Are the Trenton Titans ready to dethrone the Florida Everblades as the ECHL's best team ever ? The Florida Everblades shattered East Coast Hockey League records last year: With a 53-15-2 record, the Everblades set new league records for win percentage (.771), points (108), and wins. Ignoring their playoff performance, Florida staked its claim as the ECHL's best team ever. The 2000/2001 Trenton Titans are off to a great start! Are they ready to dethrone the Everblades? Can they go one step further and add a Kelly Cup Championship to make the title undisputed? Let's take a look!

November 30th: The Titans have played exactly one quarter of their regular season games this year and are on the pace that puts them within striking distance to re-write ECHL history! Trenton will have a slight advantage in the wins and points categories, having 2 more games to play than the Everblades did last season, but should exceed those totals with ease if they achieve the record win percentage mark. At the one-quarter mark, Trenton has a 13-4-1 record with a .750 win percentage, and is just shy of a record pace. If they replicated their performance from the first 18 games throughout the remainder of the season, Trenton would finish with a 52-16-4 record maintaining their .750 percentage. They would tie the record for points (108) thanks to the 2 extra games, but fall 1 win and several percentage points short of the other ECHL records. Change their overtime loss against the Checkers to a win and repeat their performance: 56-16-0 with the 112 points required for a record-shattering .778 win percentage (111 falls a fraction of a percentage point under Florida's record). Just 1 point separates the Titans from a historic pace! Is there room for them to improve that much? Can they compensate for that 1 point and maintain the excellence? Certainly!

How did the Everblades do it? They started the 1999/2000 season the same way the Titans did last year with a 3-3-0 record in October, but used an 8-3-0 November and 11-2-0 December to build momentum. Even after a 9-2-1 January, the Everblades were still shy of the record pace (31-10-1 .750), and not even the best team in the league in the standings. After a 10-2-1 February, the Everblades were finally atop the ECHL and on their record pace. A 12-3-0 finale put the icing on the cake as the Florida Everblades scratched their name into the ECHL record book.

54 games remain for the Trenton Titans' 2000/2001 regular season. Their pace is just 1 point shy of the record pace, but then consider that the Florida Everblades were only 12-6-0 at the 18-game mark last season. Each win will make Trenton's goal seem closer, each loss will be another heavy card stacked against the Titans. How do they compare to last year's Everblades squad? Marc Magliarditi (22-9-0 2.31 .923) and Jeff Maund (26-6-1 2.60 .912) were strong in goal for Florida, Brian Regan (8-0-0 1.86 .933) and Scott Stirling (4-2-1 1.56 .936) are even better. Substitute Dan Murphy (1-2-0 2.34 .918) for Regan, and it appears closer but I think Trenton still gets the edge. On defense, the Everblades were tied for 2nd best in the league with an average of 2.59 goals allowed (2.50 is the league record set by the Pee Dee Pride last season). The 2000/2001 Trenton Titans have allowed a phenomenal 1.89 goals per game!!! Combined, the Titans goaltending and defense is the best the ECHL has ever seen - by far. On special teams, the Everblades had the 6th best power play in the league with at 21.7 precent with a 80.5 percent penalty kill rated 19th. The Titans have a 20th ranked power play at 15.59 percent with a league best penalty kill at 90.66 percent. Again, the focus is on a strong defense. Another secret to Florida's success last season: an ECHL record low of 15.2 penalty minutes per game! The Titans are currently ranked 5th lowest at 21.7 penalty minutes per game.

That brings us to the old saying: "You can't win if you don't score." Florida's record-setters averaged a 2nd best 3.96 goals per game. The Titans have averaged a conservative (okay, downright stingy) 3.17 goals per game, 19th in the league this season. While their titanic defense takes a lot of the pressure off of the offense, can the Titans chase the records at this production level? Florida's goals for/against differential last season was +1.37 per game; Trenton's differential is +1.28 so far this season. Both numbers are excellent and you could argue that Trenton just relies more on defense than goals to win, with approximately the same outcome as Florida.

