All-Star Game Recap, Riley Gill Enters Hall of Fame, Phil Pritchard - The Keeper of the Stanley Cup and More

 

The ECHL All-Star game last night was one for the ages. If you like seeing lots of goals, it was the game for you. The Stripes team defeated the Stars team 17-12 to blow away the all-time record for combined goals, which was 19. 

 

- There was a lot of entertainment, great stick handling, slick passes, and filthy goals, but for hockey purists, it was a three-quarters speed, defense optional, no backchecking allowed, goalies on their own, pure offense showcase.  

 

- I won't bore you with all of the details, but here are some of the highlights:

• Allen players scored the first five goals in the game: Crone, Sedley, Asuchak (2), McAuley.
• Of the Allen players, Colton Hargrove, captain of the winning Stripes team, led with four points (2G, 2A).
• Brayden Watts was the top Allen scorer on the Stars team with four points (1G, 3A).
• Brannon McManus, the game's MVP, had a hat trick plus two assists for the winning Stripes team.
• Brandon Hawkins was the leading scorer for the Stars team with five points and a hat trick.
• Allen players finished #1 and #2 in the fastest skater skills event. Harrison won with a time of 13.81, and Brad Morrison finished second with a time of 13.81. 
• Danny Katic finished second in the shooting accuracy event with a time of 13.9 seconds.

 

- You can count Coach Martinson in the category of those who found the game boring. He understands an All-Star game is different, but what bothered him was the players not skating. He implored them to skate. He felt so strongly about this after the second period that he put all the cash he had in his wallet ($50) on the table for the player who scored the winning goal. His Stripes team outscored the Stars team 8-1 in the third period to win the game 17-12. 

 

- The Stripes' comeback win might have had more to do with their third-period goalie than Martinson putting up the $50. Goalies never get recognition in these shooting gallery types of games.  However, Will Cranley from the Florida Everblades was beyond outstanding in the third period for the Stripes team.  He stopped 15 of 16 shots, and they were all grade "A" chances, many at point-blank range. Here are the save percentages for the six goalies last night. You can see how extraordinary Cranley's performance was:  

• .938 - Cranley
• .765
• .750
• .696
• .688
• .600

 

- A sold-out crowd watched Riley Gill enter the ECHL Hall of Fame at a luncheon before the All-Star game yesterday. There was a big contingent of Allen fans at the luncheon to honor Riley. His stats speak for themselves, and he excelled in the playoffs. He won three Kelly Cups in four years (2013, 2015, 2016). He is #1 all-time in playoff games (90) and #2 in playoff wins (53). His regular season stats include #6 all-time in wins and #3 in shutouts. When you consider that over 900 goalies have played in the ECHL you can see the extent of his accomplishments. 

Here is a sample of what Riley shared with the audience. He thanked his pro coaches and had a story to tell about each of them, but it was his introspection on his career and love for his family that struck me: 

"It is an incredible honor to stand here today as a member of the ECHL Hall of Fame. I am honored to be here and join such a distinguished group of players, coaches, and builders of the league. It is truly humbling."

"This isn't anything I could have imagined when I first laced up my skates as a young kid in Northfield, Minnesota." 

"I have been lucky enough to live out my dream in a league that taught me so much, not just about hockey, but about life, hard work, and resilience."

"To my wife Angie, you mean more to me than words could ever express. Thank you for being the backbone of our family, taking care of our kids when I was on the road, and being the guidance I needed throughout those tough years."

"Thank you to our three boys, Jackson (10), Hudson (7), and Sutton (11 months). They keep us on our toes with hockey, baseball, football, golf, fishing, and hunting, but we love every minute of it."

"To my parents, Tom and Virginia, it seems like yesterday I was still playing high school hockey in Minnesota. Thank you for the love, support, and sacrifices you made that allowed me to play hockey. I will be forever grateful to you."

"To my brother Brent, thank you for kicking my butt in karate and taekwondo. You made me a tougher man, and I thank you for that."

"For those that don't know my story, my career ended when I was stretchered off the ice with a head injury (2017), and I never put the pads on again. While that was an extremely difficult time in my life, it opened the door to my next chapter. I now run my own Construction Company in the Dallas area, built on the knowledge, work ethic, and experience passed down by my dad, who was a custom home builder back in Minnesota."

"Hockey has given me more than I ever imagined. The ECHL gave me a chance to chase my dreams, win championships, and create friendships that will last forever. Thank you to the ECHL and everyone who has been a part of this journey. I am proud of what I have accomplished and honored to forever be part of this league's history." People ask me all of the time if I miss the game, and the answer is yes, but what I miss most is all of the little things that happened along the way. Thank you! 

 

The Gill Family

  - One of the things I did at the Fan Fest on Sunday was get a photo with the Stanley Cup. I post it here not because of me, but because I took the photo with Phil Pritchard, the famed "Keeper of the Cup." I am sure many of you know his story, but if you don't, check out the videos below the photo. The first is Phil arriving at the CUTX Event Center with the Stanley Cup, greeted by ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. The second video is Paul's history with the Stanley Cup, in his own words, dating back to 1988:

 

 

 

 

   

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL All-Star game last night was one for the record books. A total of 29 goals shattered the all-time record for combined goals, which was 19 set in 2010. Here are the records for the most combined goals in an All-Star game by league:

 

ECHL - 2026

29 goals

17-12

 

AHL - 2015

26 goals

14-12

 

NHL - 2015

29 goals

17-12

 

Award winners from the ECHL All-Star game last night:

 

MVP - Brannon McManus (Adirondack), 3 goals, 2 assists

Fastest Skater - Harrison Blaisdell (Allen), 13.58 seconds

Hardest Shot - Charles Martin (Trois Rivières) 94 MPH

Accuracy Shooting - McManus, 10.5 seconds