The 2004–05 ECHL season was the 17th season of the ECHL. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the Pensacola Ice Pilots and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Trenton Titans.

2004–05 ECHL season
LeagueECHL
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Brabham CupPensacola Ice Pilots
Season MVPScott Gomez (Alaska)
Top scorerScott Gomez (Alaska)
Playoffs
American championsFlorida Everblades
  American runners-upCharlotte Checkers
National championsTrenton Titans
  National runners-upAlaska Aces
Playoffs MVPLeon Hayward (Trenton)
Finals
ChampionsTrenton Titans
  Runners-upFlorida Everblades
ECHL seasons

During this season, the National Hockey League cancelled its season due to the player lockout. This led to many players who would normally be in the American Hockey League pushed out of roster spots by the younger NHL players back into the ECHL. Some NHL players also found work in the ECHL, some as a way to return to their hometowns (or their wives'), and others to give back to the league which gave them a start. Scott Gomez chose to return home to his Anchorage roots and played for the Alaska Aces. Curtis Brown played for his wife's hometown in San Diego. Jeremy Stevenson, who played his first professional season with Greensboro ten years before, returned to the Carolinas with the South Carolina Stingrays. Stevenson's NHL teammate Shane Hnidy, who played 21 games with the former Baton Rouge Kingfish as a rookie, returned to the South playing for the Florida Everblades. Hnidy and Stevenson would find themselves playing against each other in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Bates Battaglia joined his younger brother Anthony on the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL.

League changes

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After the 2003–04 season, the Columbus Cottonmouths, Greensboro Generals, and Roanoke Express franchises all ceased operations as their franchises were revoked. The Columbus organization joined the Southern Professional Hockey League for 2004–05 as one of its inaugural members. Their ECHL franchise had planned to be in Bradenton, Florida, as the Gulf Coast Swords but eventually had its franchise revoked in the September 2006 ECHL Board of Governors meeting after several issues led to them never completing their arena. The Cincinnati Cyclones requested a voluntary suspension of franchise, which was lifted for the 2006–07 season, when the crosstown Cincinnati Mighty Ducks ownership failed to secure an American Hockey League franchise.

The league added one team for the season, their first Canadian franchise, the Victoria Salmon Kings. The Salmon Kings purchased the defunct Baton Rouge Kingfish franchise and relocated its home territory to Victoria.

Realignment

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The league also adopted a "Mason-Dixon" format, as the conferences were split on the Mason–Dixon line, with the National Conference teams being north of the line and American Conference teams south of the line creating a "North vs South" format.

All-Star Game

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The ECHL All-Star Game was held at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, and was hosted by the Reading Royals. The National Conference All-Stars defeated the American Conference All-Stars 6–2, with Idaho's Frank Doyle named Most Valuable Player.

Regular season

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Final standings

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Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SOL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage
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American Conference

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East Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Columbia Inferno 72 38 22 4 8 88 199 186
South Carolina Stingrays 72 39 24 3 6 87 230 219
Charlotte Checkers 72 39 26 2 5 85 226 219
Greenville Grrrowl 72 39 28 0 5 83 210 204
Pee Dee Pride 72 31 36 2 3 67 203 219
Augusta Lynx 72 28 35 5 4 65 188 237
South Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Pensacola Ice Pilots (z) 72 51 16 2 3 107 248 178
Florida Everblades 72 42 20 4 6 94 237 192
Gwinnett Gladiators 72 40 24 1 7 88 241 202
Mississippi Sea Wolves 72 39 24 4 5 87 223 215
Louisiana IceGators 72 26 40 2 4 58 192 266
Texas Wildcatters 72 17 44 2 9 45 178 260

National Conference

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North Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Reading Royals 72 43 22 2 5 93 220 161
Trenton Titans 72 42 21 4 5 93 220 161
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 72 42 22 3 5 92 205 189
Toledo Storm 72 41 26 2 3 87 203 194
Peoria Rivermen 72 38 26 2 6 84 213 177
Wheeling Nailers 72 38 29 2 3 81 171 173
Johnstown Chiefs 72 22 36 5 9 58 191 258
Dayton Bombers 72 23 40 2 7 55 175 225
West Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS GF GA
Alaska Aces (z) 72 45 19 3 5 98 233 187
Long Beach Ice Dogs 72 43 20 4 5 95 220 181
Idaho Steelheads 72 42 23 2 5 91 223 183
Bakersfield Condors 72 40 22 5 5 90 232 205
Fresno Falcons 72 39 25 3 5 86 204 217
San Diego Gulls 72 35 29 4 4 78 206 222
Las Vegas Wranglers 72 31 33 3 5 70 201 199
Victoria Salmon Kings 72 15 52 3 2 35 178 298

Scoring leaders

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Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts
Scott Gomez AK 61 13 73 86
Carl Mallette TOL 64 30 50 80
Jamie Johnson AUG 72 22 58 80
Chris Minard AK 69 49 29 78
Joe Tenute SC 68 34 41 75
Wes Mason LA 72 31 39 70
Brian McCullough PEO 71 39 30 69
Kris Goodjohn GWT 69 21 48 69
Evan Cheverie LB 72 29 39 68
Scott Bertoli TRE 70 27 41 68

Leading goaltenders

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Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Mins W L T GA SO Sv% GAA
Dany Sabourin WHL 27 1578 19 6 1 44 5 .942 1.67
Barry Brust REA 42 2413 27 9 4 79 4 .928 1.96
Alfie Michaud PEO 48 2712 27 13 5 92 6 .929 2.04
Tyler MacKay FLA 27 1601 18 7 2 56 2 .921 2.10
Chris Madden LB 28 1598 19 5 2 57 5 .941 2.14

Kelly Cup playoffs

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Conference quarterfinals Conference semifinals Conference finals Kelly Cup finals
            
A1 Pensacola 1
A8 Greenville 3
A8 Greenville 0
A3 Florida 3
A3 Florida 3
A6 South Carolina 1
A3 Florida 4
American Conference
A7 Charlotte 2
A4 Gwinnett 3
A5 Mississippi 1
A4 Gwinnett 1
A7 Charlotte 3
A2 Columbia 2
A7 Charlotte 3
A3 Florida 2
N2 Trenton 4
N1 Reading 3
N4 Toledo 1
N1 Reading 1
N2 Trenton 3
N2 Trenton 3
N3 Atlantic City 0
N2 Trenton 4
National Conference
W1 Alaska 3
W1 Alaska 3
W4 Bakersfield 2
W1 Alaska 3
W2 Long Beach 0
W2 Long Beach 3
W3 Idaho 1


ECHL awards

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Patrick Kelly Cup: Trenton Titans
Henry Brabham Cup: Pensacola Ice Pilots
Gingher Memorial Trophy: Florida Everblades
Bruce Taylor Trophy: Trenton Titans
John Brophy Award: Nick Vitucci (Toledo)
CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player: Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player: Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year: Chris Madden (Long Beach)
CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year: Joe Tenute (South Carolina)
Defenseman of the Year: Ray DiLauro (Wheeling)
Leading Scorer: Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award: Aaron Philips (Pensacola)
Sportsmanship Award: Kris Goodjohn (Gwinnett)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2004–05 ECHL Standings". HockeyDB. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  2. ^ "2004–05 ECHL Stats". ECHL. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
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