The Trenton Titans appear to have embraced Head Coach Troy Ward's defensive master plan (although being the perfectionist that he is, I'm sure he sees room for improvement). It takes commitment, faith, discipline, and the sacrifice of many personal goals to execute it well, but the players seem to be right on track from the start of the season. It's well-proven: you don't have to possess a high-powered offense to win championships with this system (Exhibit A: 1995 New Jersey Devils), but you do need talented goal-scorers and play-makers. At the current rate, the Titans have enough offense to guarantee a lofty playoff seed and roll the dice in the postseason. To chase the Florida Everblades, the Titans will need to keep their defense on its current track (with a little room to spare) while finding a wait to give their offense a little more thunder. Why aren't the Titans scoring 4 goals a game? The first answer is obvious: Troy Ward's commitment to defense. The same roster under Bruce Cassidy would probably be turning the league's netminders into swiss cheese, but Troy's system seems to be the way to go. Buying into the system is going to prevent the forwards from posting league leading numbers, but it is winning the games. Another reason that has been commonly cited for the lack of offense is that the some of the better goal-scorers on the team (like Jed Whitchurch) have been taking a beating without a healthy share of enforcers to protect them. Acquiring a goon like the great Link Gaetz or the recently considered Ken Tasker would fast-track a system meltdown. The players that fill the enforcer roles on the team need to do so while sticking with the system and maintaining an excellence of discipline for when to take the penalties. Penalty minutes slone have never won championships, but enforcers have protected many a champion.

A slight offensive boost will put the Titans on track for the ECHL record book. Call-ups will always be a concern, but shouldn't be a major problem if the new recruits will commit to the Ward's system. The biggest Achille's heel is goaltending: one slumping netminder can quickly end 'The Chase'. There is little doubt that the 2000/2001 Trenton Titans will continue to be great. Their primary goal, of course, is bringing the Kelly Cup to the City of Trenton. Why not set the mark a little higher and chase the Florida Everblades to be the Greatest Team in ECHL History

It was a tough decision, but Aniket Dhadphale is Titanic's November Player of the Month ! Since debuting with the Titans on October 24th, Aniket Dhadphale has been a vital part of Trenton's offense. While his 4 goals and 6 assists in 10 games put him in a pack with Scott Bertoli and Benoit Morin, he edged them by a single point as November's scoring leader on the Titans. Dhadphale began the month with 2 power play goals and an assist during Trenton's 7-2 home victory against the Charlotte Checkers. In November 14th's 2-1 home victory against the Johnstown Chiefs, Dhadphale scored a 1st period goal to put Trenton on the scoreboard, then assisted on Cail MacLean's game-winner late in the 3rd period. He tallied another power play goal and assist in the 3-0 home win November 17th against the Roanoke Express with 3 additional assists in the month's remaining games. For his fine contribution to Trenton's offense, Aniket Dhadphale is Titanic's November Player of the Month!

A year after playing for the Trenton Titans, Ruslan Fedotenko is living the dream in the NHL ! After growing up in the Ukraine and playing two strong seasons of junior hockey in North America, Ruslan Fedotenko made his professional hockey debut with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms last season. Between November 11th and December 6th last year, Fedotenko was assigned to the Trenton Titans for two stints. He made it known pretty quickly that he was far too talented for the ECHL, tallying 5 goals and 3 assists with a plus-7 rating in 8 games. His potential was obvious to the casual observer, and one of his goals is still cited by many as the best offensive display in Trenton Titans' history. Fedotenko finished the 1999/2000 season with the Phantoms, notching 16 goals and 34 assists in 67 games with a plus-24 rating. After attending the Philadelphia Flyers training camp, he was assigned to the Phantoms for the start of the 2000/2001 season.

