The Hockey News: On The 'E'

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with stellar co-hosts Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - They discuss Fort Wayne Komets president and co-owner Michael Franke, who unfortunately passed away on Dec. 10 at 63 years old following a long battle with cancer. - Justin says ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin wants to expand the league to 32 teams. Why 32, and what's important when determining ownership? Should there be 32? Justin and Jacob discuss. - The Indy Fuel are the team profile of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs have been on a tear, winning six of their last seven games after enduring multiple losing streaks. What changed? - Newfoundland Growlers forward Jonny Tychonick is the prospect of the week. The 2018 second-rounder by Ottawa is currently on an AHL contract with Toronto and has 22 points in 23 games, which ranks near the top among rookies. - Justin follows up on the chicken nugget "incident" in a Kalamazoo Wings versus Toledo Walleye game, with the ECHL leaning into the funny moment. But the Wings have won four straight since a player flicked a nugget into the stands. - Justin's Coast to Coast includes an update on whether the ECHL will mandate neck guards, a fan ejected for a racist gesture in Toledo, a big trade with Utah sending Jordan Martel to Wheeling for Quinn Wichers and more. Thank you for listening to THN On The 'E.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Former ECHL goaltender Jake Hildebrand joins the show. Hildebrand, 30, has been playing in Germany for the last few years after spending 222 regular season games in the ECHL with the Allen Americans, Indy Fuel, Tulsa Oilers, Kalamazoo Wings and Florida Everblades. Hildebrand shared some of his favorite ECHL moments. - Hildebrand and the hosts also discuss Kirill Tyutyayev getting a 10-minute misconduct for... shooting a chicken nugget back into the crowd. - The Adirondack Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, are the team profiled this week. The Thunder are 10-5-2 to start the season. - Wichita Thunder forward Peter Bates is the prospect of the week. Bates, 27, leads the ECHL in scoring with 33 points. - Coast To Coast: Justin Cohn's usual news, notes and quotes. What's a Knight Monster? Grant Cruickshank has a famous mom. And friend of the show Yuki Miura is on a tear.  Check out the full episode and subscribe to The Hockey News On The 'E' on your preferred platform. Also, check out The Hockey News' dedicated ECHL site at THN.com/echl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Iowa Heartlanders forward Yuki Miura joins the show. The 27-year-old was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. He moved to the U.S. in 2016 to play USHL hockey with the Waterloo Black Hawks before spending the next four years at Lake Superior State University. The guys discussed Miura's introduction to hockey and his impact on an Iowa community that has become a second home to him. - Three big ECHL trades this week. Justin breaks down the four-player trade between the Indy Fuel and Jacksonville Icemen, the Tulsa Oilers and Reading Royals trade featuring Tag Bertuzzi and Alec Butcher, along with a Fort Wayne Komets and Allen Americans deal that went sideways. - Goalie Ryan Bednard of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits is the prospect of the week. - Coast To Coast: The ECHL is introducing player safety videos, the Idaho Steelheads have been dominant over their seven-game winning streak, Orlando is undefeated when outshot, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin Cohn: - The Kalamazoo Wings had to wear the Toledo Walleye's practice jerseys for a period. Yes, you read that right. Justin explains why and shares stories of similar instances happening. - Team of the Week: Kansas City Mavericks. The Mavericks are 12-3-0 to start the year. Cale Morris is leading the charge between the pipes, with a .918 save percentage through seven games. - Prospect of the Week: Cam Johnson, Florida Everblades. Coming off back-to-back Kelly Cup Championships, Johnson is splitting the crease with Evan Cormier this year. Johnson is signed to an AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers. - Neck Guards: Justin discusses how the conversation surrounding neck protection has changed within the ECHL in the wake of Adam Johnson's death. - Reader Questions and Coast To Coast: Justin answers some more questions about ECHL scheduling and video review before sharing his usual news, notes and quotes, including all-star weekend plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - It's morning game season. Justin explains why ECHL teams play games in the morning, and how much harder it is if at all. - The Toledo Walleye are the team profile of the week. The Detroit Red Wings' ECHL affiliate is off to a hot start under the tutelage of first-year head coach Pat Mikesch, a coach who Justin says has a connection to Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde.  - Mark Rassell of the Idaho Steelheads is the prospect of the week. The 26-year-old, has 10 goals and 15 points in his first 11 games of the year. Idaho acquired his rights in a weird, ECHL-esque way, as Justin explains.  - Mailbag questions! Justin answers your questions on the possibility of an ECHL franchise becoming an AHL club, players not reporting when traded, old barns Justin never got to visit and more.  - Coast to Coast: Justin Cohn's usual news, notes and quotes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast recorded on Nov. 1: - Jacob interviewed Matt Cooke for a THN magazine feature and he uncovered an interesting story about a hidden connection between Cooke and the Maple Leafs. - Justin discusses the best ECHL players never to win a cup. The conversation sparked via debate in the sporting world surrounding NBA player James Harden – who many believe is the best NBA player to never win a title. Justin provides some ECHL equivalents. - The Atlanta Gladiators are our ECHL team profile of the week as the affiliate of the Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals. The Gladiators are off to a strong start, led by Derek Nesbitt – a former legendary ECHL player – whom Jacob also spoke to ahead of the 2023-24 season. - Jalen Smereck is the prospect of the week. Justin thinks the Cincinnati Cyclones defenseman has all the makings to be the next household name among ECHL blueliners. - Coast to Coast: Justin gives us his usual news, notes and quotes from across the ECHL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast, Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller begin the show with a special guest: - Former NFL Linebacker Myles Jack, owner of the Allen Americans, joined the show. Jack and his mother, LaSonjia, became the first Black majority owners in ECHL history. Jack discussed his boots-on-the-ground approach to owning the Americans, how he fell in love with hockey, and what it's like owning a hockey club. You don't want to miss this one! - Team of the Week: Trois Rivieres Lions (Montreal Canadiens). The Lions are off to a 3-0-0 start. Justin isolates some notable names, such as Jakov Novak. - Prospect of the week: Philippe Daoust. After a strong start to the AHL last year (seven points in nine games,) Daoust missed the entire season with an injury. He's down in the ECHL and tearing it up, with four points in two games. At this rate, he won't be here long. - It's another edition of coast-to-coast, Justin Cohn's news, notes and quotes. Justin takes us for a spin around the ECHL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Goaltender Mariah Fujimagari appeared in net for the Kalamazoo Wings, which won 4-3 over the Toledo Walleye. Justin discusses the reaction following her win and the context. - It's the 10th ECHL season since it absorbed the remainder of the Central Hockey League teams. Is the world of minor-league hockey better with just one Double-A league? - Matt Tomkins made his NHL debut last Saturday for the Tampa Bay Lightning. That raises the question: how many former ECHL players were on NHL opening-night rosters? And how many can you name? - The South Carolina Stingrays are the team of the week, where Justin and Jacob take an expanded look at each ECHL team. Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears fans can also take notice of their ECHL affiliate, which received some nice players from the AHL recently.  And more, including more fights to discuss from the past week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - What is opening training camp like in the ECHL? - What did we learn about the ECHL over the 2023 off-season? - With a lot of young coaches in the league, what is the prerequisite for being hired in the ECHL? - The Newfoundland Growlers hired Matt Cooke as their new coach, with the announcement coming on a Saturday. Should the big news have been announced on a day with the fans in mind? - With ownership changes in the off-season and a new team in Lake Tahoe, does the current map make sense? - And much more, including Toledo signing Rylan Parenteau, Myles Jack owning the Allen Americans, and Norfolk getting players from the Carolina Hurricanes (which doesn't have an AHL affiliate). Check out the full episode and subscribe to The Hockey News On The 'E' on your preferred platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News on The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Pat Nagle retired. Justin recaps the career of a shoo-in ECHL Hall of Fame goalie. - Justin and Jacob analyze interesting Mountain Division storylines pertaining to the Idaho Steelheads, Allen Americans, Rapid City Rush and Utah Grizzlies. - They discussed Central Division storylines as well, with the Cincinnati Cyclones, Toledo Walleye, Kalamazoo Wings and Fort Wayne Komets. - As an ECHL fan, should you want your teams' players in AHL training camp? The guys weigh the pros and cons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - They discuss the Eastern Conference storylines heading into training camp. They may be premature, but Justin examines storylines that stick out to him within the North and South divisions. Can the Adirondack Thunder improve on their feel-good story late last season? What's the mystery of the Newfoundland Growlers? And what about the potential powerhouses in the South Division, including Jacksonville, Florida and South Carolina? - Justin Cohn's News Notes and Quotes: seeing Spencer Carbery as an NHL coach, notable ECHL retirements and jersey reversal dates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Idaho Steelheads broadcaster Cam McGuire joined the hosts for the entire episode. They dove into several topics with the 2022 ECHL broadcaster of the year.  - McGuire chronicled the Steelheads' historic 2022-23 season from his vantage point, diving into what made the team such a wagon during the regular season, their playoff run and eventual loss in the final.  - McGuire discussed his path to becoming a broadcaster, and if he plans out broadcast calls ahead of big-time games. They also dove into a 'Predict The Fish' segment he created and why he — and sometimes players — have to wear a fish costume because of it.  - They capped off the show with Justin Cohn's News, Notes and Quotes, focusing on the involvement of ECHL personnel and players during NHL training camps, Kalamazoo signing a big-time tough guy, and the trickle-down effect of losing a star ECHL player right before the start of the regular season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Justin and Jacob discuss the ECHL product as a whole. They discuss what they like, such as teams' growing relationship with their NHL clubs and the league's playoff format, and things they dislike, such as back-to-back-to-back games and the scheduling. - They then discuss the keys to signing free agents in the ECHL and dive into how money isn't the only driver in these transactions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News on the 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Justin highlights 11 recent under-the-radar ECHL signings. - ECHL schedules are out, including exhibition games. Justin dives into ECHL pre-season games and the logistics, obstacles and significance of them. - Norfolk added another affiliate, reaching an agreement with the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets have not had an ECHL affiliate since parting ways with Jacksonville two years ago. Carolina, Norfolk's affiliate since 2021-22, will still be in an affiliate partnership with them. - Mailbag time! Justin answers your questions about all things ECHL.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News on The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Orlando Solar Bears forward Aaron Luchuk joined the show. Luchuk details his nightmare experience overseas, what compelled him to return to Orlando and how the ECHL has evolved over the span of his career. - The South Division is getting tougher. A few weeks after Justin and Jacob duked it out over the future of fighting at the pro level, the Savannah Ghost Pirates and Jacksonville Icemen signed some tough guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Andrew Zadarnowski of Habs Eyes On The Prize joins the show to discuss the Trois Rivieres Lions, the Montreal Canadiens' ECHL affiliate. Zadarnowski discussed how the Quebec-based ECHL team has fared in the league, the fan support and synergy with the Habs. Zadarnowski also dove into the quick promotion and subsequent departure of GM Pascal Rheaume. - Justin discusses the Southern Professional Hockey League rebranding to the SPHL, which is no longer an acronym. - Justin ponders how ECHL teams are receptive to their players playing 3ICE, the summer professional 3-on-3 hockey league that wrapped up on Aug. 12.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - The hosts go through the signings, transactions, new affiliations and more to find the winners, losers and "not so sure" ECHL teams during the off-season so far. - The winners category features six teams, including the Kalamazoo Wings, which got a new NHL affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks and made some key signings.  - Four teams are losing the off-season so far, whether it's losing a coach, an affiliation or not improving as much as they should be. The back-to-back Kelly Cup champions find themselves in this category. - The Toledo Walleye, Atlanta Gladiators, Wheeling Nailers and Fort Wayne Komets are neither winners nor losers at this time since there's more to figure out about them. What have they done so far, and how could they become winners? - Justin and Jacob round out the show by discussing the heavier punishments for fighting in the QMJHL and what that means for the ECHL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - ECHL official Logan Gruhl joined the show. Gruhl, one of the officials in the 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs, explained how he became an official while also peeling back the curtain and giving us a look behind the scenes of being a referee. - It's Tebow time. Lake Tahoe is getting an ECHL team, and one of their owners is Tim Tebow. Jacob and Justin dive into the Lake Tahoe market, the Tebow connection and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast, Jacob Stoller and Justin Cohn discuss: - Who were the best goalies in the ECHL from 2017 to today? Jacob calculated the Goals Saved Above Average stat to see which ECHL goalies were the best in each of the last seven seasons.  - Meanwhile, Justin lists off the goaltenders he thinks were the best in each given season, and the two compared their lists and evaluated the numbers. - The ECHL has curtailed its fighting rules to be more aligned with the NHL and AHL's. Is this good? Bad? Justin and Jacob debate it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - What are the best team nicknames in the ECHL? Justin ranks each ECHL team name from 28 to 1. Justin factors in the name's relevance to the respective city, the uniqueness of the name, how it rolls off the tongue and if it's marketable. Oh, and it's got to have some toughness to it, too.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Jesse Kallechy is the new coach of the Fort Wayne Komets. He joined the show to discuss his time winning back-to-back championships as an assistant coach for the Florida Everblades, the high expectations coming into the new role and much more. - What other coaching jobs are open in the ECHL? - Justin and Jacob talk a bit about goaltender Hunter Shepard earning AHL playoff MVP honors as the Hershey Bears captured the Calder Cup on Wednesday. Shepard was with ECHL South Carolina just two years ago. - Some big names have moved overseas or to the AHL, including Hank Crone, Ty Felhaber and more. - There are news and notes to cover, such as Cincinnati Cyclones affiliation news and the former owner of the Utah Grizzlies, David Elmore, passing away at 89 years old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - The Florida Everblades won the Kelly Cup last week in a convincing sweep of the Idaho Steelheads. It's their second straight championship, and multiple players had key contributions, including the prospect of the week, Oliver Chau. Justin and Jacob recap what happened in the final. - What did we learn about the ECHL this season? The hosts discuss regular-season records, strong goaltending, the toughest division, fighting and more. - Now that we've seen the regular season and the playoffs in totality, which players truly were the biggest stars of the year? What about the coaches and affiliates? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin Cohn: - The Florida Everblades lead the Idaho Steelheads 2-0 in the Kelly Cup final. Justin recaps Games 1 and 2 before looking ahead at the rest of the series. - In Justin Cohn's News, Notes and Quotes, he dives into the Ben Boudreau firing in Fort Wayne and Wichita retaining Bruce Ramsay. He also outlines what non-traditional responsibilities come with being an ECHL coach. - How are ECHL rosters put together? Justin outlines player rights, protection lists, qualifying offers and everything you need to know about what goes into forming an ECHL roster. - Logan Lambdin is our prospect of the week. After recording 13 points in 37 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves this year, Lambdin was shipped off to the ECHL — where he's been tearing it up over the last few months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - The ECHL released the 2023-24 schedule last week, and Justin and Jacob dive into it. They go through how it's done, how some teams play up to twice as many games outside of their division than others, rivalry matchups and more. - They also go through Justin's Twitter polls about the schedule. - The Idaho Steelheads finished off the Toledo Walleye 4-1 in the Western Conference final of the Kelly Cup playoffs. What does this mean for the Walleye, and what went wrong for them in this round? - The Newfoundland Growlers played their longest game in franchise history to try to stay alive in the Eastern Conference final against the Florida Everblades, but Florida took care of business on the road in double overtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast, Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn discuss: - Justin reported on the Toledo Walleye sleeping in the Idaho Steelheads arena after their hotel was littered with bed bugs and mouse droppings. Justin details the process of uncovering the story and recounts some other hotel horror stories that ECHL personnel relayed to him in recent days. - In the ECHL Western Conference final, the Steelheads have been able to shut