2016-17 All-ECHL First Team announced

The ECHL on Thursday announced its All-ECHL First Team for 2016-17 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.

2016-17 All-ECHL First Team

G – Riley Gill, Allen Americans (41 gp, 31-7-2, 2.22 GAA, .935 save pct.) D – David Makowski, Allen Americans (40 gp, 15g, 34a, 49 pts., +19) D – Matt Register, Colorado Eagles (70 gp, 17g, 46a, 63 pts., +19) F – Chad Costello, Allen Americans (70 gp, 32g, 86a, 118 pts., +23) F – Matt Garbowsky, Colorado Eagles (70 gp, 35g, 44a, 79 pts., +30) F – Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Colorado Eagles (70 gp, 24g, 64a, 88 pts., +16)

The ECHL will announce the Community Service Award and Sportsmanship Award winners on Friday.

Riley Gill of the Allen Americans leads the league with a .935 save percentage and seven shutouts, is second with a 2.22 goals-against average and is tied for second with 31 wins. His seven shutouts are tied for the second most by a goaltender in a single-season in ECHL history.

David Makowski of the Allen Americans is tied for fifth among defensemen with 49 points and 15 goals. He ranks first among blueliners with 24 power-play assists and 31 power-play points and is tied for third with seven power-play goals.

Matt Register of the Colorado Eagles is on the All-ECHL First Team for the third time in his career after also receiving the honor in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He leads all ECHL defensemen with 63 points and six game-winning goals and is tied for second with 17 goals. He is second among blueliners with eight power-play goals and is second with 29 power-play points.

Chad Costello of the Allen Americans is appearing on the All-ECHL First Team for the third consecutive season and for the fourth time in his career. Costello leads the ECHL with 86 assists, 118 points, 39 power-play assists and 48 power-play points. His 86 assists are the fourth-most in a single-season in the ECHL’s 29-year history.

Matt Garbowsky of the Colorado Eagles is tied for third in the league with 35 goals, is sixth with 79 points and is tied for fifth in plus-minus at +30. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic after tallying two goals and two assists in the ECHL All-Stars 8-7 win over Adirondack.

Casey Pierro-Zabotel of the Colorado Eagles receives All-ECHL First Team honors for the second time after previously being named to the team in 2012-13. He ranks second in the league with 64 assists and 88 points while ranking third with 25 power-play assists and tied for third with 31 power-play points.

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 21 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2016-17. There have been who have started their career in the ECHL who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 21 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2016-17 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2016-17, marking the 20th consecutive season that the league had 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.