All-ECHL First and Second Teams announced

The ECHL on Thursday announced its All-ECHL First and Second Teams for 2018-19 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.

2018-19 All-ECHL First Team

G – Michael Houser, Cincinnati Cyclones (40 gp, 28-7-5, 2.16 GAA, .921 save pct.)D – Eric Knodel, Cincinnati Cyclones (68 gp, 17g, 34a, 51 pts.)D – Matt Petgrave, Brampton Beast (50 gp, 8g, 32a, 40 pts.)F – Caleb Herbert, Utah Grizzlies (51 gp, 31g, 37a, 68 pts.)F – Adam Pleskach, Tulsa Oilers (69 gp, 37g, 34a, 71 pts.)F – Jesse Schultz, Cincinnati Cyclones (70 gp, 22g, 58a, 80 pts.)

Michael Houser of the Cincinnati Cyclones is 28-7-5 with two shutouts in 40 appearances this season. He leads the ECHL with a 2.16 goals-against average, is second with 28 wins and is fourth with a .921 save percentage.

Eric Knodel of the Cincinnati Cyclones earns a spot on All-ECHL First Team after receiving All-ECHL Second Team honors last season. Knodel leads ECHL defensemen with 17 goals and 51 points, ranks second with 18 power-play assists and 24 power-play points and is second in plus-minus at +40.

Matt Petgrave of the Brampton Beast is tied for eighth among ECHL defensemen with 40 points (8g-32a) in 50 games. His 32 assists are eighth among blueliners and his +25 rating is tied for eighth. 

Caleb Herbert of the Utah Grizzlies is fourth in the ECHL with 68 points and is tied for fifth with 31 goals. His 28 power-play points are third overall while his 12 power-play goals are tied for fourth

Adam Pleskach of the Tulsa Oilers leads the ECHL with 37 goals and 308 shots on goal, is tied for the league lead with 13 power-play goals and is thrid with 71 points. Pleskach has six game-winning goals, which is tied for seventh in the league.

Jesse Schultz earns league honors for the second consecutive season after being named to the All-ECHL Second Team last year. He leads the league with 58 assists and 80 points, is tied for second with 22 power-play assists and is tied for fourth with 25 power-play points.

2018-19 All-ECHL Second Team

G – Tomas Sholl, Idaho Steelheads (37 gp, 25-12-0, 2.26 GAA, .928 save pct.)D – Matt Register, Toledo Walleye (62 gp, 12g, 34a, 46 pts.)D – Derek Sheppard, Florida Everblades (57 gp, 14g, 26a, 40 pts.)F – Joe Cox, Florida Everblades (55 gp, 27g, 34a, 61 pts.)F – Chris McCarthy, Reading Royals (70 gp, 19g, 54a, 73 pts.)F – Zach O’Brien, Newfoundland Growlers (50 gp, 27g, 36a, 63 pts.) 

Tomas Sholl of the Idaho Steelheads, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team yesterday, is 25-12-0 with three shutouts in 37 appearances this season. He is tied for the ECHL lead with a .928 save percentage and ranks third in the league with a 2.26 goals-against average while his 25 wins are tied for fourth. 

Matt Register of the Toledo Walleye earns All-ECHL honors for the fifth time in his career after previously being named to the All-ECHL First Team in 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Register ranks third among defensemen with 46 points, is tied for fourth with 34 assists and is 12th with 12 goals. 

Derek Sheppard of the Florida Everblades, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team yesterday, is tied for first among rookie blueliners, and tied for sixth among all defensemen, with 14 goals and is tied for eighth among defensemen with 40 points. His six power-play goals are tied for first among rookie defensemen, and are tied for second among all defensemen.

Joe Cox of the Florida Everblades is tied for the ECHL lead with a +46 rating and has posted 61 points (27g-34a) in 55 games this season.

Chris McCarthy of the Reading Royals ranks second in the league with 54 assists an 73 points while playing in each of Reading's 70 games this season.

Zach O’Brien of the Newfoundland Growlers is 13th in the league with 63 points (27g-36a) in 50 games, while he is tied for third with seven game-winning goals.

About the ECHLBegan in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 31st season in 2018-19. There have been 659 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 18 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2018-19 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 31 NHL teams in 2018-19, marking the 22nd consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook .