1988-89 ECHL season

The 1988-89 ECHL season was the inaugural season of the ECHL. The leagues first season consisted of five teams in Erie, Pennsylvania, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Knoxville, Tennessee, Vinton, Virginia and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The 5 teams played 60 games each in the schedule. The Erie Panthers finished first overall in the regular season. The Carolina Thunderbirds won the first Riley Cup championship.
==Regular Season==
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Loses; OTL = Overtime loses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched playoff spot
East Coast Hockey League	GP	W 	L 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Erie Panthers 	60	37	20	3 	77 	327	256
Johnstown Chiefs 	60	32	22	6 	70 	295	251
Knoxville Cherokees 	60	32	27	1 	65 	266	286
Carolina Thunderbirds 	60	27	32	1 	55 	266	329
Virginia Lancers 	60	22	30	8 	52 	266	298
==Riley Cup Playoffs==
==ECHL awards==
Jack Riley Cup: 	Carolina Thunderbirds
Henry Brabham Cup: 	Erie Panthers
John Brophy Award: 	Ron Hansis (Erie)
ECHL Most Valuable Player: 	Daryl Harpe (Erie)
Riley Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:	Nick Vitucci (Carolina)
ECHL Rookie of the Year: 	Tom Sasso (Johnstown)
Defenseman of the Year: 	Kelly Szauter (Erie)
Leading Scorer: 	Daryl Harpe (Erie)
==Team Photos==
88-89EriPan.jpg|Erie Panthers
88-89CarThu.jpg|Carolina Thunderbirds
==References==
All stats from Internet Hockey Database
==See also==
* ECHL
* ECHL All-Star Game
* Kelly Cup
* List of ECHL seasons
Category:ECHL seasons
ECHL season
ECHL season