out the Walleye through the first two games. - Adam Scheel is our prospect of the week. The 24-year-old goaltender has posted a .913 save percentage through 14 ECHL playoff games with the Steelheads this year. Scheel suited up for 31 games with the Texas Stars last year. - In the Eastern Conference final, the Newfoundland Growlers and Florida Everblades duel for a spot in the Kelly Cup. Justin goes over how the two teams match up to one another. - And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Justin and Jacob were joined by Joe Ernst, the ECHL's senior VP of hockey. Ernst gave the lowdown on disallowing the Game 7 goal in the Fort Wayne versus Cincinnati series. Ernst walked through the process of reviews, along with this particular one. Ernst also explained some of the things behind the scenes that factor into ECHL officiating being the way it is. - Justin previews the Eastern Conference final between the Florida Everblades and the Newfoundland Growlers. Even without star forward Zach O'Brien, the Growlers maintained their imposing force last series, with youngsters Jonny Tychonick and Pavel Gogolev leading the way in that series. - Our prospect of the week is Florida's Tyler Irvine. Irvine is signed to an AHL contract with Cleveland and has 10 points in 12 playoff games. - Justin says the Western Conference final between Toledo Walleye and Idaho Steelheads will boil down to special teams. Toledo's power play is succeeding at a 39.5-percent clip, whereas Idaho is converting on 26 percent of their opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - The Fort Wayne Komets faced a devastating end to their season last week in a Game 7 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones. The final score was 1-0 Cincinnati, but the officials disallowed a potential equalizer with 71 seconds left in the game due to goaltender interference. The decision caught the attention of fans around the league. - Justin and Jacob discuss some ideas to improve officiating in the ECHL without finding different referees. Some topics included cracking down on embellishment and giving the linesmen the ability to call a penalty. - The Newfoundland Growlers are the team of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies currently leads the Reading Royals 2-0 in the North Division final. Growlers goalie Dryden McKay has been up to the task so far in Newfoundland's quest for the Kelly Cup. - Forward Trenton Bliss is on fire for the Toledo Walleye through six playoff games, with five goals and six assists. Our prospect of the week had a 30-game stint for the Grand Rapids Griffins, but he flourished for the Walleye this season with 40 points in 38 games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Justin tees up Game 7 between the Fort Wayne Komets and Cincinnati Cyclones, which happened Wednesday night. Heading into Game 7, the Komets came off a commanding 6-0 victory. - Justin originally picked Cincinnati to win in six games, and that brought us to the legend that is "Witchita in six." One of Justin's predictions — and the fallout from it — made national headlines back in 2012. - After being down 2-0 to Utah, Idaho won four straight games to advance past the first round and avoid being on the wrong side of a massive upset. Idaho was the ECHL's best regular-season team this year. - Justin picked South Carolina to win the Kelly Cup....but they got bounced in the first round to Florida. How? Why? Justin explains. - The Jacksonville Icemen are the team of the week. Charles Williams, a goalie on an ECHL contract, played the first four games of the series. That's rare, as usually, NHL/AHL players get the nod. Justin also dives into key performances from Ara Nazarian and Craig Martin.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The time has arrived for another episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller. Here's what's in it: - The Utah Grizzlies had a stunning 2-0 start on the Idaho Steelheads in the first round of the ECHL playoffs. That's with Idaho having almost all of its NHL and AHL contracted players as well. Justin and Jacob spoke about their success in Wednesday's recording ahead of that evening's 3-2 overtime win by Idaho. - The Adirondack/Newfoundland and Allen/Kansas City matchups are playing three straight games in one location before playing the next four in the other rink. The other series follow the format seen in the NHL. What's the ideal series format for this level?  - What's the wildest format Justin has seen, and why does he hate the best-of-3 series in the AHL? - Justin's Kelly Cup pick, the South Carolina Stingrays split games 1 and 2 against the Florida Everblades before Wednesday night's 4-3 Everblades win. - Which team has really lived up to the hype so far? And what's the most exciting ECHL playoff series at the moment? And more, so be sure to check out the full episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Cincinnati Cyclones coach Jason Payne joins the show. He is one of two Black head coaches in the ECHL, and he had a 14-year playing career where he put up 1,285 penalty minutes. Payne and the hosts discuss his days as an enforcer, how they prepared him for his coaching career, his team's quantum leap this season, getting hockey more diverse and more. - Jacob and Justin also discussed a former guest of the show, coach Pete MacArthur of the Adirondack Thunder, and one of the wildest playoff-spot clinches Justin can remember from the ECHL. After he appeared on the show, the Thunder went 14-6-4 but were trailing in the final game of the season to the team they had to beat to clinch a spot. - Patrick Grasso is the prospect of the week because of his heroics in scoring twice for the Thunder to win their final game. The 26-year-old has been called up to the AHL for nine games this season. - ECHL playoff picks: Justin goes through each first-round post-season series to predict who moves on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Jacob and Justin were joined by Witchita Thunder forward Jason Pineo. After finishing his senior season at Niagara University last month, the 25-year-old signed a contract with the Thunder. Since turning pro, Pineo has recorded five points in 11 games. Pineo peeled back the curtain on the process of going from a student-athlete to a pro hockey player within a matter of days. - Tag Bertuzzi is the prospect of the week. The son of Todd Bertuzzi has has recorded 52 points in 61 games this season, split between Norfolk and Tulsa. Justin believes Bertuzzi, who is playing on an ECHL contract, has caught the eye of AHL teams. - The Maine Mariners are the team of the week. Alike their NHL affiliate, the Boston Bruins, Maine has been backstopped by a balanced goalie tandem of Michael DiPietro and Francois Brassard. But when it comes down to it, Justin thinks Michael DiPietro — 0.917 SP through 28 games — will get the ball and run with it come playoff time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

- With just two weeks left in the regular season, Justin and Jacob held an award show for the 2022-23 season. Justin dished out his top-three ballot for the top coach, rookie, goaltender, most valuable player and under-the-radar prospect. - Cameron Wright of the Utah Grizzlies is the prospect of the week. Wright, signed to an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles, leads the Grizzlies in scoring with 56 points (24 goals). - The South Carolina Stingrays are the team of the week as the ECHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears. Sitting first in the South Division with a 40-21-4-1 record, South Carolina looks poised to make a legitimate run at the Kelly Cup. Goaltender Tyler Wall, signed to an AHL contract with Hershey, leads a pack of intriguing prospects as he boasts a .908 SP and a 19-10-1 record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - What a month for Fort Wayne Komets goaltender Ryan Fanti. After making headlines in the hockey world for an ECHL goalie fight against the Wheeling Nailers' Brad Barone, he returned to the highlight reel by scoring from behind his own net against the Rapid City Rush. He made a bit of history in the process, but something else caused Fanti to miss part of the game. - The ECHL has some close playoff races with just more than two weeks left in the regular season. Jacob and Justin go through each division to look at the most pivotal battles for positioning and the prospects that could decide them. - Jon Martin is the player of the week. The 6-foot-2 forward for the Rapid City Rush has spent most of his career between the AHL and ECHL. The 27-year-old currently has 18 points in 30 games for Rapid City this season after missing some time due to injury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - DJ Abisalih is one of the longest-tenured broadcasters in the ECHL and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the league. The Wheeling Nailers radio broadcaster joins Justin and Jacob for the whole episode and starts by describing his role and his favorite goal call. - The Wheeling Nailers are fittingly the team of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins has center Jordan Frasca under an NHL contract and three players on AHL deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. - Brett Stapley of the Trois-Rivieres Lions is the prospect of the week. The Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the seventh round in 2018, and he had a memorable college hockey career. - Let's talk fighting. This is the fourth season in which the ECHL has limited the number of fights a player can have to 10 before they get suspended. Is this good or bad? Is it working? - And more, so check out the full episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury's goalie fight may have been interrupted, but in the ECHL — they let the netminders go. Fort Wayne and Wheeling had