ECHL announces 2023 Hall of Fame Class

Bernard, Bertoli, Gervais and Heinze to be inducted in January

The ECHL announced on Thursday that the 2023 inductees for the ECHL Hall of Fame are Mark Bernard, Scott Bertoli, Victor Gervais and Dana Heinze. The 2023 ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, will take place at 12 p.m. on Monday, January 16, 2023 at the Hilton Norfolk The Main, the Official Host Hotel of the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic. The four will be formally inducted as the 15th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame at a luncheon that will be held in conjunction with the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health. “This 15th anniversary class of the ECHL Hall of Fame pays homage to a group that helped build the foundation for the League in its early years and provide the structure to become the developmental league to the National Hockey League and American Hockey League,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “It is going to be a special occasion as we return to Norfolk to honor our history in the region through this event.” “BFL CANADA is honored and excited to once again be asked to co-sponsor alongside Sutton Special Risk and to be reunited in Norfolk, Virginia with our ECHL family and friends,” said BFL CANADA Vice President, National Practice Leader - Film and Entertainment Nellie Lindner. “We look forward to being part of the 2023 Hall of Fame induction.” Limited tickets for this special event are available by contacting the Norfolk Admirals office or visiting the link below. Tickets include a plated lunch in conjunction with the ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony and are on sale for $50 per person. Individual Ticket Sales – 2023 ECHL Hall of Fame Induction CeremonyMark Bernard won two Riley Cup championships with the Hampton Roads Admirals in 1991 and 1992, earning Playoff Most Valuable Player honors in 1992 when he went 12-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average. He ranks 15th among goaltenders in ECHL history with 239 appearances and is 23rd with 112 wins. Following his retirement as a player, he served as an assistant coach for two seasons with Toledo and Roanoke before eventually joining the front office of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks, where he is currently in his 15th season with the organization, serving as the President and General Manager of the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. Bernard was a part of Chicago’s Stanley Cup championship teams in 2010, 2013 and 2015.Scott Bertoli played all but 13 of his 520 career professional games in the ECHL with the Trenton Titans. He ranks 19th all-time in league history with 344 career assists and is tied for ninth in postseason history with 66 helpers. Bertoli’s 526 points are tied for 25th all-time, and he captured a Kelly Cup championship with the Titans in 2005. He scored 20 or more goals six times in his eight ECHL seasons and posted at least 56 points in each season.Victor Gervais notched 462 points in just 266 career ECHL games, an average of nearly 1.75 points-per-game. He racked up 305 assists over his career in the league, making him just one of 31 players all-time to record at least 300 helpers. During the 1992-93 season, he led the ECHL with 80 assists while finishing second with 118 points in 59 games. In 1993-94, he racked up 53 assists in just 31 games, an average of 1.71 assists-per-game which ranks as the best single-season average in ECHL history. Gervais’ 1.15 assists-per-game average over his career is tied for the top spot in league history. Dana Heinze was the first ECHL equipment manager to advance to the National Hockey League when he was hired by the New Jersey Devils in 1992 after four seasons with his hometown Johnstown Chiefs. He later returned to Johnstown for three seasons from 1995-98 before heading to Detroit of the International Hockey League for one season, and eventually, back to the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2000-01. Heinze captured four Stanley Cup titles over his career, winning titles with Tampa Bay (2004) and Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017). He retired following the 2021-22 season. The inaugural ECHL Hall of Fame class inducted in 2008 was Henry Brabham, Patrick J. Kelly, Chris Valicevic and Nick Vitucci; the class of 2009 was John Brophy, Blake Cullen, Tom Nemeth and Rod Taylor; the 2010 ECHL Hall of Fame class was Cam Brown, E.A. “Bud” Gingher, Olaf Kolzig and Darryl Noren; the 2011 class was Richard Adams, Phil Berger, Luke Curtin and Joe Ernst; the Class of 2012 was Bill Coffey, Sheldon Gorski, John Marks, Dave Seitz and Bob Woods; the 2013 class was David Craievich, Marc Magliarditi, Steve Poapst and Darren Schwartz; the class of 2014 was James Edwards, Wes Goldie, Al MacIsaac and John Spoltore; the class of 2015 was Darren Colbourne, Louis Dumont, Scott Sabatino and Carl Scheer; the class of 2016 was Daniel Berthiaume, Craig Brush and Allan Sirois; the class of 2017 was T. Paul Hendrick, Rick Kowalsky and Brad Phillips; the 2018 class was Steve Chapman, Sam Ftorek and Jason Saal; the 2019 class was Jim Bermingham, Alex Hicks, Rick Judson and Brian McKenna; the 2020 class was Jared Bednar, Dany Bousquet, Derek Clancey and Glen Metropolit and the 2022 class was Ray Harris, Brett Marietti, Joel Martin and Tim Nowak. Inductees are enshrined in the ECHL Hall of Fame, which is open around the clock online at ECHLHallOfFame.com, as well as being recognized at the league office in Shrewsbury, N.J. and in the ECHL section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario. The third-longest tenured professional hockey league, behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League has grown from five teams in four states in 1988-89 into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 35th season in 2022-23. Hall of Fame members are selected in five categories: Player, Coach, Developmental Player, Builder, and Referee/Linesman. No more than five candidates may be elected to the ECHL Hall of Fame each year with no more than three Players, one Coach, one Developmental Player, two Builders and one Referee/Linesman. The Coach, Developmental Player, Builder and the Referee/Linesman categories are dependent upon the number of candidates in the Player category. The nomination and/or selection of candidates will be determined by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee and its Chairman Patrick J. Kelly. Only members of the Selection Committee, the Board of Governors, teams or persons affiliated with the ECHL may submit official nominations which must be made in writing to the league office. Fans are encouraged to contact their team to propose names for nomination. About the ECHL Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 35th season in 2022-23. There have been 728 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including one who has made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 27 of the 32 NHL teams in 2021-22, marking the 25th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook. About BFL CANADA BFL CANADA was founded by Barry F. Lorenzetti in 1987 and has been headquartered in Montreal since its beginning. The President, CEO and Founder was quickly joined by others who shared his vision. From then on, the company became what it is today thanks to the constant addition of professionals who are recognized as leaders in their respective industries. From modest beginnings to great success, BFL CANADA is proud of its achievements and the mark it has left on the insurance industry. Today, BFL CANADA caters to the needs of clients, both large and small, from all industry segments. About Sutton Special Risk As a Managing General Underwriter since 1978, Sutton Special Risk has always focused on delivering flexible and affordable insurance solutions for our clients. Our attention to service means we respond quickly and effectively.To provide our clients with exceptional security and global reach, Sutton underwrites business on behalf of several ‘A’ rated carriers. Our carrier partners share our appetite for risk and our willingness to customize plans to suit our clients’ needs. Our partnerships allow us to offer industry-leading high sums insured and broad coverage, including special hazards.