# 2003–04 ECHL season

The 2003–04 ECHL season was the 16th season of the ECHL. This was the first season that the league would be known as only the ECHL instead of East Coast Hockey League after the absorption of the former West Coast Hockey League teams. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the San Diego Gulls and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Idaho Steelheads.

## League changes

This season brought a major change in the ECHL as the Board of Governors approved membership applications from the Anchorage Aces, the Bakersfield Condors, the Fresno Falcons, the Idaho Steelheads, the Las Vegas Wranglers, the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the San Diego Gulls from the recently defunct West Coast Hockey League. In a change reflective of the nationwide presence, the East Coast Hockey League changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003.
During the 2003 off-season, the Richmond Renegades, Arkansas RiverBlades, Jackson Bandits, Baton Rouge Kingfish, and Lexington Men O' War all ceased operations.
In addition to the former WCHL teams, the league also added two reactivated franchises in the Gwinnett Gladiators (formerly the Mobile Mysticks) and Texas Wildcatters (formerly the Huntington Blizzard).

## All-Star Game

The ECHL All-Star Game was held at Carver Arena in Peoria, Illinois, and was hosted by the Peoria Rivermen. The Eastern Conference All-Stars defeated the Western Conference All-Stars 7–6, with Peoria's Randy Rowe named Most Valuable Player.

## Regular season
### Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; OTL = Overtime or Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage

#### Eastern Conference

| Northern Division | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| Wheeling Nailers (z) | 72 | 51 | 17 | 4 | 106 | 259 | 188 |
| Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies | 72 | 47 | 19 | 6 | 100 | 242 | 159 |
| Peoria Rivermen | 72 | 45 | 18 | 9 | 99 | 244 | 177 |
| Johnstown Chiefs | 72 | 45 | 20 | 7 | 97 | 223 | 195 |
| Reading Royals | 72 | 37 | 25 | 10 | 84 | 212 | 189 |
| Trenton Titans | 72 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 81 | 222 | 193 |
| Dayton Bombers | 72 | 26 | 41 | 5 | 57 | 187 | 271 |
| Toledo Storm | 72 | 23 | 38 | 11 | 57 | 183 | 258 |
| Cincinnati Cyclones | 72 | 25 | 43 | 4 | 54 | 175 | 223 |
| Southern Division | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| Columbia Inferno | 72 | 44 | 20 | 8 | 96 | 275 | 217 |
| Roanoke Express | 72 | 38 | 26 | 8 | 84 | 219 | 232 |
| Florida Everblades | 72 | 37 | 25 | 10 | 84 | 239 | 221 |
| South Carolina Stingrays | 72 | 39 | 28 | 5 | 83 | 205 | 202 |
| Greensboro Generals | 72 | 40 | 30 | 2 | 82 | 241 | 240 |
| Charlotte Checkers | 72 | 31 | 32 | 9 | 71 | 206 | 230 |
| Florence Pride | 72 | 30 | 33 | 9 | 69 | 210 | 254 |
| Greenville Grrrowl | 72 | 14 | 53 | 5 | 33 | 177 | 281 |

#### Western Conference

| Central Division | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| Louisiana IceGators | 72 | 48 | 22 | 2 | 98 | 235 | 167 |
| Mississippi Sea Wolves | 72 | 45 | 20 | 7 | 97 | 256 | 200 |
| Gwinnett Gladiators | 72 | 42 | 22 | 8 | 92 | 248 | 193 |
| Pensacola Ice Pilots | 72 | 40 | 23 | 9 | 89 | 240 | 239 |
| Columbus Cottonmouths | 72 | 37 | 27 | 8 | 82 | 214 | 197 |
| Augusta Lynx | 72 | 32 | 33 | 7 | 71 | 203 | 234 |
| Texas Wildcatters | 72 | 22 | 44 | 6 | 50 | 196 | 287 |
| Pacific Division | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| San Diego Gulls (z) | 72 | 49 | 13 | 10 | 108 | 240 | 177 |
| Las Vegas Wranglers | 72 | 43 | 22 | 7 | 93 | 227 | 186 |
| Idaho Steelheads | 72 | 40 | 23 | 9 | 89 | 219 | 208 |
| Alaska Aces | 72 | 38 | 28 | 6 | 82 | 220 | 210 |
| Bakersfield Condors | 72 | 25 | 38 | 9 | 59 | 201 | 236 |
| Fresno Falcons | 72 | 23 | 43 | 6 | 52 | 187 | 275 |
| Long Beach Ice Dogs | 72 | 23 | 44 | 5 | 51 | 191 | 257 |

### Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Tim Smith | CBA | 69 | 33 | 62 | 95 |
| Steffon Walby | MS | 59 | 33 | 55 | 88 |
| Brian McCullough | FL | 72 | 40 | 47 | 87 |
| Louis Dumont | MS | 72 | 33 | 51 | 84 |
| Louis Goulet | AUG | 72 | 32 | 52 | 84 |
| Mark Pederson | SD | 70 | 44 | 37 | 81 |
| Sylvai Deschatelets | SD | 72 | 24 | 57 | 81 |
| Mark Turner | GBO | 72 | 28 | 50 | 78 |
| Cory Neilson | PEN | 72 | 19 | 59 | 78 |
| Jon Cullen | AC | 71 | 29 | 48 | 77 |

### Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | Sv% | GAA |
| Scott Stirling | AC | 49 | 2954 | 31 | 13 | 5 | 94 | 4 | .933 | 1.91 |
| Derek Gustafson | LA | 43 | 2498 | 28 | 14 | 0 | 87 | 5 | .927 | 2.09 |
| Michael Garnett | GWT | 33 | 1936 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 69 | 4 | .926 | 2.14 |
| Trever Koenig | SD | 53 | 3154 | 37 | 7 | 8 | 114 | 3 | .920 | 2.17 |
| Mike Valley | PEO | 37 | 2184 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 83 | 3 | .915 | 2.28 |

## Kelly Cup playoffs
### Bracket

| Northern Division Wildcard | Northern Division Wildcard | Northern Division Wildcard | | | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | | | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Kelly Cup Final | Kelly Cup Final | Kelly Cup Final |
| | | | | | N1 | Wheeling | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N5 | Reading | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Johnstown | 0 | | | N5 | Reading | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Reading | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Reading | 1 | | | | | | | | N5 | Reading | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | N3 | Peoria | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N2 | Atlantic City | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | Peoria | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | N5 | Reading | 2 | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | N5 | Reading | 2 | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | S3 | Florida | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | S1 | Columbia | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S4 | South Carolina | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | S4 | South Carolina | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | S2 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S2 | Roanoke | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S3 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | S3 | Florida | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | P3 | Idaho | 4 |
| | | | | | C1 | Louisiana | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | C4 | Pensacola | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | C1 | Louisiana | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | C3 | Gwinnett | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | C2 | Mississippi | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | C3 | Gwinnett | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | C3 | Gwinnett | 1 | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | C3 | Gwinnett | 1 | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | P3 | Idaho | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | P1 | San Diego | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P4 | Alaska | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | P4 | Alaska | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | P3 | Idaho | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P2 | Las Vegas | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P3 | Idaho | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Eastern Conference
#### 1st round

Northern Division Wildcard Johnstown vs. Reading :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 5 | Reading 2 | Johnstown 1 |
| Reading wins series 1–0 ||||

#### Division Semifinals

Northern Division Semifinals Wheeling vs. Reading :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 8 | Reading 1 | Wheeling 3 |
| April 9 | Reading 3 | Wheeling 2 |
| April 10 | Wheeling 3 | Reading 4 |
| April 13 | Wheeling 3 | Reading 1 |
| April 14 | Reading 4 | Wheeling 0 |
| Reading wins series 3–2 ||||
Northern Division Semifinals Atlantic City vs. Peoria :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| April 7 | Peoria 2 | Atlantic City 3 | |
| April 9 | Peoria 6 | Atlantic City 3 | |
| April 12 | Atlantic City 1 | Peoria 2 | 2OT |
| April 13 | Atlantic City 1 | Peoria 2 | OT |
| Peoria wins series 3–1 ||||
Southern Division Semifinals Columbia vs. South Carolina :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| April 6 | South Carolina 1 | Columbia 4 | |
| April 9 | South Carolina 4 | Columbia 2 | |
| April 10 | Columbia 2 | South Carolina 3 | OT |
| April 13 | Columbia 0 | South Carolina 3 | |
| South Carolina wins series 3–1 ||||
Southern Division Semifinals Roanoke vs. Florida :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| April 6 | Florida 4 | Roanoke 3 | |
| April 8 | Florida 6 | Roanoke 3 | |
| April 9 | Roanoke 5 | Florida 3 | |
| April 12 | Roanoke 2 | Florida 3 | OT |
| Florida wins series 3–1 ||||

#### Division finals

Northern Division Finals Peoria vs. Reading :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| April 17 | Reading 2 | Peoria 1 | OT |
| April 19 | Reading 2 | Peoria 4 | |
| April 21 | Peoria 2 | Reading 3 | |
| April 22 | Peoria 1 | Reading 3 | |
| Reading wins series 3–1 ||||
Southern Division Finals Florida vs. South Carolina :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| April 17 | South Carolina 3 | Florida 6 | |
| April 19 | South Carolina 1 | Florida 2 | 2OT |
| April 22 | Florida 8 | South Carolina 2 | |
| Florida wins series 3–0 ||||

#### Conference finals

Eastern Conference Finals Florida vs. Reading :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 28 | Reading 0 | Florida 1 |
| April 30 | Reading 3 | Florida 5 |
| May 2 | Florida 0 | Reading 6 |
| May 5 | Florida 1 | Reading 4 |
| May 10 | Reading 2 | Florida 3 |
| Florida wins series 3–2 and Gingher Memorial Trophy ||||

### Kelly Cup finals

Florida vs. Idaho :
| Date | Away | Home | |
| May 14 | Idaho 5 | Florida 1 | |
| May 15 | Idaho 6 | Florida 4 | |
| May 19 | Florida 0 | Idaho 1 | OT |
| May 21 | Florida 3 | Idaho 2 | OT |
| May 22 | Florida 2 | Idaho 5 | |
| Idaho wins series 4–1 and Kelly Cup ||||

## ECHL awards

| Patrick Kelly Cup: | Idaho Steelheads |
| Henry Brabham Cup: | San Diego Gulls |
| Gingher Memorial Trophy: | Florida Everblades |
| Bruce Taylor Trophy: | Idaho Steelheads |
| John Brophy Award: | Pat Bingham (Wheeling) |
| CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player: | Scott Stirling (Atlantic City) |
| Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player: | Dan Ellis (Idaho) |
| Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year: | Scott Stirling (Atlantic City) |
| CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year: | Kevin Doell (Gwinnett) |
| Defenseman of the Year: | Corey Neilson (Pensacola) |
| Leading Scorer: | Tim Smith (Columbia) |
| Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award: | Tim Smith (Columbia) |
| Sportsmanship Award: | Mark Pederson (San Diego) |