Ironically, Ruslan Fedotenko was off to a slow start with the Phantoms (1 goal, 0 assists, plus-2 in 8 games) when the Flyers called upon him to fill one of the roster vacancies created by injuries and holdouts. On October 24th, he became the 2nd former Trenton Titan to make his NHL debut (Goaltender Stephen Valiquette was the 1st). Two nights later, he became the 1st to record a point in the NHL. On November 4th, he became the 1st former Trenton Titan to score a goal in the NHL. Not just any goal mind you, a game-winner against the great Dominik Hasek! In 17 games since joining the Flyers, Ruslan Fedotenko has tallied 3 goals and 5 assists with a plus-3 rating. His performance on the ice has left little question as to whether he is ready to play fulltime in the NHL. At the age of 21, it appears that he has made it to The Show and will be staying for quite some time.

While Ruslan Fedotenko is just one of three former Titans (Todd Fedoruk joined him on the Flyers briefly to become the 3rd) to make his NHL debut, he has clearly graduated from the Trenton Titans summa cum laude! You can expect many other Trenton graduates to follow in his footsteps! While we certainly hope to see minor league veterans like Cail MacLean, Mike Hall, and Bujar Amidovski get their shot in the NHL some day, it will be especially sweet when players who made their professional debut with the Trenton Titans (like Mark Murphy, Jed Whitchurch, and Scott Bertoli) make their NHL debut. Until then, keep up the great work Ruslan Fedotenko!

The Trenton Titans continued their crusade to finish November with a solid 13-4-1 record on the season! (Games from 11/17/00 - 11/30/00). After a 9-2-1 start through mid-November, the Trenton Titans went 4-2-0 to close out the month. On November 17th, Scott Stirling recorded his first professional shutout, stopping 21 shots in a 3-0 home victory at the expense of the Roanoke Express. Aniket Dhadphale, Sasha Cucuz, and Alain St. Hilaire each notched goals for the Titans, despite the fact that the team only managed 14 shots in the game. The Express avenged the loss the following night with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Titans (Trenton's worst loss of the season to date) to split the home-and-home. Philadelphia Phantoms goaltender Dan Murphy, who swapped roster spots with Brian Regan, took the loss with 30 saves on 35 shots in his Trenton Titans debut. Scott Bertoli and Benoit Morin scored for Trenton. The Titans returned to their winning ways when they returned to Sovereign Bank Arena on November 21st. Trenton took a 2-1 lead on goals from Vince Williams and Benoit Morin, but the Charlotte Checkers tied the game in the final second of regulation. Netminder Scott Stirling stood tall in overtime and survived the shootout round (4-3 Trenton) for a 3-2 victory, collecting 24 saves in the process. Defenseman Steve O'Brien notched the game-winning shootout goal in the 8th round.

On November 23rd, Dan Murphy quickly made amends for his debut, stopping 30 shots for a 2-0 road shutout over the Wheeling Nailers. Scott Bertoli scored a 3rd period goal to break the scoreless tie while Benoit Morin added an empty-netter for insurance. The Titans returned home the next night for a solid 3-1 win against the Greensboro Generals. Alain St. Hilaire, Benoit Morin, and Jed Whitchurch each lit the lantern on the power play for a 3-0 Trenton lead. Goalie Scott Stirling lost another shutout bid in the 3rd period, but finished the game with 22 saves and another victory. The win put the Titans 10 games over the .500 mark for the first time in franchise history with a 13-3-1 record. Traded defenseman Eric Brule and the Arkansas RiverBlades made sure that the month of November ended on a low note, slipping 2 of 20 shots past Dan Murphy to steal a 2-1 victory from the less-than-energetic Titans at SBA. Scott Bertoli scored on an impressive shorthanded breakaway for Trenton's lone tally in the game. The Titans finished November (7-2-1) with the same .750 win percentage as October (6-2-0).

The Force is with Brian Regan as he starts the 2000/2001 season with a perfect 12-0 record ! It appears that Lady Luck is on Brian Regan's side this season, as well as the rest of the Luck family (not to mention a smidgeon of skill)! Regan began the 2000/2001 season with the Trenton Titans where he compiled a perfect 8-0-0 record with a 1.86 goals against average and a .933 save percentage (both 2nd in the ECHL only to teammate Scott Stirling through 11/30). When Regan had a bad night against the Greensboro Generals allowing 4 goals on 25 shots, his teammates covered for him with 5 goals for the narrow victory. When Regan surrendered 3 goals at the South Carolina Stingrays, his teammates chalked up 4 with the help of a shootout. He also survived a pair of 2-1 victories. Call it skill, call it luck, call it the Force, call it whatever - Brian Regan is undefeated!

