:

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(Tempe, Arizona) – The Central Hockey League announced today that Brett Jaeger of the Texas Brahmas has been named the Sher-Wood/TPS Central Hockey League Goaltender of the Month for the month of February/2010. Jaeger will receive a portable DVD player, courtesy of Sher-Wood/TPS, to recognize his accomplishment.

Jaeger went 8-2-0 in his 10 games during the month allowing just 18 goals for a 1.91 goals against average. His .942 save percentage was the best in the league for the month and he recorded one shutout besting Laredo on February 12 (28 saves). Twice during the month, the Peace River, Alberta native was named the Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week (Feb. 15 & Feb. 22) on two occasions and in seven of his 10 appearances he allowed two goals or fewer. In five of his wins he recorded 30 or more saves including a 43 save effort in a 2-1 shootout win at Allen on February 15. On the season, Jaeger ranks fifth in the CHL with a 2.60 goals against average and he is currently carrying an 18-12-1 record for the defending Ray Miron President’s Cup Champions.

Other players receiving consideration for the monthly award for February include Allen’s Chris Whitley, Bossier-Shreveport’s John DeCaro and Ken Carroll, Colorado’s Mike Mole, Corpus Christi’s Kevin Beech, Laredo’s Pier-Olivier Pelletier, Mississippi’s Tim Boron, Missouri’s Charlie Effinger, Odessa’s Juha Toivonen, Rapid City’s Danny Battochio and Tulsa’s Trevor Cann.

Sher-Wood/TPS CHL Goaltender of the Month
Brett Jaeger, Texas Brahmas
(February Totals)
Games – 10
Record – 8-2-0
GAA – 1.91
Shutouts – 1
Save % – .942

Sher-Wood/TPS CHL Goaltender of the Month Previous Winners
October- Charlie Effinger, Allen Americans
November- Jean-Philippe Levasseur, Laredo Bucks
December- Joel Martin, Odessa Jackalopes
January- Danny Battochio, Rapid City Rush
February – Brett Jaeger, Texas Brahmas

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(Tempe, Arizona) - The Central Hockey League announced today that forward Sebastien Thinel of the Odessa Jackalopes has been named the Sher-Wood/TPS Central Hockey League Player of the Month for the month of February/2010. Thinel will receive a Sher-Wood/TPS portable DVD player, courtesy of Sher-Wood/TPS, to recognize his accomplishment.

Thinel recorded nearly three points per game during the month, the same month that saw him win the monthly award during the 2008-09 season. In 10 games, the St. Jerome, Quebec native scored eight goals with 20 assists for a stunning 28 points. His current total ranks second in the CHL (81 points) trailing only Colorado’s Kevin Ulanski (88 points). The reigning CHL Most Valuable Player recorded points in nine of the 10 games in January notching multiple-point efforts in eight of the 10 contests. On seven occasions, Thinel registered three points or more including a five assist performance on February 6 and a three goal, one assist effort on February 27. Thinel’s Jackalopes are currently leading the Southern Conference and all the CHL with 84 points in their quest for their second Governors’ Cup (regular season champions).

Other players receiving consideration for the monthly award for February include Allen’s Bruce Graham, Amarillo’s David Nimmo, Bossier-Shreveport’s David Rutherford, Colorado’s Kevin Ulanski, Riley Nelson and Ed McGrane, Corpus Christi’s Chad Woollard, Laredo’s Jeff Bes and Darryl Smith, Mississippi’s Darrell Stoddard, Missouri’s Jeff Christian, Odessa’s Mike Ramsay, Tulsa’s Aaron Davis and Wichita’s Paul Kelly.

Sher-Wood/TPS CHL Player of the Month
Sebastien Thinel, Odessa Jackalopes
Position: Forward
(February Totals)
Games – 10
Points – 28
Goals – 8
Assists – 20
Plus/Minus – +4

Sher-Wood/TPS CHL Player of the Month (Previous Winners)
October- Rob Hisey, Tulsa Oilers
November- Jesse Bennefield, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
December- Jon Pelle, Rapid City Rush
January- Darryl Smith, Laredo Bucks
February – Sebastien Thinel, Odessa Jackalopes

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(Tempe, Arizona) – The Central Hockey League announced today that the recipients for the Oakley Central Hockey League Player and Goaltender of the Week for the period ending February 28, 2010 are forward Sylvain Deschatelets of the Laredo Bucks and goaltender Charlie Effinger of the Missouri Mavericks.

Deschatelets was signed by the Bucks last week and made an immediate impact in his three games scoring points in each of them. The veteran introduced himself to his new teammates with three assists in a loss to Allen on Thursday and followed that up with game winning goals in each of the Bucks next two games. In Saturday’s 5-1 victory over Texas, the Bellville, Quebec native scored a pair of goals with an assist. For the week, Deschatelets scored three goals with four assists and was a +6 in the three contests. The veteran of close to 500 professional games was signed by the Bucks for an offensive lift for the remainder of the regular season and potentially into the playoffs.

Effinger won four games in a very busy week for the red-hot Mavericks. The rookie goaltender was acquired in a trade by Missouri at the CHL’s trade deadline and has been nothing short of spectacular ever since for the expansion Mavericks. His accolades from this past week include an overtime win versus Wichita, a shootout win versus Mississippi and a relief win over Tulsa where he entered the game with his team trailing and proceeded to stop all 20 shots he faced giving the Mavs time to re-take the lead and eventually win. The Belleville, Illinois native’s top save total for the week came on Sunday with 32 stops in a 4-2 win at Texas. Effinger is 7-1-0 with Missouri and 15-4-1 overall.

In recognition of their achievements both Deschatelets and Effinger will receive a special gift from Oakley.

Oakley CHL Player of the Week
Sylvain Deschatelets, Laredo Bucks
Position: F
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played: 3
Goals: 3
Assists: 4
Points: 7
Plus/Minus: +6

Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week
Charlie Effinger, Missouri Mavericks
Position: G
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played:4
Record: 4-0-0
GAA: 2.26
Save %: 0.922
Saves: 95 of 103