a crazy goalie fight, and Justin was on sight. - Ryan Fanti is the prospect of the week, not just because of his fight but also due to what Justin says is a much better performance than his .891 SP indicates. Fanti is signed to an AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors. - The Jacksonville Icemen are the team of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers are on a quest to secure first place in the South Division. Goaltending has been the story with them, and they also got in the action before the ECHL trade deadline by getting Matheson Iacopelli from Kalamazoo. Justin also gave his thoughts on AHL-contracted players Ryan Lohin and Easton Brodzinski - An overdue congratulations to Michael Pelech of the Atlanta Gladiators, who became the all-time games-played leader in the league last month. There was more to talk about, so check out the full episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - The ECHL's Toledo Walleye (Detroit Red Wings) are the team of the week. The Walleye were once 8-10-3 but are now 37-15-6 and have won 14 straight games. Goaltending is a big part of the story, with Sebastian Cossa and John Lethemon on NHL deals. - Justin recently covered his 1,500th game for the Fort Wayne Komets. He reflects on why he tracked the games, how the team found out and what he did to celebrate, a story about covering the team and calling a players-only meeting and general advice. - Alex Ierullo of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits is the prospect of the week. He's currently on an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn:  - Adirondack Thunder coach Pete MacArthur joined the show. The 37-year-old is in his first year as a head coach. A veteran of 190 games in the AHL and another 265 in the ECHL, MacArthur shared some insights on how being not far removed from the game has been a benefit.  - Team of the Week: Adirondack Thunder. MacArthur provided insight into players on AHL contracts, such as Xavier Parent, Jarrod Gourley, Sebastian Vidmar and Isaac Poulter. - Jacob digs into some advanced stats and tells Justin the average leaguewide save percentage in the ECHL and which goalies have the best goals saved above average (GSAA). - Tomas Vomacka of the Norfolk Admirals is the prospect of the week. The goalie was a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Kevin Mandolese, 22, suited up for the Ottawa Senators and recorded 46 saves en route to a win in his NHL debut against the New York Islanders. Mandolese played most of this season in Belleville, but he spent time with the Allen Americans, where he posted a 4-1-0 record. - The Allen Americans are the team of the week as Ottawa's ECHL affiliate. Zachary Massicotte and Xavier Bernard are the two AHL-contracted players on the team. Colton Hargrove and Jack Combs — plus rookies Hank Crone and Liam Finlay — highlight an impressive crop of ECHL-contracted players leading the way for Allen. - Beck Warm is the prospect of the week. Warm, 23, boasts a 19-6-4 record and a .899 save percentage for the Cincinnati Cyclones. Currently signed to an AHL deal with Rochester, could we see him rise up the ranks of Buffalo's system? - What makes a good hockey name? Justin gives us his 10 favourite hockey names of all-time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Wichita Thunder coach Bruce Ramsay joins the show to bring expert insight into the ECHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks. This is the first season the Thunder are affiliated with the Sharks after being with the Edmonton Oilers for the last few seasons. Ramsay has coached at many levels and is the all-time penalty leader in the UHL when he was a player. - Rylan Parenteau brought international attention to the ECHL when he made a 10-bell acrobatic save for the Fort Wayne Komets earlier this week. - The Trois Rivieres Lions are having some issues with players leaving, the coach departing for the QMJHL, attendance dropping and more. - Pascal Laberge of the Kansas City Mavericks is the prospect of the week. The forward leads the team in points with 41 points in 40 games, including 15 goals. - Much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - The Reading Royals are the team of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms are second in the North Division with a 25-12-2 record. There are two players with NHL contracts on the team in Evan Barratt and Mason Millman. - Hunter Jones is the prospect of the week. The 6-foot-5 goaltender plays for the Iowa Heartlanders, the ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. - How do future considerations trades actually work in the ECHL? (And no, it's not trading a player for a pizza party.) - Justin touches on the Hockey Is for Everyone efforts in the ECHL for the past couple of years, from Fort Wayne's Martin Luther King Jr. jerseys to Kalamazoo's rainbow ice and the effects of these initiatives. - And more, including the