Regan's pristine 8-0-0 start in Trenton warranted a call-up to the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms, where he has continued his crusade. Through four games, he is 4-0-0 with a surreal 1.25 goals against average and .960 save percentage! Just like his Trenton teammates did in his Titans debut, Regan's Phantoms teammates posted 8 goals in Philly debut, easily covering the 2 goals he allowed in his 1st period of work. Then I guess you could say Regan settled down, shutting out the Norfolk Admirals for the remaining 47:22 of the game, finishing the night with 35 saves. The next night, Regan barely broke a sweat with 25 saves en route to a 2-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. After 2 nights off, Regan returned with 35 saves for a 3-0 shutout of the St. John's Maple Leafs! No nail-biters here, Regan is standing on his head! His shutout streak set a Phantoms franchise record before ending at over 182 1/2 minutes against Hershey. The Bears actually made Regan sweat it out, relying on a late 3rd period Phantoms goal to a 4-3 victory to preserve his undefeated mark at 12-0. On Saturday, December 2nd, Regan and the Phantoms visit the division leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he will attempt to post his 13th victory in 13 starts. If Brian Regan's luck holds out on Saturday, there will be no stopping him! "Reganomics" could find its way into the Philadelphia Flyers economy. Talk about trickle-down economics, Brian Boucher could find himself bumped down to the AHL just like Dan Murphy trickled down to the ECHL. That's Reganomics!

Each month, Titanic dares to compare the performance of the 2000/2001 Titans against the benchmark set by last year's team. Here we go: through November 30th (18 games), the Titans were a break-even 8-8-2 (.500) last year, quite impressive for an expansion team. This season, Trenton has the best record in the ECHL at 13-4-1 (.750)! The Titans' goal production has slipped since our last check and is now identical to last season's 18-game mark with 3.18 goals per game. However, goals allowed per game continues to freefall from 2.58 per game last year to 1.89 per game this season! Both numbers improved from the 11-game mark. The record for games at SBA last season (5-4-2) is slightly better this season at 6-2-1, while the Titans' road performance is a solid 7-2-0 this year compared to 3-4-0 in their inaugural campaign! When comparing the Titans from the last 18 games last season, this year's Titans have improved their winning pace (from 11-6-1 in the last 18 games to 13-4-1), with a monumental shift from relying on offense to thriving on defense.

The most offensive Titans through 18 games last season (on the ice, of course) : Mike Hall (5-12-17 in 15 games), Jed Whitchurch (7-10-17 in 16), and Mark Murphy (8-9-17 in 18). Cail MacLean led the Titans with 9 goals (13 points) in 10 games, but was gone on call-ups during the stretch. The scoring leaders this year: ever-present Mike Hall (5-14-19 in 18), Scott Bertoli (5-9-14 in 18), Benoit Morin (8-5-13 in 18), and of course Cail MacLean (8-5-13 in 11), who was wandered off on call-ups once again. Aniket Dhadphale is catching up to the pack after joining the Titans in Game 5 (5-7-12 in 14). As for the men behind the mask: Bujar Amidovski (6-4-1, .926, 2.10, 1 ShO) versus Brian Regan (8-0-0, .933, 1.86, 1 ShO) - still compare closely when you factor in the performance of the players supporting them. Stephen Valiquette (2-4-1, .895, 3.29, 1 ShO), called up to the AHL without a replacement at that point, still pales in comparison to Scott Stirling (4-2-1, .936, 1.56, 1 ShO), who is finally catching a better break. With Regan called up to the AHL this time, Dan Murphy has stepped in (1-2-0 2.34 .918) and still gives the new Titans a goaltending edge over 1999/2000 netminders. Trenton's 2000/2001 power play continues to slightly out-pace last year, up from 14 to 17 at the 18-game mark. However, it's Trenton's league leading penalty killing unit that's making their 'special teams' so special this season. With all of the debate about a need for enforcers: Kam White (53 PIM in 14), Mike Mader (33 PIM in 13), and D.J. Mando (28 PIM in 15) from last season sure seemed to do a more affective job than Benoit Morin (78 PIM in 18), Ian Forbes (74 PIM in 16), and Kam White (60 PIM in 17) this season according to the call for more policemen. Overall penalty minutes are up slightly from 381 to 391 for the same period. The 2000/2001 Titans don't seem less disciplined about getting penalties, so is there just a much greater need for toughness this season than the 1999/2000 Titans faced?

