ECHL announces 2022-23 All-Rookie Team

The ECHL on Wednesday announced its All-Rookie Team for 2022-23 as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media, who were asked to select a goaltender, two defensemen and three forwards.A rookie is defined as a player who has played in less than 25 professional games at the “AA” level or higher prior to the start of the current season.2022-23 ECHL All-Rookie TeamG – Remi Poirier, Idaho Steelheads (23 gp, 19-2-2, 2.07 GAA, .928 save pct.)D – Owen Headrick, Idaho Steelheads (58 gp, 14g, 39a, 54 pts.)D – Michael Joyaux, Newfoundland Growlers (70 gp, 9g, 32a, 41 pts.)F – Hank Crone, Allen Americans (66 gp, 49g, 56a, 105 pts.)F – Liam Finlay, Allen Americans (52 gp, 31g, 37a, 68 pts.)F – Alex Ierullo, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (65 gp, 25g, 55a, 80 pts.)Since the ECHL began naming the All-Rookie Team in 2000-01, 22 players selected have gone on to play in the National Hockey League: Simon Gamache (2001-02); Mike Glumac, Vern Fiddler, Adam Hauser, Jason Jaffray and Zenon Konopka (2002-03); Kevin Doell and Brian Fahey (2003-04); Joey Tenute (2004-05); Cedrick Desjardins (2006-07); David Desharnais and Anton Khudobin (2007-08); Richard Bachman (2009-10); Kael Mouillierat and Ben Street (2010-11); Philipp Grubauer (2011-12); Laurent Brossoit (2013-14); Roman Will (2014-15); Jacob MacDonald and Vitek Vanecek (2015-16); Landon Bow (2016-17) and Justin Danforth (2017-18). The ECHL will announce its First-Team All-ECHL and Second-Team All-ECHL teams on Thursday. Remi Poirier of the Idaho Steelheads is 19-2-2 in 23 appearances this season. He ranks third in the ECHL with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage, while his three shutouts are tied for fifth in the league. Owen Headrick of the Idaho Steelheads leads all ECHL defensemen with 53 points while his 14 goals are tied for first among blueliners. His +34 rating is third among defensemen and fifth overall in the league, and he leads rookie defensemen in power-play goals (6) and power-play points (24). Michael Joyaux of the Newfoundland Growlers ranks second among rookie defensemen with 32 assists and 41 points and is tied for third with nine goals. He is tied for second among first-year blueliners with four power-play goals and his +12 rating is 11th. Hank Crone of the Allen Americans leads all ECHL players with 49 goals, 39 power-play points and 105 points while his 56 assists rank third. He leads first-year players with 16 power-play goals and 23 power-play assists, is second among rookies with 239 shots on goal and is tied for third among rookies with six game-winning goals. Liam Finlay of the Allen Americans ranks third among rookies with 31 goals and fourth with 58 points. His seven game-winning goals and 26 power-play points are second among first-year players while his 20 power-play assists are third. Alex Ierullo of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits is second among rookies, and sixth overall in the ECHL, with 80 points. His 55 points are second among first-year players while his 25 goals are tied for fourth. He is tied for third among rookies with six game-winning goals while his +25 is eighth. About the ECHLFormed 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 740 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 13 who have made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th 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.