2012-13 ECHL season

The 2012–13 ECHL season will be the 25th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule will run from October 12, 2012 to March 30, 2013, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. After not holding its All-Star Game and Skills Challenge for 2011-12, the ECHL will bring it back for this season, holding it on January 23 at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, home of the Colorado Eagles.
== League Business ==
=== Team changes ===
On September 21, 2011, the ECHL Board of Governors approved the membership of the San Francisco Bulls for the 2012–13 season. The Bulls will play in the Cow Palace, which was the home of the San Jose Sharks of the NHL for their first two seasons.
On November 1, 2011, the ECHL Board of Governors approved the membership of the reincarnation of the Orlando Solar Bears for the 2012–13 season. The Solar Bears will play in the Amway Center which is currently home to the NBA's Orlando Magic.
The league announced on April 6, 2012, that the expansion franchise Chicago Express had withdrawn from the ECHL, effective immediately. The Express finished their inaugural season ninth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 34 wins, 26 losses, 8 overtime losses, and 4 losses in shootouts, eliminating them from playoff contention. The team also finished last in the league for attendance, averaging 2,508 fans per game (compared to the league average of 4,282 fans per game).
On May 17, 2012, the ECHL announced the addition of two expansion franchises - the Evansville IceMen and the Fort Wayne Komets, both located in Indiana and both former Central Hockey League markets. The IceMen will play home games at the Ford Center and the Komets at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The league also indicated that 23 teams would play in the 2012–13 season, making these two franchises the last to be added.
===Annual Board of Governors meeting===
The league's annual Board of Governors meeting concluded on June 25, 2012. Announcements included the re-election of Steve Chapman, president of the Gwinnett Gladiators, to his seventh term as board president, capping of league membership at 26 teams, adoption of a two-referee system for the conference finals and Kelly Cup finals, and the league re-alignment for the 2012–13 season. The San Francisco Bulls joined the Western Conference's Pacific Division, while in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Solar Bears joined the South Division and the Fort Wayne Komets and Evansville IceMen joined the North Division following the departure of the Chicago Express. The league also voted to table any decision regarding the playoff format until the Board of Governors' preseason meeting.
===Preseason Board of Governors meeting===
The preseason Board of Governors meeting was held on September 27, 2012. Announcements included changes to the Kelly Cup playoff format and a change to the league's reserve list policy. The 3-day and 7-day injured reserve spots were changed to two generic reserve spots with no minimum stay required. No change was made to the 21-day reserve list policy.
===2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs format===
The 2013 Kelly Cup playoffs format represents a significant departure from previous years. Eight teams still qualify in the Eastern Conference: the three division winners plus the next five teams in the conference. With the addition of the expansion franchise in San Francisco, the Board of Governors changed the Western Conference seeding such that eight teams qualify: two division winners and the next six teams in the conference. This eliminated the Western Conference first-round bye.
Similar to the NHL, the division winners are seeded as the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference and the top two seeds in the Western Conference; the conference winner faces the eighth seed, second faces seventh, third faces sixth and fourth faces fifth in the conference quarterfinal round. The winner of the 1st/8th series plays the winner of the 4th/5th series while 2nd/7th winner plays against the 3rd/6th winner in the conference semifinal series.
The Board of Governors also elected to change the playoff format such that all rounds of the playoffs are now best of seven series. For 2012-13, the Conference Finals and Kelly Cup Finals will use a two-referee system.