Now, the roster comparison: after 18 games, Anthony Cappelletti joined the list of traded players, while nobody new was shipped away this season. The only new arrivals at this point last season were on assignments from the AHL: Francis Belanger, Sean Blanchard, Jesse Boulerice, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Matt Henderson were each making guest appearances. This year's newbies: Eric Silvermen, featured last month as our 'Titan Who Never Played' gets a second look while goalie Dan Murphy is another new arrival from the AHL. Stewart Bodtker and Brian Regan joined Cail MacLean on the call-up list this season, while Stephen Valiquette joined MacLean on the list last year. Due to mainly to less shuffling of players by Philadelphia, the roster seems a little more stable at the 18-game mark this season than it did last year.

The ECHL arrived in New Jersey after I moved but it's finally catching up to me out here in Texas ! As reported in The Trentonian by Titans beat writer Scott Esposito, the East Coast Hockey League has approved the plans for the re-surfacing of the Miami Matadors franchise (dormant since the end of 1998/1999), expanding the league's western horizon to Beaumont, Texas for the 2002/2003 season! I moved from New Jersey to Texas in 1996 after anxiously waiting for a hockey team to come to Trenton for years. I was fortunate enough to enjoy baseball's return to the area before moving, but missed out on the Trenton Titans' arrival. Now, I have to scramble for opportunities to see the Trenton Titans play - which is not very easy (or affordable) from Texas. The ECHL was already well established next door in 3 Louisiana markets (7 1/2 to 9 1/2 hour road trips from my home in Texas), and I was very happy to see the addition of the Arkansas RiverBlades along with the Titans last year, reducing my minimum possible ECHL road trip to about 6 hours. Unfortunately, the ECHL scheduler last season didn't even bring the Titans anywhere near those locations. However, I was able to make a trip back east to catch my first Titans game at Richmond and then made the drive up to Trenton for another game at Sovereign Bank Arena, so all was not lost. I was hoping for a Titans versus IceGators Kelly Cup Finals and was happy to see the teams try their best to accomodate me, but those darn Peoria Rivermen spoiled that bid.

When the 2000/2001 ECHL schedule was released, I was disappointed to see that Peoria, Illinois was the closest the Titans will be to Texas this season until the Kelly Cup Finals. Sure, the Arkansas RiverBlades can make the trek to Trenton, but not vice versa. Well, at least Y'all (that's Texan) got a chance to see Eric Brule again. I'm still trying to conjure a way to catch up with the Titans before the season is over, so don't count me out. As for next season, the addition of Reading and Atlantic City to the league will greatly reduce the odds of Trenton making a Southwest swing, but I can always hope. The possible addition of Memphis next season adds another venue on the fringe of my striking range should the ECHL scheduler decide to accomodate me.