Orlando Solar Bears, who like their hockey rough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Justin A. Cohn and Jacob Stoller: - Joe Ernst joins the show. He's the senior VP of hockey operations in the ECHL and has been in the league in some capacity for 32 years. He talks about the state of the league, trying out the two-referee system, how he hands out supplemental discipline and more. - Carson Focht of the Kalamazoo Wings is the prospect of the week. He is the only Vancouver-contracted player in the ECHL at the moment. But Kalamazoo is an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters, so why's Focht there? - The Utah Grizzlies are the team of the week. They are the affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles, and they have the reigning goaltender of the week in Trent Miner, who's only 21 years old and has time to develop as in the Avalanche's system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Goaltender Michael DiPietro of the ECHL's Maine Mariners is the prospect of the week. Since being acquired by the Boston Bruins organization and subsequently re-assigned to the Mariners, DiPietro has a .906 SP in eight ECHL games. - The ECHL All-Star Classic took place last Monday in Norfolk, Va. Justin spoke about the format: a four-team, 3-on-3 tournament similar to the NHL. However, there was one Eastern Conference team, one Western Conference team and squads representing the last-place Norfolk Admirals. - One of the interesting parts about the ECHL is seeing teams play three games in three days. But how could the matchups be improved, with some teams geographically close to each other not playing as much? - The Jacksonville Icemen are the team of the week. The ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers has some draft picks playing for them, and Jacob and Justin discuss the team's top scorer, Ara Nazarian. - And more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - If you saw NHL linesman Dan Kelly shove Toronto Maple Leaf Michael Bunting earlier this week, it also relates to the ECHL. - Josh Maniscalco is the player of the week. The 23-year-old has 22 points in 25 games for the Wheeling Nailers, the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. - The Newfoundland Growlers are the team of the week, and the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs has some players that are exciting to watch. - Lastly, Justin shares one of the best EBUG stories you may ever hear. It happened 20 years ago, and while today's EBUGs have competitive experience as a goalie, this keeper did not. And yet, the stats suggest he did. - And more, including the NHL's digital ads and the ECHL's ice ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn: - Hunter Fejes is a seven-year pro and has played for the Orlando Solar Bears along the way. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma earlier this year, and in October, he was declared cancer free. He's been working his way back since and hopes to be back in the lineup soon. He joins the show to chat with Justin about his battle. - Owen Headrick of the Idaho Steelheads is the prospect of the week. He has 23 points in 20 games on an AHL contract with the Texas Stars. - The Rapid City Rush are the team of the week as the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. They have a decent group of players who are seeking more opportunities in the AHL. - The ECHL still only has the one-referee setup for its games. How's it working up to this point? - And more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hockey News On The 'E' where Justin Cohn and Jacob Stoller cover the ECHL: - Colten Ellis is a St. Louis Blues goalie prospect playing for the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL. The 2019 third-round pick could be part of the Blues' next wave of goalies. Jordan Binnington did spend some time developing in the ECHL after all. - Shawn Szydlowski of the Orlando Solar Bears passed 500 regular-season points in the ECHL recently. How did the 2017-18 leading scorer and MVP change his game to become a star? - The Indy Fuel, the affiliate for AHL Rockford and the Chicago Blackhawks, are the team of the week. They're a team that's embraced its place in Chicago's system, right down to "Chelsea Dagger" playing after goals. Who are the players that make this team fascinating to watch? - And more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first-ever episode of The Hockey News On The 'E' Podcast, where Jacob Stoller and Justin Cohn cover everything in the ECHL: - Sebastian Cossa joins the show to talk about his adjustment to the ECHL, what he works on in practice, how he's embracing his development and more. - Jacob and Justin evaluate ECHL prospects for the Vegas Golden Knights. - The inaugural Coast to Coast: Justin's News and Notes segment, where he gives the biggest updates on the ECHL. - And more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices