2004-05 ECHL season

The 2004-05 ECHL season was the 17th season of the ECHL. This season marked uncharted territory for the ECHL as they established their first Canadian franchise, the Victoria Salmon Kings. 
The league also adopted a "Mason-Dixon" format, as the conferences were split on the Mason-Dixon line, with the National Conference teams being north of the famed line, and American Conference teams south of the line -- in effect, all teams in states of the Confederacy, creating a "North vs South" format.
The ECHL All-Star Game was held at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania and was hosted by the Reading Royals. The National Conference All-Stars defeated the American Conference All-Stars 6:2, with Idaho's Frank Doyle named Most Valuable Player.
At the end of the season the Pee Dee Pride and Louisiana IceGators franchises ceased operations, with the Florence-based Pride announcing a move to nearby Conway (in the Myrtle Beach area), awaiting completion of the new Atlantic Center Arena. The Peoria Rivermen folded when replaced by an AHL team, and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies relocated to Stockton, California.
As a result of the NHL Lockout, players who would be in the AHL found themselves in the ECHL for another year, while some NHL stars found work in the ECHL, some as a way to return to their hometowns (or their wives'), and others to give back to the league which gave them a start. Scott Gomez (Alaska) chose to return home to his Anchorage roots, Curtis Brown played for his wife's hometown in San Diego, while Jeremy Stevenson, who played his first professional season as a member of the Greensboro Monarchs ten years ago, returned to the Carolinas as a member of a rival club, the South Carolina Stingrays. Stevenson's NHL teammate Shane Hnidy, who played 21 games with the former Baton Rouge Kingfish as a rookie, also rediscovered his roots, playing for the Florida Everblades. Hnidy and Stevenson would find themselves playing against each other in the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Bates Battaglia joined his younger brother Anthony on the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL for the 2004-05 season on February 21, 2005. This was the first time that he had played on the same team with his younger brother.
==Regular season==
===Final standings===
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Loses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage
====American Conference====
East Division 	GP	W 	L 	T 	PTS	GF 	GA
Columbia Inferno 	72	38	22	12	88 	199	186
South Carolina Stingrays	72	39	24	9 	87 	230	219
Charlotte Checkers 	72	39	26	7 	85 	226	219
Greenville Grrrowl 	72	39	28	5 	83 	210	204
Pee Dee Pride 	72	31	36	5 	67 	203	219
Augusta Lynx 	72	28	35	9 	65 	188	237
South Division 	GP	W 	L 	T 	PTS	GF 	GA
Pensacola Ice Pilots (z)	72	51	16	5 	107	248	178
Florida Everblades 	72	42	20	10	94 	237	192
Gwinnett Gladiators 	72	40	24	8 	88 	241	202
Mississippi Sea Wolves 	72	39	24	9 	87 	223	215
Louisiana IceGators 	72	26	40	6 	58 	192	266
Texas Wildcatters 	72	17	44	11	45 	178	260
====National Conference====
North Division 	GP	W 	L 	T 	PTS	GF 	GA
Reading Royals 	72	43	22	7 	93 	220	161
Trenton Titans 	72	42	21	9 	93 	220	161
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies	72	42	22	8 	92 	205	189
Toledo Storm 	72	41	26	5 	87 	203	194
Peoria Rivermen 	72	38	26	8 	84 	213	177
Wheeling Nailers 	72	38	29	5 	81 	171	173
Johnstown Chiefs 	72	22	36	14	58 	191	258
Dayton Bombers 	72	23	40	9 	55 	175	225
West Division 	GP	W 	L 	T 	Pts	GF 	GA
Alaska Aces (z) 	72	45	19	8 	98 	233	187
Long Beach Ice Dogs 	72	43	20	9 	95 	220	181
Idaho Steelheads 	72	42	23	7 	91 	223	183
Bakersfield Condors 	72	40	22	10	90 	232	205
Fresno Falcons 	72	39	25	8 	86 	204	217
San Diego Gulls 	72	35	29	8 	78 	206	222
Las Vegas Wranglers 	72	31	33	8 	70 	201	199
Victoria Salmon Kings	72	15	52	5 	35 	178	298
===Scoring leaders===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	Team	GP	G 	A 	Pts
Scott Gomez 	AK 	61	13	73	86
Carl Mallette 	TOL 	64	30	50	80
Jamie Johnson 	AUG 	72	22	58	80
Chris Minard 	AK 	69	49	29	78
Joe Tenute 	SC 	68	34	41	75
Wes Mason 	LA 	72	31	39	70
Brian McCullough	PEO 	71	39	30	69
Kris Goodjohn 	GWT 	69	21	48	69
Evan Cheverie 	LB 	72	29	39	68
Scott Bertoli 	TRE 	70	27	41	68
===Leading goaltenders===
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player 	Team	GP	Mins	W 	L 	T	GA	SO	Sv% 	GAA
Dany Sabourin	WHL 	27	1578	19	6 	1	44	5 	.942	1.67
Barry Brust 	REA 	42	2413	27	9 	4	79	4 	.928	1.96
Alfie Michaud	PEO 	48	2712	27	13	5	92	6 	.929	2.04
Tyler MacKay 	FL 	27	1601	18	7 	2	56	2 	.921	2.10
Chris Madden 	LB 	28	1598	19	5 	2	57	5 	.941	2.14
==Kelly Cup playoffs==
* A. is short for American Conference
* N. is short for North Division (National Conference)
* W. is short for West Division (National Conference)
==ECHL awards==
Patrick Kelly Cup: 	Trenton Titans
Henry Brabham Cup: 	Pensacola Ice Pilots
Gingher Memorial Trophy: 	Florida Everblades
Bruce Taylor Trophy: 	Trenton Titans
John Brophy Award: 	Nick Vitucci (Toledo)
CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player: 	Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:	Leon Hayward (Trenton)
Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year: 	Chris Madden (Long Beach)
CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year: 	Joe Tenute (South Carolina)
Defenseman of the Year: 	Ray DiLauro (Wheeling)
Leading Scorer: 	Scott Gomez (Alaska)
Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award: 	Aaron Philips (Pensacola)
Sportsmanship Award: 	Kris Goodjohn (Gwinnett)
==Team Photos==
04-05AugLyn.jpg|Augusta Lynx
04-05PeoRiv.jpg|Peoria Rivermen
2005TreTit.jpg|Trenton Titans
==See also==
* ECHL All-Star Game
* Kelly Cup
Category:ECHL seasons
ECHL season, 2004–05
ECHL season, 2004–05