It's the addition of Beaumont for the 2002/2003 season that brings the ECHL to my backyard (although Little Rock is actually just as close as Beaumont for me). The league has finally invaded Texas (Texarkana had been mentioned previously as a possible point of attack) which is heavily dominated by the Western Professional Hockey League with additional franchises in the International Hockey League and Central Hockey League. Now if we can put an ECHL franchise in my front yard. The Dallas suburbs would be a perfect place for another new ECHL team (half way between the RiverBlades and Beaumont if you take the most convenient Interstate routes), but I know how the ECHL just loves those NHL markets. The Dallas Stars provide the only real roadblock to putting a franchise in the suburbs, but an arrangement like we have with Philadelphia and Trenton could easily lay a blueprint for success. (Take notes Mr. Adams). The nearest minor league franchise is the Fort Worth Brahmas, but the markets wouldn't overlap significantly. Economically, the northern suburbs of Dallas are one of the fastest growing areas in the country and are ideal for new minor league sports franchises. A mid-size arena would be an easy sell in the area. They built a church here that is the perfect size to double as an ECHL arena if the planners had thought about it. We could do without hockey on Sundays. But seriously, ice hockey is thriving in Texas, especially in the Dallas area, on the heels of the Stars' success (and it helps that the Dallas Cowboys are pathetic). Logistically, the Dallas area fits perfectly in the Southwest corner of the ECHL's turf. Any venture capitalists out there with some money to invest? I have my resume ready.

Check out this excellent story about how the Trenton Titans gained another loyal fan! Chrystal's Story is available here and in the "Scrapbook". Another fine new addition is a poem about Eric Brule: Good Night, Not Goodbye by Sara, also available in the "Titans Poetry" section of the "Scrapbook".

