Roster updates announced for 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic

The ECHL on Friday announced roster changes for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare, on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network and be streamed via FloHockey. The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare will consist of a tournament featuring the ECHL All-Stars and the Norfolk Admirals, with an integrated skills competition with points counting towards each team’s score. The Western Conference will be coached by Cincinnati’s Jason Payne, who replaces Idaho head coach Everett Sheen, who is unable to attend the event due to Idaho’s game at Utah on Monday. Payne is in his second season as the Cyclones’ head coach, and has the led the team to an 18-6-6 record this season. Toledo goaltender Sebastian Cossa has been named to the Western Conference roster, replacing Idaho goaltender Jake Kupsky, who has been loaned to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League, while Newfoundland forward Todd Skirving has been named to the Eastern Conference roster, replacing his teammate, Zach O’Brien. In addition to Kupsky and O’Brien, the following players who were named to the ECHL All-Star Classic will not participate in the event: Olivier Galipeau (Trois-Rivières), Matt Murphy (Iowa), Luke Martin (Jacksonville), Matt Marcinew (Rapid City) and Andrew Nielsen (Utah).  Orlando’s Michael Brodzinski will serve as captain for the Eastern Conference, while Indy’s Seamus Malone will be the Western Conference captain. In partnership with the Premier Hockey Federation and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, two members from each organization will participate in the All-Star Classic. Taking part in the All-Star festivities will be the PHF’s Ann-Sophie Bettez (Eastern Conference) and Sydney Brodt (Destroyers) and the PWHPA’s Emily Brown (Western Conference) and Sam Cogan (Cruisers). The Norfolk Admirals have also announced the rosters for the Cruisers and Destroyers teams in the All-Star Classic. Admirals’ head coach Jeff Carr and assistant coach Joel Rumpel will serve as coaches for the Cruisers, while former Hampton Roads Admirals’ players, and 2023 ECHL Hall of Fame inductees, Mark Bernard and Victor Gervais will coach the Destroyers. 

 The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic Skills Competition will feature three events: Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot and Accuracy Shooting. Each competition will feature one player from each team, with the winning player earning points for his team. Competitors for the skills events will be announced on Monday. The 15th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame will be officially inducted at a luncheon, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, on Monday, January 16 at 12:00 p.m. at the Hilton Norfolk The Main, the Official Host Hotel of the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic. Tickets for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare are now available. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today! For more information on the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic, visit. ECHL.com/allstar. 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 734 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including seven 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.