== Regular season ==
=== Standings ===
==== By division ====
Standings as of
Eastern Conference
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1	Reading Royals (WAS) 	72	46	19	3	4	246	185	99		
2	Elmira Jackals (OTT) 	72	40	25	3	4	247	220	87		
3	Wheeling Nailers (MTL/PIT)	72	31	29	3	9	193	225	74		
4	Trenton Titans (PHI) 	72	32	32	4	4	226	247	72		
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1	Cincinnati Cyclones (FLA/NAS)	72	42	22	5	3	227	195	92		
2	Toledo Walleye (DET/CHI) 	72	37	26	5	4	224	195	83		
3	Kalamazoo Wings (VAN) 	72	34	30	4	4	205	215	76		
4	Fort Wayne Komets (ANA) 	72	33	35	1	3	205	246	70		
5	Evansville IceMen (CBJ/STL) 	72	25	40	3	4	207	272	57		
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1	Gwinnett Gladiators (PHX) 	72	43	26	2	1	211	191	89		
2	Florida Everblades (TB/CAR) 	72	39	22	4	7	260	241	89		
3	South Carolina Stingrays (BOS)	72	38	26	5	3	198	171	84		
4	Greenville Road Warriors (NYR)	72	36	28	2	6	226	219	80		
5	Orlando Solar Bears (MIN/TOR) 	72	28	37	3	4	197	253	63		
Western Conference
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1	Alaska Aces (independent)	72	49	15	4	4	228	172	106		
2	Idaho Steelheads (DAL) 	72	45	20	1	6	262	198	97 		
3	Colorado Eagles (WPG) 	72	34	31	3	4	239	224	75 		
4	Utah Grizzlies (CGY) 	72	28	30	4	9	217	277	71 		
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1	Ontario Reign (LA) 	72	46	19	3	4	246	192	99		
2	Stockton Thunder (EDM) 	72	37	26	5	4	223	216	83		
3	Las Vegas Wranglers (independent)	72	37	30	2	3	196	192	79		
4	San Francisco Bulls (SJ) 	72	25	38	2	7	191	252	59		
5	Bakersfield Condors (NYI) 	72	22	44	2	4	171	247	50		
==== By conference ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1 	z - Reading Royals * 	AT 	72 	46 	19 	3 	4 	246	185	99 		
2 	y - Cincinnati Cyclones *	NO 	72 	42 	22 	5 	3 	227	195	92 		
3 	y - Gwinnett Gladiators *	SO 	72 	43 	26 	2 	1 	211	191	89 		
4 	Florida Everblades 	SO 	72 	38 	22 	4 	7 	254	238	89 		
5 	Elmira Jackals 	AT 	72 	39 	25 	3 	4 	244	218	87 		
6 	South Carolina Stingrays 	SO 	72 	38 	26 	5 	3 	198	171	84 		
7 	Toledo Walleye 	NO 	72 	37 	26 	5 	4 	224	195	83 		
8 	Greenville Road Warriors 	SO 	72 	36 	27 	2 	6 	225	215	80 		
8.5	8.5 	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5		
9 	Kalamazoo Wings 	NO 	72 	34 	29 	4 	4 	203	211	76 		
10 	Wheeling Nailers 	AT 	72 	31 	29 	3 	8 	190	221	73 		
11 	Trenton Titans 	AT 	72 	31 	32 	4 	4 	222	244	70 		
12 	Fort Wayne Komets 	NO 	72 	32 	35 	1 	3 	201	244	68 		
13 	Orlando Solar Bears 	SO 	72 	28 	36 	3 	4 	194	247	63 		
14 	Evansville IceMen 	NO 	72 	24 	40 	3 	4 	203	272	55 		
* - Division leader; y - Won division; z - Won conference (and division)
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
{| class="wikitable sortable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		
1 	b - Alaska Aces * 	MT 	72 	49 	15 	4 	4 	228	172	106		
2 	y - Ontario Reign *	PA 	72 	46 	19 	3 	4 	246	192	99 		
3 	Idaho Steelheads * 	MT 	72 	45 	19 	1 	6 	260	194	97 		
4 	Stockton Thunder 	PA 	72 	36 	26 	5 	4 	219	214	81 		
5 	Las Vegas Wranglers	PA 	72 	37 	30 	2 	3 	196	192	79 		
6 	Colorado Eagles 	MT 	72 	34 	31 	3 	3 	236	220	75 		
7 	Utah Grizzlies 	MT 	72 	28 	30 	4 	9 	213	245	71 		
8 	San Francisco Bulls	PA 	72 	24 	38 	2 	7 	186	251	59 		
8.5	8.5 	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5		
9 	Bakersfield Condors	PA 	72 	22 	44 	2 	4 	171	247	50 		
* - Division leader; y - Won division; b - Won Brabham Cup, best record in the league
==2012-13 Kelly Cup Playoffs==
===Bracket===
==Awards==
===All-ECHL First Team===
http://www.echl.com/all-echl-first-team-announced-p182847
*Michael Forney (F), Colorado Eagles
*Casey Pierro-Zabotel (F), Gwinnett Gladiators
*Mathieu Roy (F), Florida Everblades 
*Matt Case (D), Idaho Steelheads 
*Sacha Guimond (D), Gwinnett Gladiators 
*Ryan Zapolski (G), South Carolina Stingrays
==References==
2012-13
Category:2013 in hockey