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHEAST DIVISION (Games through 11/30/00). Sitting pretty atop the Northeast Division, of course, is our Trenton Titans with a 13-4-1 record and their league leading .750 win percentage. Enough has already been said in this issue about their success. Just one point behind Trenton in the standings, but having played 4 more games, we find last year's Division Champions: the Roanoke Express with a 13-9-0 record and .591 win percentage. Daniel Berthiaume (8-4-0 2.01 .930) and Dave Gagnon (5-5-0 2.58 .904) have been providing strong goaltending for Roanoke, but a critical shortage of offense (2.86 goals per game) has held them back from challenging the Titans. One point behind the Express, but in 2nd place by percentage (.625), the 12-7-1 Richmond Renegades have seen goaltender Maxime Gingras (5-3-1 4.32 .854) flounder while Rastislav Stana (7-4-0 2.55 .907) tries to establish himself as their primary netminder. Offense has been inconsistent for the Renegades as they look to avenge their playoff upset at the hands of Trenton. The fourth place Charlotte Checkers (8-6-4 .556) appear interested in getting back into the playoff hunt after 2 seasons of sitting at home. Goaltender Jason LaBarbera (5-4-3 3.13 .914) has performed well for Charlotte, but his backups have been far less reliable, a critical problem when your team is outshot by over 10 shots per game on average. The Checkers have enjoyed considerably better luck on the road (5-2-2) than back in Charlotte (3-4-2) this season and possess the ECHL's best power play rating (26.7). Still occupying the Northeast Division basement since their 1999/2000 debut, the 7-11-4 Greensboro Generals (.409) are having major problems on and off the ice. Sergei Naumov (3-9-4 3.62 .904) looked sharp in the net at the start of the season for the Generals, but is fading fast. Their offensive production can't keep pace with their defensive lapses suggesting that maybe the ECHL's top scoring defenseman, Jamie Sokolsky (10 goals, 10 assits in 22 games), should worry more about his primary duty. The Generals lineup will need a major overhaul soon if they want to contend for a playoff spot this year.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHWEST DIVISION The defending Stanley Cup Champion Peoria Rivermen are leading the pack in the Northwest, off to a 13-5-1 (.711) start. Their squad has many similarities to the Trenton Titans, relying on strong defense and goaltending (Curtis Sanford, 6-3-0 1.89 .930 and Kenric Exner, 7-2-1 2.55 .907) while distributing their offense throughout the roster. It's still early, but a Titans versus Rivermen Conference Finals rematch is looking pretty good as the ECHL season glides past the one-quarter mark. The Dayton Bombers (12-6-2 .650) have improved from last year's mediocre performance and should remain as the team nipping at Peoria's heels. With a balanced offense featuring Jamie Ling (6 goals, 15 assists, +15 in 20 games) and respectable defense led by Tom Nemeth (5 goals, 15 assists, +9 in 20 games), Dayton should have a steady run this season. A 6-1-1 road record has been a key to their success so far. Emerging out of the cellar after a horrid season last year, the 11-8-0 (.579) Toledo Storm are back in the playoff hunt. Despite so-so goaltending from Mark Bernard (10-7-0 3.29 .906), Toledo has been finding ways to win. In 4th place, flirting with the .500 mark yet again, the Johnstown Chiefs (8-9-3 .475) have suffered from a power outtage, averaging less than 3 goals per game. Their lack of production has unfairly tarnished goalie Frederic Ceschenes (4-7-2 2.66 .909). If they find a way to bolster their offense, the Chiefs can become legitimate contenders, otherwise they will remain close to the playoff bubble all the way until April. Meanwhile, things have gone from bad to worse for the Wheeling Nailers. Weighted down with the league's worst record (5-13-3 .310), they also have the league's 2nd worst attendance. Fine defense and goaltending can only be found elsewhere, and their offense is averaging an anemic 2.62 goals per game. The Nailers are a franchise headed for the scrap pile unless management can turn things around pronto.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHEAST DIVISION It's a flashback to 1996/1997's glory days for the Southeast Division leading South Carolina Stingrays (15-5-2 .727). That was the season in which they became the only team in league history to capture the Brabham Cup for best regular season record and the ECHL Championship (Kelly Cup) in the same year. This season, Kirk Daubenspeck (12-3-2 2.38 .921) and Jody Lehman (3-2-0 2.81 .918) have supplied excellent goaltending while Jason Sessa (13 goals, 10 assists in 21 games) leads their modest offense. The Stingrays could be looking to run away with their Division and possibly remain atop their Conference for the entire season. By contrast, last year's record shattering Florida Everblades are off to a relatively lukewarm 10-7-2 (.579) start, but garnish the league's best attendance (7,177 per game). Goalies Bujar Amidovski (6-3-1 3.87 .878) and Brant Nicklin (2-3-1 3.46 .885) are both trying to shake off poor starts to keep from negating the efforts of the Florida offense (best in the ECHL with 3.79 goals per game). Expect the Everblades to strengthen as the season progresses, but it's doubtful they will challenge South Carolina for the division crown. The Pee Dee Pride (10-10-1) have fallen from greatness this season, hovering at the .500 mark for the first time since the franchise left Knoxville. Dany Bousquet (14 goals, 14 assists in 19 games) has been the kingpin of their offense while Cory Cadden (5-5-0 2.91 .912) is emerging as their premier netminder over Sandy Allan (5-4-1 3.82 .875). Keeping pace with the Everblades, the 10-10-0 (.500) Greenville Grrrowl have lost their fire from last season with no clear leader on offense. ECHL icon Nick Vitucci (7-3-0 2.31 .921) continues to shine in goal, but will need someone reliable to split duties with him if the Grrrowl wishes to rise in the standings. Next door in Georgia, the potent trio of Louis Dumont (6 goals, 17 assists in 18 games), Jonas Soling (14, 7 in 19), and Scott Morrow (12, 8 in 19) leads the ECHL's 2nd best offense for the 5th place Augusta Lynx. However, netminders J.R. Prestifilippo (0-6-0 4.31 .868) and Reg Bourcier (6-4-2 3.55 .896) squandered most of their production. Prestifilippo was sent packing with Erasmo Salterelli (5-2-0 2.87 .906) acquired in his place. That acquisition should improve their league worst penalty kill rating (72.3) and send the Lynx up the ladder a few rungs safely into playoff contention. Dragging bottom in the Southeast Division now that the Jacksonville Lizard Kings have stepped aside, the 7-11-1 (.395) Tallahassee Tiger Sharks are likely to get quite comfortable there. A league low of 2231 fans per game turn out to watch a top heavy offense, led by Brent Cullaton (11 goals, 19 assists in 19 games), in dire need of a starting goaltender. A strong catch in that department could give the Fish a chance to swim back into the feeding frenzy.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHWEST DIVISION It's certainly no surprise to find that the Louisiana Ice Gators (13-6-3 .659) lead the Southwest Division once again. Jay Murphy (13 goals, 14 assists in 22 games) leads a toned-down version of their shoot-and-punch offense for Louisiana while Mike Valley (5-3-3 2.58 .923) and Jason Saal (8-3-0 2.57 .926) have provided spectacular goaltending. Hot on the tail of the Gators just like last season, the 13-7-2 (.636) Mobile Mysticks have a strong offense anchored by Mark Turner (10 goals, 16 assists in 21 games), Jason Elders (13, 11 in 22), and Hugues Gervais (12, 4 in 20). Chris Wickenheiser (10-6-1 2.88 .899) and Dave Haimson (3-1-1 2.75 .907) have provided mediocre goaltending for Mobile, while Dave Van Drunen (the ECHL's leader at +16) anchors the Mobile defense. In 3rd place, the Jackson Bandits (13-7-0 .650) continue to age like a fine wine behind a solid defense and a sporadic offense led by Bobby Russell (14 goals, 12 assists in 26 games). The Bandits have received strong goaltending from Derek Gustafson (4-2-0 2.09 .933) with a reliable effort from Mike Tamburro (9-5-0 3.23 .897). The sophomore Arkansas RiverBlades can forget their awful debut and take pride in this season's 11-4-4 (.684) record which puts them in 2nd place by win percentage but tied with Jackson for 3rd by points. Jeff Salajko (9-3-2 2.66 .929) and Bob Janosz (2-1-2 2.91 .932) have been stellar in the net for the 'Blades behind a defense that allows over 40 shots per game. Meanwhile, Mark Cadotte (13 goals, 5 assists in 19 games), Trevor Roenick (9, 17 in 18), and Aaron Brand (6, 15 in 18) orchestrate the offense for Arkansas. With these four teams in the upper tier, the Southwest Division should be a dog fight all season long. The 'best of the rest' in the Southwest is the Mississippi Sea Wolves (10-9-1 .525). They have one of the most disciplined teams in the ECHL averaging a league low of 18.9 penalty minutes per game. Mississippi's plain as vanilla squad should be able to keep them right in the middle of the Division, enough to secure a playoff position in April. Tied for 6th in the points standings with 19, the Pensacola IcePilots and New Orleans Brass are both fighting to get their seasons on track. Under former NHL bench boss Wayne Cashman, Pensacola (9-12-1 .432) has been the Jekyl and Hyde of the ECHL this year (a horrid start followed by a strong recovery followed by another skid). The Pilots have handed out goals like candy (3.95 per game) with Scott LaGrand (5-8-0 3.61 .879) and Shawn Degagne (4-4-1 4.04 .878) between the pipes, while ECHL scoring leader Jeff Bes (12 goals, 19 assists in 22 games) tries to help the offense compensate. The Brass (8-9-3 .475) have an even more charitable defense (4 goals allowed per game) with shaky netminder Doug Bonner (6-5-3 3.56 .876) and his assorted backups, but have a more distributed attack to limit the damage. Both teams will struggle in the race for a postseason bid without a major shakeup. Also in the Bayou, a complete lack of offense has kept the Baton Rouge Kingfish (7-8-4 .474) in 8th place, flirting with the .500 mark. Brian Leitza's excellent netminding (3-4-0 2.30 .930) and Paxton Schafer's steady effort (4-4-4 3.16 .901) could lift the Kingfish from an also-ran to a contender with the addition of some true goal scorers to boost the ECHL's most worst offense (2.58 goals per game). Firmly affixed to the Southern Conference basement, you'll find the Birmingham Bulls (5-11-1 .324). The red goal light has been stuck in the 'on' position behind their goalies all season, allowing an average of 4.71 biscuits in the basket per game. If the Bulls can find a goalie to stop the bleeding, Jamey Hicks (9 goals, 18 assists in 16 games) could lead their mediocre offense to chip away at the deficit enough for a late season run shot at the playoffs. More than likely, Birmingham will remain in the Deep South in more ways than one.